County Building Permits
East Baton Rouge Parish, LA - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
City-Parish permit office for unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish outside separately incorporated municipalities that maintain their own permit functions.
- Department
- Permit and Inspection Division, Department of Development, City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge
- Address
- 300 N Tenth Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
- Phone
- 225-389-3205
- bpousson@brla.gov
Online Permit Portal
Platform: MyGovernmentOnline • Account required: Yes • Submission: Online or in-person
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Confirm that the parcel is in unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish and not in a separately permitting municipality.
- Gather project documents from the City-Parish Permits and Inspections page, including flood, elevation, setback, or encroachment forms where applicable.
- Create or log into a MyGovernmentOnline account and submit the permit application with required documents.
- Pay plan review and permit fees through the City-Parish process. The official fee page states credit card permit payments carry a 5 percent fee.
- Address plan review comments, including any sewer, drainage, UDC, or flood-related issues. Ordinance 22-01525 states third-party plan review submittals receive approval or a deficiency report within 8 business days.
- After permit issuance, schedule required inspections through the City-Parish process and MGO before concealment or occupancy.
Typical processing time: Ordinance 22-01525 gives an 8-business-day approval or deficiency-report target for third-party plan review submissions.
General Requirements
City-Parish ordinance requires permits before regulated construction, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, occupancy changes, and regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing work in city and parish jurisdiction.
Required Documents
- Application through MGO
- Plans
- Floodplain and elevation documents where applicable
- Trade permit information
- Other project-specific forms published by the City-Parish
- Building code
- City-Parish ordinance 22-01525 adopts the latest editions of ICC technical codes and NEC as adopted and amended by the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council.
- Contractor requirements
- State licensing applies through the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors; City-Parish also links to the state licensing board as a permit resource.
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- Residential new building plan review and permit is $0.50 per square foot with an $80 minimum; residential additions and renovations are $125 minimum; commercial plan review and permit minimums are $100.
- Plan check fee
- Residential new building plan review and permit is $0.50 per square foot with an $80 minimum. Commercial plan review is valuation-based with a $100 minimum.
- Permit fee formula
- Mixed square-foot, flat, and valuation-based fee structure, depending on permit type.
- Payment note
- Technology fee is $15 for all permits; credit card payments incur a 5 percent fee.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Permit and Inspection Division, Department of Development, City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- MGO portal (online)
- 225-389-3205 (phone)
Additional Resources
- Building code: City-Parish ordinance 22-01525 adopts the latest editions of ICC technical codes and NEC as adopted and amended by the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council.
- Verify contractor license: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Permit and Inspections Fees
- License lookup guide: Louisiana Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Louisiana Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Louisiana hub: Louisiana Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Permit and Inspection Division, Department of Development, City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
East Baton Rouge Parish Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish, LA?
- City-Parish ordinance requires permits before regulated construction, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, occupancy changes, and regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing work in city and parish jurisdiction.
- How much does a building permit cost in unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish, LA?
- The minimum permit fee is Residential new building plan review and permit is $0.50 per square foot with an $80 minimum; residential additions and renovations are $125 minimum; commercial plan review and permit minimums are $100.. Fees are calculated as: Mixed square-foot, flat, and valuation-based fee structure, depending on permit type.. Plan check fee: Residential new building plan review and permit is $0.50 per square foot with an $80 minimum. Commercial plan review is valuation-based with a $100 minimum..
- How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish, LA?
- 1. Confirm that the parcel is in unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish and not in a separately permitting municipality. 2. Gather project documents from the City-Parish Permits and Inspections page, including flood, elevation, setback, or encroachment forms where applicable. 3. Create or log into a MyGovernmentOnline account and submit the permit application with required documents. 4. Pay plan review and permit fees through the City-Parish process. The official fee page states credit card permit payments carry a 5 percent fee. 5. Address plan review comments, including any sewer, drainage, UDC, or flood-related issues. Ordinance 22-01525 states third-party plan review submittals receive approval or a deficiency report within 8 business days. 6. After permit issuance, schedule required inspections through the City-Parish process and MGO before concealment or occupancy.
- How long does it take to get a building permit in unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish, LA?
- Typical processing time is Ordinance 22-01525 gives an 8-business-day approval or deficiency-report target for third-party plan review submissions..
- How do I schedule a building inspection in unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish, LA?
- Inspections can be scheduled via: MGO portal, 225-389-3205.
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