Terrebonne Parish, LA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Application filed with
- Parish council clerk
- Permit issued by
- Parish president or designee
- Permit validity
- 90 days from issuance
- Required info
- Owner name, property description, fence type
- Violation classification
- Misdemeanor under § 22-30(d)
Summary
Anyone erecting a fence along a public street in Terrebonne Parish, within the former City of Houma, must first file a written application with the parish council clerk under Terrebonne Parish Code § 22-30. The parish president or a designee issues the permit, sets the required setback from the sidewalk, and gives the owner 90 days to complete the work before inspection.
(a)Before any property owner erects a fence along the public streets in the city, he shall make a written application to the parish council clerk, giving in such application the following information:(1)The name and address of the property owner.(2)A description of the property by street, lot and block or, where not available, by width and boundaries.(3)The type of fence sought to be erected.(b)The parish president or his designee shall issue a permit to such property owner, allowing such fence to be erected along the public street and stating how far back from the existing sidewalk the fence shall be erected. Such permit shall be valid for a period of ninety (90) days after issuance, during which time the owner shall call for an inspection of the completed work.
Full Breakdown
Section 22-30 requires a written application to the parish council clerk before any fence goes up along a public street inside the city, and the application must give the property owner's name and address, a description of the property by street, lot and block (or width and boundaries if that is not available), and the type of fence proposed. The parish president or a designee reviews the application and issues the permit, specifying how far back from the existing sidewalk the fence must sit; a permit is valid for ninety days, during which the owner is responsible for calling for an inspection of the completed work.
The parish president's office also keeps a file recording the street where each permitted fence was built and the name of the permit holder, inspects the finished work, and issues a final inspection certificate once the fence matches what the permit authorized. Anyone who erects a fence, or lets one be erected, on city streets without the required written permit, or who violates any other part of section 22-30, is guilty of a misdemeanor. The permit requirement traces back to the 1965 City Code and was amended in 1999 by Ordinance No.
6032, which added the corrugated metal and tin material ban that now sits alongside it in subsection (e). S. S. 33:4875, covering parish regulation of fences built with posts and barbed wire.
Violations & Fines
Building a street-facing fence without first getting the written permit from the parish president or designee is a misdemeanor under section 22-30(d), as is any other violation of the section, including missing the 90-day window to call for inspection after the permit issues. Because the fence section carries no separate fine, the Code's general penalty controls: up to a $500 fine, up to 30 days in the parish jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues a street fence permit in Terrebonne Parish?
How long is a Terrebonne Parish fence permit good for?
What happens if I build a street fence without a permit in Terrebonne Parish?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Terrebonne Parish
Compare Terrebonne Parish to another location·View the Louisiana fence regulations overview
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