Bolthole Index

St. Martin Parish, Louisiana

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Town of Arnaudville, Louisiana

The Town of Arnaudville, Louisiana requires a building permit before building or locating a residence, movable dwelling or other structure on a lot.1 Arnaudville requires parish health-unit approval of proposed sewerage facilities, and qualifying properties must connect to town sewer.23 We could not confirm the current town zoning rules; ask Town Hall before choosing a use or layout.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required before construction or placing a structure on a town lot.1
Zoning and setbacks
Current town zoning and dimensional rules unconfirmed; ask Town Hall.4
Sewer or septic
Town sewer connection required for qualifying properties; parish health-unit approval for proposed sanitation.32
Occupancy
Construction-only temporary permit does not authorize habitation; obtain the required final permit.56
RV and tiny-home living
Town occupancy rules unconfirmed; ask Town Hall about the specific proposal.4
Owner-builder
Self-contracting applicant assumes legal compliance; state licensing exemption has conditions.78
Manufactured homes in flood areas
Zone A placement requires elevation and anchoring to resist flood damage.9

Who to call

Also useful

Town of Arnaudville Town Hall

Starting contact to confirm the current building-permit application route, town zoning rules and floodplain administrator; a dedicated municipal building or planning office was not confirmed.

337.754.5911

107 Rue de Jausiers Ave.

Also useful

Town of Arnaudville Public Works Department

Contact for questions about town utility service and proposed sewer connections.

337-754-5911

107 Rue de Jausiers Ave.

Septic permits

Louisiana Department of Health — St. Martin Parish Sanitarian

Local state-health contact for individual sewerage systems on the St. Martin Parish side of Arnaudville; confirm parcel jurisdiction before applying.

337-394-6134

303 W. Port Street St. Martinville, LA 70582

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Arnaudville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in the Town of Arnaudville, LA?

Yes: Arnaudville requires a building permit before construction or placement of a residence, commercial building, movable dwelling or other structure on a town lot.1 Arnaudville’s code directs the application to the parish police jury office, with parish permit-officer approval of construction and parish health-unit approval of sanitation before a temporary permit.12 Ask Town Hall to confirm today’s application destination for your address before submitting plans.4 Arnaudville’s permit fees are set from time to time by the parish permit office; request the current applicable schedule rather than assuming a fixed town fee.10

Does the Town of Arnaudville have zoning for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

We could not confirm Arnaudville’s current zoning districts, minimum dwelling size, minimum lot area or setbacks; ask Town Hall for the adopted ordinance and parcel-specific requirements.4 We also could not confirm permission for RV habitation, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or an accessory dwelling inside Arnaudville; describe the intended use to Town Hall before buying.4 Arnaudville’s building-permit requirement expressly includes movable dwellings, so moving a dwelling onto a lot is covered even without new construction.1 Unincorporated St. Martin Parish has its own zoning ordinance; consult the St. Martin Parish guide for land outside town limits rather than using parish district standards as town setbacks.11

How do sewer connections and septic permits work inside the Town of Arnaudville?

Arnaudville requires covered properties abutting a public way or easement containing town sanitary sewer to connect at the owner’s expense within 60 days after official notice, when that public way or easement edge is within 200 feet of the structure.3 Ask Arnaudville Public Works about sewer availability at the proposed building site.12 Where public sewer is unavailable, Arnaudville requires compliant private wastewater disposal.13 Louisiana requires a state-health permit before installing, altering or operating an individual sewerage system, with approved plans and a determination that community sewer connection is infeasible.14 For a St. Martin Parish address, contact the LDH parish sanitarian about the application.15 Final state approval requires installation verification through an on-site inspection and/or installer certification.16

Can you build your own home in the Town of Arnaudville?

