Renovation permits and contractor licences in Louisiana

Trades that need a licence in Louisiana

• General contracting and renovation

  Louisiana has two residential tiers. Above the value set in law, residential construction and home improvement work on an existing residence need a residential contractor licence; below that, a home improvement registration covers reconstruction, alteration, renovation, repair, modernization, conversion, improvement, removal or demolition from the lower value the Board sets. Ask which of the two the firm holds, because they are not interchangeable.

  Sources:Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors – Types of licenses⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Consumer protection

  The Board's own line is that verifying licensure greatly reduces your chances of becoming a victim of contractor fraud and can save you time, money and damages in the long run. Its search lets you look a firm up by name, licence number, city, parish, type of contractor or qualifying party, so a half-remembered company name is usually enough.

  Sources:Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors – Verify licensure⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Plumbing

  Plumbing is licensed separately from contracting, by the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana, which also licenses natural gas fitters and medical gas installers and verifiers. Check the plumber on the board's free public roster before work starts; a contractor licence from the contractors board is not a plumbing licence.

  Sources:State Plumbing Board of Louisiana⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Electrical work

  Some trade permits are restricted to contractors the city itself licenses. In New Orleans only an electrical contractor holding a Class A licence from the city can apply for an electrical permit, mechanical permits need the appropriate city-licensed contractor, and plumbing permits go through an Orleans Parish licensed master plumber.

  Sources:New Orleans – Guide to building permits⁠(opens in a new tab)

• Certified trades

  The inspector who signs off your job is licensed too. The Uniform Construction Code Council registers code enforcement officers and publishes a search for them, alongside complaint routes, warranty information and guidance on wind mitigation surveys, which matters on a Louisiana roof.

  Sources:Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council – For consumers⁠(opens in a new tab)

Before you hire a contractor in Louisiana

Practical checks you can do yourself, using official tools where they exist.

1. 1

   Verify the contractor's licence or home improvement registration with the state board before any deposit.

   Official lookup: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors – Verify licensure⁠(opens in a new tab)

2. 2

   Check which licence tier your job falls in, because residential contracting and home improvement are separate categories.

   Official lookup: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors – Types of licenses⁠(opens in a new tab)

3. 3

   For plumbing or gas work, check the plumber on the State Plumbing Board's public roster.

   Official lookup: State Plumbing Board of Louisiana⁠(opens in a new tab)

4. 4

   In New Orleans, confirm the electrical or mechanical contractor holds the city licence needed to pull the trade permit.

   Official lookup: New Orleans – Guide to building permits⁠(opens in a new tab)

5. 5

   Ask your parish or city permit office which permits the job needs and who is responsible for pulling them.

   Official lookup: Baton Rouge – Permits and Inspections⁠(opens in a new tab)