New Orleans
City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits
In short
City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits issues 3 permits we publish for New Orleans, last verified 2026-09-08. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits | $60 base plus $5 per $1,000 of construction value. Plan review, where required, adds $1 per $1,000 (minimum $60); a re-review after a required resubmission is $0.50 per $1,000 (minimum $45). Demolition is $95 base plus $5 per $1,000 of demolition cost. Unpermitted work is penalised at 200% of all applicable fees. Work reviewed by the Vieux Carré Commission or the Historic District Landmarks Commission adds a flat 50% surcharge to the building permit, plan review, and demolition fees. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
| Sign Permit | City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits | $60 base plus $5 per $1,000 of installation/purchase cost, plus a flat $125 sign review fee, plus a $40 annual operating fee (the first year's operating fee is bundled into the initial permit). A 50% surcharge applies in a Vieux Carré Commission or Historic District Landmarks Commission district. | one-time permit, with an annual $40 operating fee thereafter | 2026-09-08 |
| Certificate of Use and Occupancy | City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits | $190 flat, for a home-based business, a construction trailer, or a change of use where no work is required; a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy for a phased project is $60 per residential unit or $125 per commercial unit instead | one-time, per issuance | 2026-09-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Commercial Building Permit
A Neighborhood Conservation District application adds $250 (residential) or $500 (commercial) on top of these fees.
Sign Permit
A location inside the French Quarter or another historic district separately requires Vieux Carré Commission or Historic District Landmarks Commission sign-off on top of this permit.
Certificate of Use and Occupancy
No separate fee could be found for a standard Certificate of Occupancy tied to newly completed construction — it may be bundled into the building permit fee, but this is not stated explicitly by the city.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- New Orleans
- Phone
- Not verified — use the website
- Website
- nola.gov/
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits — Building Permit Fee ScheduleCity of New Orleans, Department of Safety and Permits · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
Other offices serving New Orleans
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Louisiana jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.