St. Tammany Parish, LA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in St. Tammany Parish, LA, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Lowest floor
- Base flood elevation plus 12 inches
- Floodplain Administrator
- Chief Building Official or appointee
- Maximum penalty
- $500 fine or one year jail, per violation
- Accessory structure cap
- 600 sq ft (A zones), 100 sq ft (V zones)
- Substantial improvement
- Cost of 50 percent or more of market value
- Flood vents
- 1 sq in per sq ft, two walls, within 1 foot of grade
Summary
St. Tammany Parish requires a Floodplain Development Permit for building in any area of special flood hazard, and new homes and substantial improvements must set the lowest floor at or above the base flood elevation plus 12 inches. The Chief Building Official serves as Floodplain Administrator. Violations are misdemeanors punishable by a fine of up to $500 or up to one year in jail, and each day is a new violation.
The Chief Building Official, or their designated appointee is hereby appointed the Floodplain Administrator to administer and implement the provisions of this ordinance ... Residential Construction. new construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor (including basement), at or above the base flood elevation plus 12 inches. ... Penalties for Non Compliance. No structure or land shall hereafter be constructed, located, extended, converted, or altered without full compliance with the terms of this ordinance and other applicable regulations. Violation of the provisions of this ordinance by failure to comply with any of its requirements (including violations of conditions and safeguards established in connection with conditions) shall constitute a misdemeanor. Any person who violates this ordinance or fails to comply with any of its requirements shall upon conviction thereof be fined not more than $500.00 or imprisoned for not more than one (1) year, or both, for each violation, and in addition shall pay all costs and expenses involved in the case. Each day the violation continues shall be deemed a new violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 900-6.7 of the Unified Development Code is the parish Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. It applies to every area of special flood hazard in St. Tammany Parish's jurisdiction, meaning the areas FEMA identified in the Flood Insurance Study for St. Tammany Parish and the accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps, both dated April 21, 1999, and any revisions. No structure or land can be located, altered, or have its use changed without full compliance, and a Floodplain Development Permit is required to prove it.
The Chief Building Official, or a designated appointee, reviews each application. Applicants file plans drawn to scale showing the lowest-floor elevation relative to mean sea level, any nonresidential floodproofing elevation with an engineer or architect certificate, and any watercourse change. Approval or denial rests on nine factors, including danger to life and property and safety of access for ordinary and emergency vehicles.
New residential construction and substantial improvements need the lowest floor, including a basement, at or above the base flood elevation plus 12 inches, with certification from a registered professional engineer, architect, or land surveyor. Nonresidential buildings meet the same elevation or are made watertight to 12 inches above base flood elevation. In AO and AH shallow flooding zones the highest adjacent grade must reach the FIRM depth number plus 12 inches, or two feet if no number is shown. In coastal V zones buildings stand on pilings and columns, sit landward of mean high tide, and cannot use fill for structural support. A substantial improvement is work costing 50 percent or more of the structure's market value.
Enclosed areas below the lowest floor, usable only for parking, access, or storage, need two openings on separate walls with 1 square inch of net opening per square foot, the bottom of each no higher than 1 foot above grade. Accessory structures in A zones are capped at 600 square feet and barred from habitation; in V zones the cap is 100 square feet. Recreational vehicles must stay fewer than 180 consecutive days or be fully licensed and ready for highway use. Floodway encroachments, including fill, are prohibited unless engineering analysis shows no increase in base flood levels.
Violations & Fines
Violating the ordinance is a misdemeanor. On conviction, the fine is not more than $500.00 or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, for each violation, plus all costs and expenses of the case. Each day the violation continues counts as a new violation, and the parish can also take any other lawful action to prevent or remedy it. A structure without the required elevation certificate or other certifications is presumed in violation until the documentation is provided.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high must I build in a St. Tammany flood zone?
Can I get a variance from the elevation rules?
How big can a detached garage or shed be in a flood zone?
What happens if I build without a floodplain permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Tammany Parish
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