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1. Who issues permits?

The City's Permits Center issues construction permits:
Government Plaza, Room 130
Ph: 318-673-6100

2. When is a permit required?

A permit is required whenever an owner, authorized agent, or contractor proposes to:

• Construct, enlarge, alter, repair or move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a structure
• Construct, alter, repair, or move:
  
  • Air conditioning and ventilating systems
  • Boilers
  • Electrical systems
  • Elevators
  • Furnaces
  • Incinerators
  • Plumbing and gas piping systems
  • Signs
  • Sprinkler and fire extinguishing systems

3. What do I bring when applying for a permit?

When applying for a permit, two complete sets of plans and specifications are required. One complete set will be returned to you when the permit is issued.

4. Who must prepare the plans?

A mechanical engineer registered to do business in Louisiana must prepare and place his seal on all plans for mechanical installations valued at $10,000 or more in commercial and industrial buildings, apartments, or townhouses.
When the permit is for a commercial or industrial building, apartments or townhouses (with four or more units) having a value of $50,000.00 or more, the plans must be prepared by and bear the name and seal of either an architect or civil engineer registered to do business in Louisiana.
Otherwise, the owner or a plan service may prepare the detailed plans.

5. What must a complete set of plans and specifications include?

The plans and specifications which accompany a permit application must be prepared in detail sufficient for the city's reviewers to determine if all code requirements are met. Required submittals must include:

• Details on proposed alterations and renovations
• Exterior and interior elevations, and wall sections
• Floor plan to scale - labeled rooms / spaces
• Foundation plan with details to scale
• Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning plans to scale
• Schedules for doors, windows, room finishes, and framing details
• Site (plot) plan to scale (showing existing and proposed landscaping), size and location of all utilities, all structures proposed and existing, paving, parking, drainage, grade, elevations, or contours

Specific detailed information is required within each of these submittals. To help avoid confusion and otherwise unnecessary delay, you are encouraged to contact the Permits and Inspections Division for additional information about these requirements.

6. How are plans reviewed?

Plans are reviewed by the Permits and Inspections Division and other officials to assure that the requirements of the following codes and ordinances are met:

• Cross lake pollution control ordinance
• Drainage / storm water control ordinance
• Erosion control during construction
• Fire prevention ordinance state fire marshal rules and regulation
• Flood hazard prevention ordinance
• Off-premise outdoor advertising regulations
• On-premise outdoor advertising ordinance
• Property standards code
• Standard building code (which includes necessary plumbing, HVAC. and other requirements)
• Zoning ordinance

This generally requires that representatives of several city departments review the submitted plans. For simple projects with properly completed plans, application reviews can often be completed in one or two days.

Projects which affect exits, stairs, seating arrangements, handicap accessibility, or any other features covered under state statues must be submitted to the state fire marshal for review. This may take from two to three weeks. If a project does not include any of these features, or you aren’t sure if your plans need to be submitted to the State Fire Marshal, you are encouraged to contact the Shreveport Fire Prevention Bureau at 318-673-6740.

7. What other permits are required?

If a new driveway is required, a permit must be obtained from the Office of the City Engineer. The Permits and Inspections Division can assist in determining whether a driveway permit is needed. If construction involves assembly occupancies, above or underground fuel tanks, explosive storage or handling, or a burn permit, the Fire Prevention Bureau will require a separate permit.
City Ordinances #10 of 1997 requires permit fees for retail sales and display of fireworks. If a project involves food and/or beverage handling facilities, the plans must be reviewed by the:
Caddo Parish Health Unit
1035 Creswell
Shreveport, LA 71101

They can be reached at 318-676-5222

Although there is no fee for plan review, a permit fee must be paid before such businesses begin operation.

8. Is there a permit fee?

Permit fees are established by city ordinance and vary based on the scale of the project. If work begins without a permit, the permit fee will be doubled and other penalties may be imposed.

9. Who should apply for the permit?

Permits are issued in the name of the applicant. For that reason, it is generally helpful to have the contractor (rather than the building's owner or lessee) apply for the permit. This will assure that the contractor is held responsible for correcting any code violations. The decision as to whom the permit is issued rests with the building or project owner.

Commercial / industrial projects costing $50,000 or more must be constructed by a contractor licensed by the State of Louisiana and all insurance requirements are to be on file. Out-of-state contractors must post a bond required by the Louisiana Department of Revenue and Taxation prior to the issuance of any construction permits. For additional information, contact the Louisiana Sales Tax Section at 225-219-7356.

10. Can preliminary plans be reviewed before bidding?

The city encourages building owners, architects, and engineers to submit plans for review before bidding. Although no permit will be issued at that time, corrections required as a result of a pre-bid review can be made without the necessity of costly change orders.

11. When will a permit be issued?

Permits are issued as soon as all plans and specifications have been reviewed and approved. Applicants will be notified when a permit is ready to be issued by telephone, fax, or letter. Permits may be issued with written stipulations that minor changes be made to the plans, or during construction.

12. Can permit fees be waived?

In an effort to re-develop and beautify the Shreveport downtown and riverfront areas, the city has waived all permit fees incidental to the rehabilitation or renovation including any repairs, alterations, or additions of buildings and structures located within the Downtown Development District (DDD). Qualifying buildings and structures must have been constructed prior to 1960.

The waiver of permit fees does not exempt the applicant from obtaining all permits, approvals, plan reviews, and inspections required by applicable provisions of the Shreveport City Code.

13. I live in Caddo Parish, do I need a permit?

Building Permits for Parish of Caddo