Arnaudville allows an applicant to elect to self-contract a residence, with the application recording that the applicant assumes responsibility for complying with state and local law.7 Louisiana’s homeowner contractor-licensing exemption applies to a personal residence and requires the exemption affidavit to obtain the building permit; applicable subcontractor licensing and health and life-safety requirements continue.8 Ask Town Hall which affidavit and supporting documents to submit with the Arnaudville application.4 Self-contracting does not remove Arnaudville’s requirement to obtain a building permit before starting construction or its final-permit requirement before habitation.16

Building a home in the Town of Arnaudville: what are the steps?

  1. Confirm the current building-permit counter and town land-use requirements for the address with Arnaudville Town Hall.4
  2. Apply before building or placing a structure on the lot, following the parish-office route stated in Arnaudville’s code.1
  3. After the initial application, the applicant, spouse or person holding power of attorney appears at the parish health unit to complete forms.5
  4. Obtain parish health-unit approval of proposed sanitation and parish permit-officer approval of construction before receiving the construction-only temporary permit.25
  5. Obtain the required final permit satisfying sanitation requirements before inhabiting or operating the completed or relocated building.6

What should you check before buying land in the Town of Arnaudville?

For a manufactured home in Arnaudville’s Zone A special flood hazard areas, installation must minimize flood damage and include elevation and anchoring against flotation, collapse or lateral movement.9 Arnaudville subdivision proposals, including manufactured-home parks and subdivisions, must meet the town’s floodplain development-permit requirements.17 Ask Town Hall to identify the floodplain administrator and applicable requirements for the proposed site.4 If a private well is proposed, Louisiana requires a licensed drilling contractor and registration of new wells within 30 days of completion; domestic wells follow post-installation notification rules rather than the ordinary advance-notification route.18 Confirm water and sewer service options with Arnaudville Public Works before committing to a private system.12

Watch-outs

  • Arnaudville’s temporary permit is for construction only; habitation requires the final permit addressing sewerage, water and sanitation compliance.56
  • RV, tiny-home and dimensional rules inside Arnaudville remain unconfirmed; obtain the town’s answer from Town Hall before purchasing for those uses.4
  • Arnaudville’s sewer-connection requirement can control the wastewater choice even when a buyer prefers septic.3

Sources

  1. Arnaudville Code § 8-4, Permit required; affidavit; exemption (Town of Arnaudville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Arnaudville Code § 8-4, Permit required; affidavit; exemption (Town of Arnaudville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Arnaudville Code § 34-122, Use of public sewers required (Town of Arnaudville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Town of Arnaudville Town Hall (arnaudvillela.com)
  5. Arnaudville Code § 8-4, Permit required; affidavit; exemption (Town of Arnaudville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Arnaudville Code § 8-4, Permit required; affidavit; exemption (Town of Arnaudville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Arnaudville Code § 8-4, Permit required; affidavit; exemption (Town of Arnaudville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Louisiana Revised Statutes § 37:2157 — Exemptions (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Arnaudville Code § 8-133, Specific standards (Town of Arnaudville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Arnaudville Code § 8-4, Permit required; affidavit; exemption (Town of Arnaudville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Appendix C - Zoning Ordinance, St. Martin Parish Code of Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
  12. Town of Arnaudville Public Works Department (arnaudvillela.com)
  13. Arnaudville Code § 34-122, Use of public sewers required (Town of Arnaudville), quoted and re-checked
  14. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, Part XIII, Public Health—Sanitary Code (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Louisiana Department of Health — St. Martin Parish Sanitarian (ldh.la.gov)
  16. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, Part XIII, Public Health—Sanitary Code (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Arnaudville Code § 8-134, Standards for subdivision proposals (Town of Arnaudville), quoted and re-checked
  18. Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 43, Part VI, §701 (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Arnaudville

Town of Arnaudville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    A person building or locating a residence, commercial building, movable dwelling, or other structure on a lot in Arnaudville town.

