Environmental Rules in New Orleans, LA (2026)
5 verified environmental rules for New Orleans, Louisiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
New Orleans' Stormwater Code, Building Code §§ 121.1–121.16, blocks any building, grading or land-development permit until the project meets its requirements. Sites of an acre or more, or ones that raise the runoff rate, must submit a stormwater management plan holding back the first 1.25 inches of rainfall on-site.
New Orleans Stormwater Management Code
Some RestrictionsNew Orleans Code of Ordinances § 26-15 (Stormwater Code §§ 121.1, 121.2, 121.7)
121.1 General. These regulations shall be known as the Stormwater Code of the City of New Orleans. 121.2 Permit Required. No building, clearing, grubbing, grading, foundation, or other land development permits shall be issued until all requirements of this Stormwater Code have been met. ... 121.7 Design Standards. Stormwater management plans must meet the following standards: (a)The first 1.25 ...
Erosion Control
City Code § 146-582 bars terracing, grading or placing fill on a lot in any way that alters the area's natural drainage pattern or sends runoff onto neighboring property. The Department of Streets must approve the grading method and can bill an owner for corrective work.
New Orleans Lot Grading & Fill Permit Rule
Some RestrictionsNew Orleans Code of Ordinances § 146-582
(a)It shall be unlawful to terrace, grade or place fill on any lot or site, or part thereof, in such a manner so as to adversely alter the present natural drainage pattern of the area. Requirements for lot or site grading and filling are on file in the office of the department of streets and are obtainable from the department. The department of streets shall approve the method used to terrace, ...
Flood Zones
New Orleans adopts FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps by ordinance to define its Special Flood Hazard Areas, and Chapter 78 of the Code bars any new construction, substantial improvement or land-use change in the city without a building permit issued under that article and Chapter 26.
New Orleans Special Flood Hazard Area Rules
Significant RestrictionsNew Orleans Code of Ordinances § 78-58
The Special Flood Hazard Areas identified by FEMA in a scientific and engineering report entitled "The Flood Insurance Study for City of New Orleans and Orleans Parish, Louisiana" dated September 30, 2016, as amended by FEMA, with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Boundary-Floodway Maps (FBFMs), and any revisions by FEMA thereto are adopted by reference and declared to be...
Boat Dock Permits
Building a boat dock, pier or similar structure in Orleans Parish's coastal zone requires a coastal use permit under City Code Sec. 170-221 before work starts. Docks are classified as "shoreline modifications and harbor structures," one of the specific uses of state or local concern listed in Sec. 170-281.
New Orleans Boat Dock Coastal Use Permit
Some RestrictionsNew Orleans Code of Ordinances §§ 170-221, 170-281, 170-110, 170-456
Sec. 170-221. Required. It shall be unlawful to proceed with any use of state or local concern within the coastal zone of the parish without a valid coastal use permit unless the activity is exempted from permitting by the Act or by provisions within this article. Sec. 170-281(9): Shoreline modification projects and harbor structures. Sec. 170-110: Shoreline modifications means those uses and a...
Flood Elevation Requirements
New Orleans requires pier- or chain-wall-founded homes to set their lowest habitable floor at least 18 inches above the highest point of the curb, per Building Code § 120.2.2, and to build anything below the Base Flood Elevation from flood-resistant materials. A licensed surveyor or engineer must certify the as-built elevation before framing.
New Orleans Base Flood Elevation Rule
Some RestrictionsNew Orleans Code of Ordinances § 26-15 (Building Code § 120.2.2)
120.2.2 Pier or Chain Wall Foundation Certificate. The Department of Safety and Permits shall inscribe on the building permit the minimum floor elevation in accordance with the Federal Flood Insurance Rate Map and Chapter 78 of the Code of the City of New Orleans. In addition, the top of the finished lowest habitable floor shall not be less than 18 inches above the highest point of the curb in ...