Change of Use Permit

A Change of Use permit is required for a variety of situations. Changing the use of a building or facility may involve an extensive remodel or may require no physical changes at all; however, the City’s Building Code requires that any time there is a proposed change in the use of a building or space, a permit must be obtained. The change of use permit is intended to verify compliance with the applicable codes for a new use and provide a Certificate of Occupancy for new businesses or uses where there is no significant work that would otherwise require a building permit. If you you have all of the required documents and approvals, your permit application may be reviewed by a permit analyst and the permit issued the same day. However, if the Department determines that complete plans are required for your job, the plans are sent through a plan review process, which involves reviews to verify compliance with the City's amendments to the International Building Code and the City’s zoning ordinance. You can look up your zoning using the Property Viewer. Depending on the specifics of your project, this review may also include or require approvals from other agencies (Historic Districts Landmark Commission, Vieux Carré Commission, City Planning, etc.). A building permit will only be issued after the plan review process is completed and compliance with all applicable regulations is verified.

Duration

Same day in some situations, when review is required: Residential projects, 2-5 days; Commercial projects, 20-30 days.

Fees

  • $60 plus $5 per $1,000 of work to be performed
  • If plans are required there is a plan review fee of $1 per $1,000 of work to be performed. Please see our Standards for Digital Submission for accepted formats and methods of submission.
  • If a property is within a local historic district (property subject to additional regulations by VCC or HDLC), there is a 50% surcharge on the permit fee

Required Documents

  • Check to see if your building is located in a historic district or in the French Quarter  – if so, permits and approvals from the HDLC or VCC need to be acquired. You can also look up your zoning here
  • Apply online at the One Stop App or fill out and submit the BUILDING_PERMIT_MASTER_APPLICATION
  • Recorded Act of Sale, if the property has recently changed ownership in the last year (365 days)
  • Plot plan reflecting all dimensions of the lot and all structures, setbacks to property lines and the location and dimensions of off-street parking spaces
  • Sketch or completed plans, stamped with live seals from a Louisiana licensed architect or civil engineer, if required
  • Foundation drawings detailing the foundation of the proposed structure, with live, original seals, stamped by a Louisiana registered architect or civil engineer, if required
  • Previous/current and proposed use of the structure 
  • Number of floors or levels in the structure 
  • If the improvement is roofing related and the property is within a local historic district or is a designated landmark, fill out the Roof_Certificate_of_Appropriateness Application
  • Contractor’s license information. (If the project is owner-occupied residential, State Exemption Form R-1364 may be submitted in lieu of contractor license information.)

You May Also Need

Approval from:

User Guides

Service provided by

Department of Safety & Permits

(504) 658-7200
1340 Poydras Street Suite 800 New Orleans, LA 70112

9am—5pm
Monday—Friday