New Orleans, LA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum floor height
- 18 in. above highest curb point (§ 120.2.2)
- Below-BFE construction
- Must use flood-resistant materials
- Certification required
- LA-licensed surveyor/engineer, pre-framing
- Modification zone
- Flood Zone X only, CBD/Vieux Carré (§ 120.3)
- Non-compliance remedy
- Permit cancellation, ordered floor correction
Summary
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.
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 front of the lot or site. All construction below the Base Flood Elevation shall be of flood-resistant materials. Furthermore, the underside of a raised structure shall have a minimum of 18 inches from the underside of the sill to the ground beneath the entire structure. ... If the "as built" minimum floor elevation is built below the stipulated elevation, the Director is empowered to order the removal or correction of said floor and the Director is empowered to cancel the building permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
' To document compliance, the builder must obtain a Certificate of Construction Bench Mark from a Louisiana-licensed surveyor or civil engineer at permit application, and, before framing begins, submit a signed Certificate of Floor Elevation showing the as-built sill or floor height. 1, with the same 18-inch curb minimum. 3 lets the Department modify these elevations in the Central Business District, the Vieux Carré and other built-up commercial areas with an established grade pattern, but only within Flood Zone 'X,' and only if the new construction matches or exceeds the average lower-floor elevation already established on the block.
Violations & Fines
If the as-built floor comes in below the certified elevation, § 120.2.2 empowers the Director to 'order the removal or correction of said floor' and to 'cancel the building permit' outright. A Certificate of Occupancy cannot issue under § 120.2 until a notarized certificate confirms all filling, grading and elevation requirements were met, and final inspection is withheld until that compliance is documented.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above the street must my house's floor be in New Orleans?
Who has to certify my home's flood elevation?
What happens if my floor is built too low?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Orleans
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