New Orleans, LA

New Orleans Electrical Permit Cost

A New Orleans electrical permit is priced from three factors the Department of Safety & Permits names itself — service amperage, new service connections, and the number of circuits: $40 application fee + $3 per new circuit + $0.30 per ampere of service. Construction loops add $40 each, elevator and lift installations $60 each, and signs $40 each. Only a contractor with a Class 'A' Electrical License from the City may obtain the permit.

Official fee scheduleVerified Sep 2026City of New Orleans — Department of Safety & Permits (plumbing: Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans)

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.

Fee components for an electrical permit
Component	Formula	Applies when	Range
Service amperage ($0.30 per ampere)Permit fee	`$0.3 per ampere`	Every permit of this type	—
Electrical permit application fee ($40.00)Permit fee	`$40.00 flat fee`	Every permit of this type	—
New circuits ($3.00 each)Permit fee	`$3.00 per circuit`	Each circuit on the permit	—
Construction loops ($40.00 each)Permit fee	`$40.00 per opening`	construction loops at least 1	—

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.

A commercial interior fit-out in New Orleans adding 12 new circuits on a 200-ampere service.

Inputs used for this example
Input	Value
Occupancy class	Commercial
Type of work	Alteration
Service amperage	200 A
Active circuits	12

Example total

$136.00

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 3Rules considered 4

Fee components
Component	How it is calculated	Amount
Service amperage ($0.30 per ampere)Permit feeElectrical Permit page: $0.30 per service amperage — a rate per ampere of the total service, charged on the size of the service the permit covers. Show the working Service amperage 200 A Rate applied $0.3 per ampere Component total $60.00	`$0.3 per ampere`	$60.00
Electrical permit application fee ($40.00)Permit feeElectrical Permit page: $40 application fee plus per-circuit and per-ampere charges. Show the working Flat fee $40.00	`$40.00 flat fee`	$40.00
New circuits ($3.00 each)Permit feeElectrical Permit page: $3 per new circuit. Fees are based on Service Amperage, New Service Connections, and Number of Circuits. Show the working Number of circuits 12 Rate per unit $3.00 Component total $36.00	`$3.00 per circuit`	$36.00
Total		$136.00

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.

Construction loops ($40.00 each) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.

Assumptions

Calculated from 3 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.

Application: $40.00. Circuits: 12 × $3.00 = $36.00. Service amperage: 200 × $0.30 = $60.00. Total: $136.00.

What is different in New Orleans

Electrical permits are issued through the One Stop portal by the Electrical Inspections Division. The permit replaces the amperage-based schedules most cities publish with a straight rate per ampere of service — 30 cents — which makes a 200-amp service carry $60 of the fee before any circuit is counted. A building permit may also be required for some electrical work. Permits lapse after six months of inactivity and must be reapplied for.

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 electrical permit fees only. It excludes:

Building permits where the electrical work is part of a larger project.
Entergy New Orleans service, meter and connection charges.
Sign permits issued separately by Safety & Permits (the $40 here is the electrical sign circuit fee).
Elevator inspection certificates and state licensing fees.
Low-voltage and communications wiring, regulated separately.

What you need before applying

Class 'A' Electrical License (City of New Orleans)Required
Electrical permits can only be obtained by an electrical contractor holding a Class 'A' Electrical License from the City of New Orleans.

Common questions

How is a New Orleans electrical permit fee calculated?

$40 application fee plus $3 per new circuit plus $0.30 per service ampere. A job adding 12 circuits on a 200-amp service pays $40 + $36 + $60 = $136.00.