NEWS RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA

August 2, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH INTRODUCES RESIDENTIAL RE-ROOFING PERMIT PROCESS FOR UNINCORPORATED AREAS
Documentation will provide insurance companies with vital data on code-compliant housing stock

JEFFERSON, LA – Effective Saturday, August 5, 2023, a re-roofing permit must be obtained from the Building Permits Department prior to the replacement of 50 percent or more of a roof covering on all one- and two-family dwellings in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. Re-roofing must comply with the 2021 International Residential Building Code (IRC). 

“Establishing this permitting process has both short- and long-term benefits for Jefferson Parish residents,” said Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng. “It provides homeowners with documentation that their new roof complies with building code, which homeowners can provide to their insurance company or to meet roofing grant program requirements. It also provides a data set which includes all parish-wide housing stock built in compliance with the International Residential Building Code. The parish can then present this vital information to insurers when they are considering where to write policies.”

In January 2023, the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans adopted a resolution which recommended that local code officials require code-compliant re-roof work, including permitting, when 50 percent or more of the roof covering is being replaced on properties within wind zones of 130 mph or above. House Bill 393 amended Louisiana law to allow roofing and reroofing inspections be done by location-verified/geotagged photograph or video documentation instead of in-person and on-site. It was adopted as Act 25, and went into effect on August 1, 2023. 

Residents or their contractor can apply for a permit as follows:

• Submit the permit online at mygovernmentonline.org, no construction plans required.
• Pay a $50 flat permit fee.
• Once payment and documentation are verified, the permit is issued.
• Instead of having an inspector come out during installation of the roof, the contractor or homeowner submits location-verified/geotagged photographic documentation for all phases of the re-roofing process to document the roof was installed consistent with the current International Residential Building Code.
• The parish verifies that the submitted photographic documentation satisfies the requirements. Once approved, the parish will issue a certificate of completeness.

Free photo geotagging apps are available for all smartphones. Visit the App Store for Apple devices and the Google Play Store for Android devices and search for ‘gps map camera’ or ‘geo tag photos’ for camera apps which provide location, date, and time stamping.

For more information, visit www.JeffParish.net/ReroofingPermits or call the Department of Building Permits at (504) 736-6957.

For more information about Jefferson Parish, visit www.JeffParish.net. Residents can also receive regular updates by following the Parish on social media (@JeffParishGov) or by texting JPALERT or JPNOTICIAS to 888-777

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Jefferson Parish Public Information Office 1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Suite 1002 Jefferson, LA 70123

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Gretchen Hirt Gendron, PIO