New Orleans, LA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Plan trigger
- ≥1 acre or runoff increase (§ 121.6)
- Design standard
- Manage first 1.25 in. rainfall on-site (§ 121.7)
- Residential exemption
- 1–4 unit dwellings (§ 121.6(b))
- Parking rule
- Non-residential surface lots need permeable paving (§ 121.9)
- Annual certification fee
- $250 (§ 121.15)
- Late recert penalty
- $500 + $500/day after 30 days
Summary
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.
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 inches of rainfall from each drainage area on a development site shall be managed by detention or retention and by filtering and infiltrating stormwater on the same development site.
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
6 triggers a stormwater management plan whenever a development 'increases the runoff rate above pre-construction runoff rate,' covers a footprint of 'one acre or more,' or is itself principally a stormwater use, though single- and two-family dwellings and buildings of four units or fewer are exempt, along with interior renovations and routine maintenance that don't change runoff. 9 layers on a separate paving rule, requiring 'all non-residential, surface-level, off-street uncovered parking spaces' to use permeable paving. 14 requires the owner to maintain every stormwater control measure 'in perpetuity' and to inspect it monthly.
Violations & Fines
The Department of Safety and Permits will not issue a certificate of occupancy until the stormwater management plan is certified under § 121.14, and failure to implement the approved plan is itself 'cause for the withholding of the certificate of occupancy.' Annual certification costs $250 under § 121.15, with a $500 penalty for late recertification and a further $500-per-day administrative-adjudication penalty if plans remain unfiled 30 days past expiration. Failure to maintain approved controls after occupancy can trigger revocation of the certificate of occupancy plus additional fines under the City Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my New Orleans home addition need a stormwater management plan?
How much rainfall does a New Orleans site have to manage on-site?
What does annual stormwater certification cost, and what if I'm late?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Orleans
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