Fence permit checklist — New Orleans, Louisiana
Assembled from New Orleans’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
New Orleans requires a permit for a fence.
The Building Code exempts fences up to seven ft. in height, and masonry walls up to three ft. in height from grade or structure when used as a fence, in each case when in compliance with the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. The Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Article 21.6.N.1, sets its own permit trigger: a building permit is required for all fences and walls exceeding eight (8) feet in height, except within national historic districts, where a building permit is required for all fences and walls exceeding seven (7) feet in height. Fences in front yards must be open fences. Exemption from permit requirements does not authorize work that violates the code, and fencing on the exterior of property in a local historic district or on a designated landmark still requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Landmarks Commission or approval from the Vieux Carre Commission.
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Sources
- fence — permit rules ↗verified August 2026
Other permits New Orleans publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
- General building work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with New Orleans before you build.