Accessory Structures in Louisiana (2026)
37 rules on the books across Louisiana, 14 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
ADU Rules
Rules for building accessory dwelling units (granny flats, in-law suites) including size limits, parking requirements, and owner-occupancy rules.
Louisiana: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsLouisiana mandates that all accessory dwelling units comply with the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code…
Read full rule →Jefferson Parish
Significant RestrictionsJefferson Parish's Unified Development Code lists a secondary or accessory dwelling unit, LBCS use code 1121, as…
Read full rule →Ascension Parish
Some RestrictionsAscension Parish's Unified Land Development Code lets a landowner in unincorporated Ascension Parish place a secondary…
Read full rule →Bossier Parish
Some RestrictionsBossier Parish's zoning code lets one free-standing accessory dwelling unit sit on an owner-occupied single-family lot…
Read full rule →Caddo Parish
Some RestrictionsCaddo Parish caps accessory dwelling units at one per lot under Unified Development Code Section 6.1.L, limiting a…
Read full rule →East Baton Rouge Parish
Some RestrictionsThe City-Parish Unified Development Code allows one accessory dwelling on a single-family lot in the A2 through A5, NO…
Read full rule →Lafayette
Some RestrictionsLafayette allows one accessory apartment per lot under Sec. 89-74 of the Development Code, capping its living area at…
Read full rule →Lafayette Parish
Some RestrictionsLafayette's code allows one accessory apartment per lot, citywide and in the unincorporated parish, capped at 25…
Read full rule →Lake Charles
Some RestrictionsInside a Lake Charles Traditional Neighborhood Development, a secondary dwelling unit built inside the main house or in…
Read full rule →New Orleans
Some RestrictionsNew Orleans permits accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in most residential districts under the Comprehensive Zoning…
Read full rule →Shreveport
Some RestrictionsShreveport's UDC allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot under Section 6.1.O, whether attached to the main house…
Read full rule →St Tammany Parish
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated St. Tammany Parish allows one garage apartment or guest house per lot in every residential zoning…
Read full rule →Terrebonne Parish
Some RestrictionsTerrebonne Parish Code allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot within the zoned areas of Terrebonne…
Read full rule →ADU Impact Fees
Impact fees, school fees, utility hookup charges, and waivers for ADUs. Many jurisdictions exempt ADUs under 750 sq ft from impact fees per state law.
ADU Owner Occupancy
Whether the property owner must live on-site to operate an ADU, deed-restriction requirements, and recent state-law changes lifting owner-occupancy rules.
ADU Rental Restrictions
Whether an ADU can be rented short-term (Airbnb), 30-day minimums, separate rental licenses, and long-term lease requirements.
Lafayette
Some RestrictionsLafayette lets a homeowner rent out an accessory apartment but not sell it off separately from the main house. Sec…
Read full rule →Lafayette Parish
Some RestrictionsLafayette City-Parish allows one accessory apartment per lot, capped at 25% of the main home's floor area or 800 square…
Read full rule →Shed & Carport Rules
When a storage shed or carport needs a permit, the square-footage exemption thresholds, and the setback and height limits that apply either way.
Ascension Parish
Some RestrictionsA detached tool shed, storage building or similar accessory structure in unincorporated Ascension Parish can go up…
Read full rule →Baton Rouge
Some RestrictionsBaton Rouge requires permits for accessory structures over 200 square feet. Structures 200 square feet or less may be…
Read full rule →Bossier Parish
Some RestrictionsA tool shed or playhouse under 200 square feet without utilities needs no building permit in unincorporated Bossier…
Read full rule →Caddo Parish
Some RestrictionsSheds in unincorporated Caddo Parish top out at 18 feet under the Unified Development Code's accessory structure…
Read full rule →East Baton Rouge Parish
Some RestrictionsThe City-Parish UDC has no carport-specific ordinance; a carport is regulated as an accessory structure under UDC…
Read full rule →Jefferson Parish
Some RestrictionsUnder Jefferson Parish zoning Sec. 40-743, an accessory building such as a shed may sit in a required rear or side yard…
Read full rule →Lafayette
Some RestrictionsLafayette sets carport and garage setbacks by orientation under Sec. 89-81 of the Development Code: 20 feet from a…
Read full rule →Lafayette Parish
Some RestrictionsDetached sheds and other accessory buildings in Lafayette Parish have no maximum size as long as they clear 20-foot…
Read full rule →Lake Charles
Some RestrictionsLake Charles regulates backyard sheds and other detached accessory structures through the zoning ordinance's…
Read full rule →New Orleans
Some RestrictionsA backyard shed is a detached accessory structure under the CZO. Within a required yard it may be no more than 14 feet…
Read full rule →Ouachita Parish
Some RestrictionsOuachita Parish exempts one-story detached accessory buildings such as tool and storage sheds and playhouses from a…
Read full rule →Shreveport
Some RestrictionsA backyard shed in Shreveport is an accessory structure the Unified Development Code lets you build without a permit…
Read full rule →St Tammany Parish
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated St. Tammany Parish caps accessory buildings and sheds at 20 feet in height and 7.5 percent of the lot…
Read full rule →Terrebonne Parish
Some RestrictionsWithin the zoned areas of Terrebonne Parish (the Houma area), Sec. 28-74(e) keeps sheds and other accessory structures…
Read full rule →Garage Conversions
Rules for converting a garage into living space, including whether you need to replace the lost parking and what building codes apply.
Shreveport
Significant RestrictionsThe space above a Shreveport detached garage's parking spaces cannot include a kitchen or sleeping area under the UDC…
Read full rule →Baton Rouge
Some RestrictionsGarage conversions in Baton Rouge require building permits and must meet building code standards for habitable space…
Read full rule →New Orleans
Some RestrictionsConverting a garage into living space is a change of use regulated by the CZO. Converting it to a separate dwelling is…
Read full rule →St Tammany Parish
Some RestrictionsConverting garage space into living quarters in unincorporated St. Tammany Parish falls under the parish's…
Read full rule →Tiny Homes
Zoning rules for tiny houses on wheels and foundations, including minimum square footage requirements and where they can be placed.
East Baton Rouge Parish
Some RestrictionsThe City-Parish UDC has no separate tiny-home category. A tiny home on a permanent foundation is a single-family…
Read full rule →Shreveport
Some RestrictionsShreveport zoning sets no minimum dwelling floor area, so a small permanent house is legal wherever single-family homes…
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