    • Application is at the parish police jury office before construction or location activity.
    • Parish health-unit and parish permit-officer approvals precede a temporary permit.
    “All persons building or locating a residence, commercial building, movable dwelling or structure of any kind upon a lot in the town shall apply at the parish police jury office for a permit before beginning any construction or location activity whatsoever.”
  • Owner-builder exemptionConditional

    An applicant self-contracting construction of the applicant's residence in Arnaudville town.

    • The application records that the self-contracting applicant assumes responsibility for compliance with state and local laws and ordinances.
    • The same section states state law requires a valid contractor license for residences exceeding $50,000.

    contractor-license threshold: > 50000 USD

    “In the event that an applicant elects to self-contract construction of his residence, it will be noted on the application that he assumes the responsibility for complying with all state and/or local laws and ordinances.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Buildings erected or moved onto sites in Arnaudville town.

    • The code calls this a final permit, not a certificate of occupancy.
    • Occupation or operation is barred until the required final permit is obtained.
    “Any person inhabiting or operating a building or structure in violation of this section shall be subject to an injunction prohibiting further operation or habitation of a building erected or moved onto a site until a final permit complying with all regulations and rules of the parish health unit, state health code, and/or applicable ordinances in regard to sewerage, water and sanitation systems has been obtained.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes in Zone A special flood hazard areas inside Arnaudville town.

    • Homes must be installed using methods and practices that minimize flood damage.
    • They must be elevated and anchored to resist flotation, collapse, or lateral movement.
    “Require that all manufactured homes to be placed within zone A on a community's FIRM shall be installed using methods and practices that minimize flood damage. For the purposes of this requirement, manufactured homes must be elevated and anchored to resist flotation, collapse, or lateral movement.”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    Sewerage and sanitation facilities for permitted construction inside Arnaudville town limits.

    • The parish health unit approves proposed sewerage and sanitation facilities.
    • The parish permit officer approves the proposed construction.
    “Upon approval of the parish health unit of the sewerage and sanitation facilities proposed, and upon approval by the permit officer for the parish of the proposed construction, a temporary permit shall be issued for construction purposes only.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Sewage disposal inside town limits.

    • The prohibition is subject to the code's stated exception.
    • Where public sewer is unavailable, compliant private wastewater disposal is required.
    “Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Covered properties abutting a public way or easement containing a town public sanitary sewer.

    • Connection is required within 60 days after official notice.
    • The public way or easement edge must be within 200 feet of the structure.
    • The owner bears the connection expense.

    sewer proximity: <= 200 feet · connection deadline after official notice: <= 60 days

    “It is hereby required, at the expense of the owner(s), to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the all provisions of state, parish and local laws, rules and regulations, within 60 days after the date of official notice to do so, provided that the edge of public way or easement of said public sewer is within 200 feet of the structure to be served.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Subdivision development inside Arnaudville town.

    • Applies to subdivision proposals, including manufactured-home parks and subdivisions.
    • The proposal must meet §§ 8-47 and 8-108 floodplain development-permit requirements.
    “All proposals for the development of subdivisions, including the placement of manufactured home parks and subdivisions, shall meet floodplain development permit requirements of sections 8-47 and 8-108 and the provisions of this division.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Construction permits inside Arnaudville town.

    • Amounts and criteria are established from time to time by the parish police jury permit office.
    “The permit fees, in such amounts and criteria as established from time to time, will apply to all permits issued by the parish police jury permit office.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Covered construction and location activity inside Arnaudville town.

    • Applicant, spouse, or attorney-in-fact appears at the parish health unit following initial application.
    • A temporary permit is for construction purposes only.
    “Upon receipt of initial application for a permit, applicant, spouse or person with power of attorney for the applicant will appear in person at parish health unit to complete application forms.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Inspections — Building construction inside town limits.
  • Local zoning — Land inside Arnaudville town limits.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside town limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Lots inside town limits.
12 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Arnaudville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. St. Martin Parish’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of St. Martin Parish: county rules, score and offices