Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Port Barre, Louisiana

Town of Port Barre’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New construction and renovation inside Port Barre town limits: town building codes

  • Ordinance No. 1 of 2018 amends Ordinance No. 2 of 2006 and adopts the International Building Code, International Existing Building Code, International Residential Code, International Mechanical Code, International Fuel Gas Code, National Electrical Code, International Plumbing Code, and International Property Maintenance Code, including applicable amendments, plus Appendix H (Signs).
  • The ordinance states that later versions of these codes are incorporated into the town code by amendment without further council action once adopted by the responsible state body or agency.
  • Ordinance text is an OCR-style copy; the code list was read from the town PDF and edition years are not stated in the excerpt.

  “the council of the town of port barre hereby amends the code of ordinances to implement each of the most currently adopted codes”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision or re-subdivision of land into lots, plots or building sites inside Port Barre town limits

  • Source is the town's Table of Ordinances index; the text of Ordinance No. 5 of 1969 and the 2020 residential/commercial subdivision regulations (Ordinance No. 2 of 2020, listed in the table) was not opened.
  • Requires submission and approval of maps or plats per the 1969 ordinance title.

  “regulating the subdivision or re-subdivision of lands into lots, plots or building sites: providing for submission and approval of maps or plats”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Residential building permits inside Port Barre town limits (new, renovation, addition, demolition)

  • Schedule is from Ordinance No. 1 of 2018, adopted 5 June 2018; the PDF's 2023 filename stamp is not an effective date.
  • Alternative basis: $82.48 per square foot of roof area (2007 NAHB southern regional average) when that is more; minimum permit $100.00; plan review $100.00.
  • 'No permit' fee is stated as a double fee in the ordinance schedule.
  • Some inspection and re-inspection fees are payable directly to BCIS.

  residential permit fee: 5 USD per $1000 fair market value (alternative $82.48 per square foot of roof area when more; minimum permit $100.00) · minimum residential permit: >= 100 USD (plus plan review fee $100.00)

  “$5.00 per $1000 fair market value as declared by the owner or $82.48 per square foot roof under based on the national association of home builders southern regional average price per square foot for the year 2007. www.nahb.org, whichever is more. minimum permit $100.00 house moving $100.00 plan review $100.00”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits and inspections for construction inside Port Barre town limits

  • Permitting is handled by the contracted Building Code Inspection Services (BCIS), phone 337-886-6069 per the town page.
  • Application forms, step-by-step process, and plan requirements were not published on the pages read.

  “building code inspection services handles all building permits and inspections for the town of port barre.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Port Barre

Town of Port Barre does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicState

  Onsite sewage systems on land inside Port Barre town limits: the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, permits through the St. Landry Parish health unit sanitarians (applies inside the town because the state rule covers each parish health unit's area)

  • The Louisiana Department of Health permitting system applies to onsite sewage treatment; parish sanitarians operate it.
  • Town sewer, where available, takes precedence under the community-sewer rule (see utility_connection claim).

  “sanitarians located in the health units of each parish serve to inform, advise, and operate a permitting system with regard to onsite sewage treatment.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing an individual sewage system on residential land inside Port Barre town limits, where no community sewer is available

  • Permit comes from the LDH Office of Public Health through the parish health unit sanitarian.
  • The LDH packet cited is for mechanical treatment systems; it confirms the permit process for individual systems.
  • Not required where a community sewer system is available; that system must be used instead.

  “the first thing that must be determined before a permit can be issued is whether a community sewer system is available to service your home, business, or other applicable structure.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Individual sewage system permit for a lot inside Port Barre town limits (pre-permit sanitarian site survey)

  • The sanitarian site survey is required before the permit is issued.
  • Final inspection by the regional sanitarian sewage coordinator is described as 'may be conducted'; not treated as required.

  “before you can obtain your permit, a sanitarian must visit your property to determine if the plans you submit are feasible for your property”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  New home on a lot inside Port Barre town limits where a community sewer system is available

  • Applies only where a community sewer system is available; then it must be used for sewage disposal instead of an individual system.
  • Water connection requirement not determined; the town's water, gas and sewer utilities page did not state a connection mandate.

  “if a community system is available, you must use it for your sewage disposal needs”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Port Barre or St. Landry Parish directly.

• Building permit — New construction and renovation inside Port Barre town limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-occupant construction inside Port Barre town limits
• Inspections — Construction inside Port Barre town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new homes inside Port Barre town limits
• Local zoning — Land inside Port Barre town limits: whether the town adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.