Bolthole Index

Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Hammond, Louisiana

Hammond, Louisiana requires a city building permit before covered construction inside city limits.1 Hammond administers its own zoning; onsite sewage approval remains with Louisiana Department of Health parish health-unit sanitarians.23 For a Hammond address in Tangipahoa Parish, start with the City Building Department for building permits and the City Planning Department for zoning questions.45

At a glance

Building permits
City permit required before covered work; limited single-family exemptions1
Zoning
Hammond zoning applies inside city limits2
Septic permits
LDH approval through parish health-unit sanitarians36
Occupancy
Certificate required before using qualifying new, moved or changed-use structures7
Floodplain
Elevation certificate required for building applications in designated A floodplain areas8
Driveways
Show driveway location on the building-permit plot plan9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Hammond Building Department

City building-permit applications and building-code questions

(985) 277-5655

219 E Robert St Hammond, LA 70401

Planning & zoning

City of Hammond Planning Department

City planning, zoning and pre-application meetings

(985) 277-5651

219 E. Robert St. Hammond, LA 70401

Septic permits

Tangipahoa Parish Environmental Health

Local Environmental Health contact for sewer and onsite sewage approval questions

(985) 543-4175

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 Hammond means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Hammond, LA?

Hammond requires a city building permit before erection, demolition, removal, additions, alterations and other covered work inside the incorporated city.1 Hammond also adopts the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code by reference.10

For single-family residences, listed exceptions include reroofing without structural changes, painting and decorating, certain nonstructural work costing no more than $2,000 without added floor area, and sheds or detached accessory buildings no larger than 100 square feet.1 A building-permit exception does not answer where a structure may sit: Hammond separately administers zoning compliance.2

Who issues building permits in Hammond, and how do you reach them?

The City of Hammond Building Department publishes the city building-permit application and a permit-technician contact at (985) 277-5655.4 Visit the city building office at 219 E Robert St Hammond, LA 70401 for building-permit questions.4

Hammond’s Planning Department is the contact for city planning and zoning, with general inquiries through the City Planner at (985) 277-5651.5 City Planning also offers a pre-application meeting; call 985-277-5649 to schedule.5 Use the Tangipahoa Parish guide for land outside Hammond city limits; the city building-permit requirement cited here applies within the incorporated city.1

Does Hammond have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

Hammond has municipal zoning, administered and enforced by the City Building Official.2 The City Planning Department publishes Hammond’s Unified Development Code and provides planning and zoning contacts.5

We could not confirm Hammond’s private-lot RV occupancy, tiny-home, manufactured-home or accessory-dwelling rules; ask City Planning to evaluate the proposed use at the exact address before buying.5 Ask City Planning for the applicable district’s lot size, setbacks, dwelling size, lot coverage and height requirements, which we could not confirm here.5 Hammond’s requirement for a police camping permit applies to overnight camping in city parks, rather than answering private-land residential occupancy.11

How do septic permits work inside Hammond?

Louisiana Department of Health sanitarians in parish health units operate onsite sewage permitting, including for systems proposed inside Hammond city limits.3 Louisiana requires approval before installation, alteration or operation of an individual sewerage system, with approved plans and specifications.6 The local Environmental Health Hammond contact is (985) 543-4175.12

Septic is conditional on sewer availability: an individual-system installation permit requires a determination that connection to a community sewer system is not feasible.13 Final installation approval requires verification through a health-officer representative’s onsite inspection and/or a licensed installer’s certification.14 Ask Environmental Health about sewer approval before choosing a system; the office requests a survey or deed with the application.12

What are the steps to build a home in Hammond?

Use Hammond’s city offices for the building and zoning portions of a home project, and LDH’s parish health-unit sanitarians for any proposed onsite sewage system.453

  1. Discuss the parcel and intended use with City Planning; a pre-application meeting is available.5
  2. Resolve sewer availability before proposing septic, because Louisiana conditions individual sewage approval on community-sewer connection feasibility.13
  3. Submit the completed Hammond building application and required plans for review, including a plot plan showing setbacks, driveways, easements and sewer and water taps.159
  4. Address the elevation-certificate requirement if the building site lies in a designated A floodplain area, and obtain the building permit before covered work begins.81
  5. Complete zoning compliance and final inspection approval before obtaining the required certificate of occupancy and occupying the qualifying structure.7

What should you check before buying land in Hammond?

Hammond’s building application plot plan must show lot size, setbacks, easements, driveways, and sewer and water taps, so bring those site questions to the Building Department before committing to a layout.9 A Hammond building site in a designated A floodplain area requires an elevation certificate signed by a registered agent.8

For access connecting to a Louisiana state highway and involving state right-of-way work, a LaDOTD access permit must be signed and numbered before construction begins.16 For a private well, Louisiana requires a licensed drilling contractor and registration; domestic wells follow post-installation notification rather than the ordinary advance-notification rule.17 We could not confirm Hammond’s own utility-connection requirements; ask the city Building Department about water and sewer service for the address.4

Watch-outs

  • Hammond’s single-family shed exemption covers detached accessory buildings no larger than 100 square feet; ask the Building Department about zoning compliance before placing one.12
  • We could not confirm a Hammond owner-builder exemption; ask the City Building Department before relying on the parish homeowner-affidavit process.4
  • Hammond park camping permission does not establish permission to occupy an RV on a private lot; ask City Planning about the proposed address and use.115

