Lafayette building department

Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) runs development services for both the City of Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish. Its Development and Planning department works as a one-stop shop for:

• building permits and codes
• zoning and rezoning
• platting and subdivisions
• historic preservation
• code enforcement
• short-term rental rules
• the Board of Zoning Adjustment

LCG’s floodplain rules apply to “Lafayette city and unincorporated parish areas,” so a parcel inside one of the parish’s other incorporated towns may fall under that town’s rules instead. Confirm where the parcel sits before you apply.

Permit types and the MGO portal

LCG takes applications on MyGovernmentOnline (MGO Connect) for these permits:

• residential building
• commercial building
• mobile home
• swimming pool
• sign
• floodplain development
• land disturbance

Each one needs an application and approval before the permit is issued. You also apply for a certificate of occupancy through MGO. The MGO Connect app for iOS and Android lets you manage permits from a phone.

If site work disturbs soil, Louisiana DEQ stormwater permit rules may also apply. Contact LCG Public Works at [email protected].

Adopted codes and design loads

Discipline	Code
Commercial	2021 IBC (without chapters 11, 27 and 29)
Residential	2021 IRC (without chapters 25–32)
Plumbing	2021 IPC, plus IBC/IRC 2021, with state amendments
Electrical	2020 NEC
Fuel gas	2021 IFGC
Mechanical	2021 IMC
Existing buildings	2021 IEBC

Design wind loads follow ASCE 7-16 wind charts. LCG treats seismic and snow loads as negligible. For code questions, call the Permit Manager at (337) 291-8491 or the Chief Building Inspector at (337) 291-8485.

Floodplain rules

These standards apply in the city and in unincorporated parish areas:

• One foot of freeboard. The lowest floor of a new residential building, including its mechanical and electrical equipment, must be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation. Non-residential buildings must be elevated or flood-proofed to the same level.

• Substantial improvement. A building must meet new-construction standards when either of these is true:

  • improvements exceed 50% of market value, counted over a rolling 10-year period
  • an addition is more than 50% of the original building’s square footage

  Historic structures are exempt if they keep their historic character.

• Zero net fill. Since November 2017, any fill placed in the floodplain must be offset by removing an equal volume of soil elsewhere.

• Certificates on file. The Floodplain Administrator keeps elevation and flood-proofing certificates for new and substantially improved buildings. The floodplain office is at (337) 291-8468.

Fee schedule highlights

The Development and Planning fee schedule is undated. Selected items:

Item	Fee
Residential new, renovation, addition or demolition	$3.50 per $1,000 of fair market value ($35 minimum)
Residential plan review	$50
Commercial new, renovation, addition or demolition	$5.00 per $1,000 ($100 minimum)
Commercial plan review	$10 per sheet ($100 minimum)
Floodplain development permit	Same as the building fee
Flood certificates	Free
Building re-inspection	$50
Certificate of occupancy / temporary CO	$100 / $25
Zoning verification letter	$25
Trade contractor license registration (A/C, electrical, gas, plumbing, pool, irrigation)	$100 each

Starting work without a permit doubles the fee. Overtime inspections cost $50 an hour.

Office details

Development and Planning is at 705 West University Avenue. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., and closes over the lunch hour. For general questions, call (337) 291-8200 or 311, or email [email protected].