New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Building Permit Cost
A New Orleans building permit is priced by the Department of Safety & Permits at $60 plus $5 per $1,000 of construction value — the City's own formula is *job value × .005 + $60*. When plans are required, plan review adds $1 per $1,000 with a $60.00 minimum. Inside the Historic District Landmarks Commission or Vieux Carré jurisdictions a 50% surcharge rides the permit fee. Demolition is priced separately: $95 plus $5 per $1,000 of demolition cost.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition permit fee ($95 + $5 per $1,000 of demolition cost)Permit fee | $95.00 + $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation | Work type is demolition | — |
| Building permit fee ($60 + $5 per $1,000 of construction value)Permit fee | $60.00 + $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation | Every permit of this type | — |
| Plan review fee ($1 per $1,000, minimum $60)Plan review | $1.00 per $1,000 of project valuation | Every permit of this type | min $60.00 |
| Historic district surcharge (50% of the building permit fee)Surcharge | 50% of calculated permit fee | historic district is true | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A $220,000 commercial renovation in New Orleans requiring plan review, on a property outside the historic districts.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $220,000 |
| Project area | 4,000 sq ft |
| Occupancy class | Commercial |
| Type of work | Alteration |
Example total
$1,380.00
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 2Rules considered 4
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Building permit fee ($60 + $5 per $1,000 of construction value)Permit feeBuilding Permit Fee Schedule: fees for building permits (not including demolition) are $60 base fee + $5 per $1,000 of construction value (the guide's formula: job value × .005 + $60).Show the working
| $60.00 + $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation | $1,160.00 |
Plan review fee ($1 per $1,000, minimum $60)Plan reviewBuilding Permit Fee Schedule: if a project requires plan review, an additional $1 per $1,000 of construction value is assessed; the minimum plan review fee is $60. (The Building Permit Fee Estimator page prints '$120 or $1 per $1,000' — the schedule's $60 minimum is charged and the estimator's figure is recorded as a conflict.)Show the working
| $1.00 per $1,000 of project valuation | $220.00 |
| Total | $1,380.00 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Demolition permit fee ($95 + $5 per $1,000 of demolition cost) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Historic district surcharge (50% of the building permit fee) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Permit: $60 + $5 × 220 = $1,160.00. Plan review: $1 × 220 = $220.00 (above the $60 minimum). No historic surcharge. Total: $1,380.00.
What is different in New Orleans
Permits are applied for through the One Stop portal and fees are due at application, nonrefundable once filed. Every per-$1,000 rate here prorates — the City's formula multiplies straight through. New Orleans levies the region's sharpest unpermitted-work penalty: 200% of all fees on top of the permit for ordinary construction, and for unpermitted demolition five times the fee or 10% of the building's assessed value, whichever is greater. Fees include normal inspections and the Certificate of Use and Occupancy.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate covers the City of New Orleans building permit, plan review and the historic-district surcharge only. It excludes:
- Electrical and mechanical permits, which Safety & Permits issues separately.
- Plumbing permits, which belong to the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans.
- Neighborhood Conservation District application fees ($250 residential / $500 commercial on demolition).
- Zoning review fees and Certificates of Use for changes of use ($190 where no work is required).
- SWBNO water and sewer tap charges for new connections.
What you need before applying
- Plans for reviewable projectsRequired
Projects that require plan review submit plans with the application; fees are due at application time and are non-refundable once application is made. Fees include normal inspections and the Certificate of Use and Occupancy.
- Historic-district review where applicableMay be required
Work in HDLC or Vieux Carré Commission jurisdictions carries the 50% surcharge and the commissions' own architectural review. Properties in Neighborhood Conservation Districts pay additional application fees on demolition.
Common questions
How is a New Orleans building permit fee calculated?
The City's formula is job value × .005 + $60 — that is, $60 base plus $5 per $1,000 of construction value. A $220,000 project pays $1,160.00.
City of New Orleans Building Permit Fee Schedule
How much is plan review in New Orleans?
When plans are required, plan review adds $1 per $1,000 of construction value with a $60.00 minimum. A re-review of resubmitted plans is $0.50 per $1,000 with a $45 minimum.
City of New Orleans Building Permit Fee Schedule
What is the 50% historic district surcharge?
Work in locations under the Historic District Landmarks Commission or the Vieux Carré Commission carries a 50% surcharge on the building permit fee (the schedule also applies it to plan review, demolition and sign fees). Roughly half the city's historic core sits in these districts.
City of New Orleans Building Permit Fee Schedule
How much is a demolition permit in New Orleans?
$95 base plus $5 per $1,000 of demolition cost. If the property is in a Neighborhood Conservation District, add a $250 residential or $500 commercial application fee.
City of New Orleans Building Permit Fee Schedule
What is the penalty for building without a permit in New Orleans?
200% of all fees in addition to the permit fee for ordinary construction — effectively triple. Unpermitted demolition is assessed at five times the permit price or 10% of the building's assessed value, whichever is greater.
City of New Orleans Guide to Building Permits
Does the permit fee include inspections?
Yes. Fees include normal inspections and the Certificate of Use and Occupancy. Once application is made, fees are non-refundable.
City of New Orleans Guide to Building Permits
Why does the fee estimator page say the plan review minimum is $120?
The City's Building Permit Fee Estimator page prints '$120 or $1 per $1,000 of work', while the published fee schedule and the permit guide both state a $60.00 minimum. The schedule's $60 minimum is the figure charged; the $120 sentence is recorded as a conflict between the City's own pages.
City of New Orleans Building Permit Fee Estimator
How long is a New Orleans building permit valid?
Permits run with the codes adopted by the City; an issued permit must be posted visibly on site. Work beginning before the permit issues triggers the 200% penalty, so timing matters more than duration.
City of New Orleans Guide to Building Permits
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
City of New Orleans — Building Permit Fee Schedule (Department of Safety & Permits)
Building permits (not demolition): $60 base + $5 per $1,000 of construction value; plan review $1 per $1,000 with a $60 minimum and re-review at $0.50 per $1,000 (minimum $45); demolition $95 base + $5 per $1,000 of demolition cost; NCD application fees $250/$500; 50% surcharge for HDLC/Vieux Carré work; 200% penalty for unpermitted work. Read from the PDF directly (two extractions agree).
- City websiteCityPrimary source
City of New Orleans — Guide to Building Permits (fees section)
States the permit formula (job value × .005 + $60), the plan review fee and $60 minimum, the historic-district surcharge on the permit fee, the 2× penalty for ordinary construction and 5× (or 10% of assessed value) for unpermitted demolition — and the sentence that separates the plumbing authority: 'There is also a separate fee for plumbing permits from the Sewerage & Water Board.' Page dated by its own 'Last updated: 1/22/2026'.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.