Sources

  1. Code of Ordinances, § 9-111, Permit required (Hammond), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Hammond ordinance records, zoning ordinance provisions (Hammond), quoted and re-checked
  3. Louisiana Department of Health, Onsite Wastewater Program (Hammond), quoted and re-checked
  4. City of Hammond Building Department (hammond.org)
  5. City of Hammond Planning Department (hammond.org)
  6. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, Part XIII, Public Health—Sanitary Code (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Hammond ordinance records, zoning ordinance provisions (Hammond), quoted and re-checked
  8. Code of Ordinances, § 9-111, Permit required (Hammond), quoted and re-checked
  9. Code of Ordinances, § 9-111, Permit required (Hammond), quoted and re-checked
  10. Code of Ordinances, § 9-2, Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code—Adopted (Hammond), quoted and re-checked
  11. Code of Ordinances, § 22-3, Permit required for overnight camping in parks (Hammond), quoted and re-checked
  12. Tangipahoa Parish Environmental Health (tangipahoa.org)
  13. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, Part XIII, Public Health—Sanitary Code (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, Part XIII, Public Health—Sanitary Code (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Code of Ordinances, § 9-111, Permit required (Hammond), quoted and re-checked
  16. LaDOTD Access Connections Policy (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. 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 Hammond

Hammond’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erection, removal, demolition, alterations, additions, repairs, and other listed work within Hammond's incorporated areas.

    • A permit must be obtained before work and must be approved by the director.
    • Single-family exceptions include reroofing without structural changes, certain nonstructural work costing no more than $2,000, painting/decorating/wallpapering, and sheds or detached accessory buildings not exceeding 100 square feet.

    nonstructural repair exemption threshold: <= 2000 USD (Single-family residence only; no structural change or increase in square footage.) · shed/accessory-building exemption size: <= 100 square feet (Single-family residence only.)

    “It shall be unlawful to proceed with the erection, removal, demolition, all alterations, all additions, repairs, installation of machinery, air conditioning, of a building or other structure including the construction of grandstands and tents, a sign, marquee, or awning over the sidewalk, or to perform any excavations below lot grade, or the installation of tank(s) or container(s) above or below lot grade, or the erection of pump(s) and/or pump island(s), swimming pools, ponds, wading pools, reflecting pools more than twenty-four (24) inches in depth, above or below lot grade within the incorporated areas of the city without having previously obtained a permit properly numbered and approved from the director.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction regulated within Hammond city limits.

    • The ordinance adopts the listed state codes by reference; its listed International Building Code excludes Chapters 27, 28, and 29 and Appendices A, B, D, F, and H.
    “The following codes as adopted by the State of Louisiana, and as updated hereinafter by the State, are hereby adopted by reference as though they were copied herein fully:”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Land or structures erected, moved, or altered in use inside Hammond city limits.

    • Zoning compliance must be certified, building permits issued, and final inspection approved before issuance.
    • The land or structure may not be used or occupied until the certificate is issued.
    “No land or structure hereafter erected, moved, or altered in its use shall be used or occupied until the certificate of occupancy has been issued.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land and structures inside Hammond city limits.

    • Administered and enforced by the City of Hammond Building Official.
    “The Building Official* of the City of Hammond shall administer and enforce this ordinance. He shall be responsible for assuring that all zoning regulations are complied with and for interpreting the location of any structure or property in relation to its zoning district.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Overnight camping in City of Hammond parks.

    • A camping permit from the city's chief of police is required before overnight camping in a city park.
    “Any person desiring to camp overnight in any city park shall first obtain a camping permit from the chief of police of the city.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Driveways shown in building-permit plot plans inside Hammond city limits.

    • A plot plan showing driveways must be submitted for permit review.
    “Plot plans showing location of the structure on the site. Streets, lot, block, square or municipal number. Name of subdivision if any. Indicate lot size, front, side and rear setbacks, driveways, easements, sewer and water tap and north designation and whether a corner or interior lot and parking layout where applicable.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Building-permit applications for structures in a floodplain area designated A inside Hammond city limits.

    • The elevation certificate must be completed and signed by a registered agent and certify construction at the proper elevation determined by floodplain maps.
    “Elevation certificate if located in a floodplain area with a designation of "A". The certificate must be completed and signed by a registered agent certifying that the structure has been erected to the proper elevation as determined by the floodplain maps for that area.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building permits for work inside Hammond city limits.

    • A completed application must be reviewed before a permit issues.
    • Required submittals include two plan sets; floodplain A-area work requires a signed elevation certificate.
    • Publicly accessible buildings other than single-family dwellings require State Fire Marshal review and recommendation before permit issuance.
    “The following items must be submitted for review along with the completed building permit application before any permit can be issued:”

Rules another office applies inside Hammond

Hammond 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 (with conditions)

    Onsite sewage treatment systems, including any such system proposed inside Hammond city limits.

    • Louisiana Department of Health parish health-unit sanitarians operate the onsite-sewage permitting system.
    “Sanitarians located in the health units of each parish serve to inform, advise, and operate a permitting system with regard to onsite sewage treatment.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Hammond or Tangipahoa Parish directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Hammond city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential zoning districts inside Hammond city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential zoning districts inside Hammond city limits.
  • Setbacks — Residential zoning districts inside Hammond city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Residential zoning districts inside Hammond city limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Hammond publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Tangipahoa Parish’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Tangipahoa Parish: county rules, score and offices