Baton Rouge Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Baton Rouge’s Permit and Inspection Division operates within the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge Department of Development. The department’s official description covers residential and commercial permit plan review, code inspections, zoning, occupancy, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical construction. Confirm the property’s location and the applicable city-parish service before submitting; this guide is for the Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge enforcement area, not a substitute for another Louisiana municipality’s permit office.

Baton Rouge building permits and plan review

New residences, commercial structures, additions, structural alterations, roofing, accessory structures, pools, generators, and many trade projects require permits. The city-parish uses MyGovernmentOnline (MGO Connect) for online permit applications, project documents, payments, permit tracking, and inspection requests. Residential and commercial applications may require site plans, construction documents, contractor information, flood-zone determinations, and separate trade permits.

The state Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code supplies the mandatory construction-code framework. Local plan review also considers Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge zoning, subdivision, drainage, and land-development requirements. The Planning Commission maintains applications for conditional use, site development, subdivisions, planned development, variances, and related zoning actions.

Inspections, flood zones, and occupancy permits

Schedule each inspection through MGO after the work reaches the approved inspection stage and before it is concealed. Baton Rouge’s published fee schedule includes a flood-zone determination and residential or commercial occupancy permits. All required inspections must pass before a certificate or occupancy permit is issued; floodplain construction and substantial improvements may require elevation or other documentation in addition to the building permit.

Official contact information

The Permit and Inspection Division lists 300 N. Tenth Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802, and (225) 389-3205. Building inspections use (225) 389-3209. Use MGO Connect for current applications, permit status, payments, and inspection scheduling.