Kenner building department

Kenner’s Inspection and Code Enforcement Department handles building permits and inspections, tradesman and occupational licensing, and zoning ordinance enforcement inside the City of Kenner. The same office also runs the city’s motor vehicle inspection (brake tag) stations and taxicab licensing. Unincorporated Jefferson Parish and the parish’s other municipalities have their own permit offices, so check that the address is inside Kenner city limits before you file.

What needs a permit in Kenner

The city requires a building permit for construction work, including:

• swimming pools
• prefabricated buildings
• cement work
• fences
• demolitions

Generators need a separate generator permit, for both residential and commercial installs. The city publishes generator requirements as a PDF on its Permits & Licensing page.

Kenner council resolution B-17411 waives permit fees for repairs to damage from Hurricane Francine. You still need a permit for that repair work.

How to apply

Kenner has no online permit portal. You apply on paper:

1. Download the Building Permit Application PDF from the Permits & Licensing page.
2. Email it to [email protected], or bring it to 1926 18th Street.
3. Send plans for plan review to [email protected].

The permit counter is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (504) 468-4062, option 1. Building permit costs vary by project, and the city does not post a building fee table online.

Adopted codes

Kenner enforces these codes, each with the amendments adopted by the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council:

• 2021 International Building Code
• 2021 International Residential Code
• 2021 International Mechanical Code
• 2021 International Plumbing Code
• 2021 International Fuel Gas Code
• 2021 International Energy Conservation Code
• 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code
• 2020 National Electrical Code

Floodplain permits and elevation

Kenner says most of the city lies in a floodplain. Because of that, all development needs a floodplain permit, including building, filling and other site work. The rules for Zone AE:

• New construction: the finished floor must sit above FEMA’s Base Flood Elevation (BFE).
• Substantial improvement: if reconstruction or rehabilitation costs 50% or more of the building’s fair market value, the whole building must meet the new-construction elevation standard.
• Substantial damage: the same 50% test applies to repair costs after damage.

The city encourages building higher than the minimum to lower flood insurance costs.

You can get copies of elevation certificates on file at the department during permit-counter hours. Kenner also publishes property-level flood risk and BFE data through a public portal run on the Forerunner platform. Send flood questions to [email protected].

Contractor and tradesman licensing

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas tradesmen need a Kenner tradesman license:

License action	Fee
New license (valid one year)	$200
Renewal	$75
Delinquent fee	$30
Revival fee	$75

Contractors also need a city occupational license, which works like this:

• Planning issues a zoning verification clearance first. Send the form to [email protected] or call (504) 468-7280.
• You submit the occupational license application along with a copy of your State of Louisiana contractor’s license or your tradesman license or certification.
• Planning and the permit office sign off on the application. The Wastewater Department (504-468-7515) also signs off when its review applies.
• Approval takes about 7 to 10 working days.
• An application left incomplete for 60 days may be withdrawn.

Commercial occupants may also need plan review from the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal (800-256-5452).

Department contacts

Need	Contact
Permits and inspections	(504) 468-4062, option 1 · [email protected]
Building plan review	[email protected]
Flood information	(504) 468-4062 · [email protected]
Business (occupational) licenses	(504) 468-4064 · [email protected]
Code complaints	[email protected]