St. Tammany Parish, LA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Section 2-686 sits in Article XVII (Parish Fees), Division 3 (Development), Subdivision II, titled Building Permits; Registration and Associated Fees. It lists two fee tracks. Commercial work is charged two percent of the executed plumbing contract, and the fee can never fall below $140.00. Residential work has two formulas. New residential construction is charged $0.10 per square foot under beam, with a $140.00 minimum. Residential renovation is charged two percent of contract value, again with a $140.00 minimum. No per-fixture charge and no separate base amount appear in the current text.

The minimums decide the bill on small jobs. At $0.10 per square foot, a home reaches the $140.00 floor at 1,400 square feet under beam, so a 1,200 square foot house pays $140.00 while a 2,400 square foot house pays $240.00. The two percent formulas reach the floor at a $7,000 contract: a $5,000 renovation pays $140.00, while a $50,000 commercial plumbing contract pays $1,000.00.

The section was last amended by Ord. No. 26-5969, adopted May 7, 2026, building on Ord. No. 22-4908 of July 8, 2022, and its history line traces back to Code 1998 § 2-009.00(B)I(4). Other fees in the same fee article touch a plumbing job. Section 2-675 adds a processing fee equal to three percent of the permit or application fee on each transaction paid by credit card or e-check, which comes to $4.20 on a $140.00 permit. Section 2-688 sets a re-inspection fee of $100.00, and § 2-689 sets special inspections at $100.00. Section 2-690 lists registration and renewal fees of $100.00 annually.

The sister trade permits sit directly beside it. Electrical permits under § 2-684 and mechanical permits under § 2-685 also carry $140.00 minimums, and residential electrical and mechanical work uses the same $0.10 per square foot under beam formula. Gas permits under § 2-687 differ for homes: residential gas is a $140.00 base plus $1.00 per drop, while commercial gas is two percent of the executed gas contract. A project that needs plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits therefore pays each minimum separately.