§1730.23. Enforcement of building codes by municipalities and parishes

A. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary relating to the authority of local governments to enforce construction codes, all municipalities and parishes in this state shall enforce only the construction codes provided for in this Part. All municipalities and parishes shall use building code enforcement officers or certified third-party providers contracted by the municipality, parish, or regional planning commission to act in the capacity of a building code enforcement officer to enforce the provisions of this Part. Enforcement procedures by building code enforcement officers or third-party providers acting in the capacity of a building code enforcement officer shall include examination or review of plans, drawings, or specifications; the conducting of inspections; and the issuance, denial, or revocation of permits. A building code enforcement officer, third-party provider, or third-party provider contracted by a jurisdiction as provided for in R.S. 40:1730.24(A) shall not conduct plan review or inspections on a commercial or residential structure if such officer or provider owns any interest in the legal entity that constructed such commercial or residential structure or receives any compensation from the legal entity other than the fees that are charged for plan review or inspections. Nothing in this Subsection shall be construed to prevent a commercial or residential contractor or homeowner from using a third-party provider as provided for in R.S. 40:1730.24(B). Nothing in this Subsection shall be construed to prevent a commercial contractor or commercial owner from using the office of state fire marshal as a third-party provider as provided for in R.S. 40:1730.24(B) on commercial structures in any parish within the state with a population of less than forty thousand and whose boundaries lie completely north of the one hundred ten mile per hour wind line, as shown in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE-7) basic wind speeds map published in the latest edition of the International Building Code.

B. Nothing in this Part shall conflict with the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development's regulations regarding manufactured housing construction or the provisions of R.S. 51:912.21 et seq., as it relates to manufactured housing installation. Further, it is the intent of the legislature that any service, renovation, repair, or warranty work performed on a manufactured home shall be handled under the appropriate federal standards governing manufactured housing construction or state standards governing installation, and all such work be under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Manufactured Housing Commission. Additionally, the exemption for manufactured housing provided for in this Subsection shall extend to and include driveways, steps, decks, or other similar accessory structures or work, but shall not include any additional living area or other type of heated and cooled space outside of the original footprint of the manufactured home.

C. In connection with the construction of any building, structure, or other improvement to immovable property, neither the performance of any enforcement procedure nor any provision of a building code shall constitute or be construed as a warranty or guarantee by a governmental enforcement agency as to durability or fitness, or as a warranty or guarantee by a governmental enforcement official or a third-party provider who contracts with a municipality or parish as provided for in R.S. 40:1730.24(A), that said building, structure, or other improvement to immovable property or any materials, equipment, or method or type of construction used therein is or will be free from defects, will perform in a particular manner, is fit for a particular purpose, or will last in any particular way. In the enforcement of any provision of a construction code provided for in this Part, or any regulations governed by R.S. 33:4771 et seq., the performance or non-performance of any procedure by a governmental enforcement agency, contract employee, or official shall be deemed to be a discretionary act and shall be subject to the provisions of R.S. 9:2798.1.

D.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 or any other law to the contrary, no municipality or parish shall require that residential building plans for one and two family dwellings be prepared or stamped by a certified architect or engineer if the dwelling falls within the prescriptive standards of the latest edition of the International Residential Code or its referenced amendments as provided for in R.S. 40:1730.28.

(2) The provisions of this Section shall be effective for both the duration of the emergency wind and flood mitigation provisions as provided for in R.S. 40:1730.27 and after this Part becomes effective statewide as provided for in R.S. 40:1730.28(B).

E.(1) Upon receipt of the certificate of occupancy issued by a local building official or third-party provider for a new residential construction, a lender who provides a residential mortgage loan for the purchase of such new residential construction shall file a copy of the certificate of occupancy in the conveyance records of the parish where the new residential construction is located. Failure of the lender to file such document in the local conveyance records shall not invalidate the legal effects of any transaction related to that property, including but not limited to the construction, purchase, sale, or transfer of title of the new residential construction.

(2) The homeowner of the new residential construction shall provide the lender a copy of the certificate of occupancy.

(3) Any lender that files a copy of the certificate of occupancy in the local conveyance records pursuant to the provisions of this Subsection shall be entitled to assess a reasonable charge to the borrower for all costs associated with the filing of the certificate, not to exceed the amount charged by that parish for filing such documents.

(4) If the provisions of this Chapter cease to be enforced in a parish, the provisions of this Section shall become null and void in that parish.

F. Municipalities and parishes in areas where windblown debris storm shutters are required by the state uniform construction code may allow occupancy upon receipt of an affidavit from the property owner stating that the owner has ordered the shutters and will install the shutters upon receipt. The shutters shall be installed within ninety days of occupancy. During the ninety-day period, the owner shall notify the parish or municipality that the shutters have been installed and a final inspection by the parish or municipality shall be made to verify that the shutters were installed.

G. Any municipality or parish which issues a permit for construction pursuant to this Part shall provide a list of registered certified building inspectors to the applicant for the permit at the time the permit is issued.

H. A parish or municipality may accept determinations made by the state fire marshal as they pertain to life safety and fire protection as required in this Part.

I. The building official for the parish, municipality, or regional planning commission, as authorized in R.S. 40:1730.24 and appointed pursuant to R.S. 40:1730.25, or a qualified building code enforcement officer designated by the building official, shall have the authority to enforce the plumbing provisions adopted pursuant to this Part.

Added by Acts 1975, No. 706, §1. Amended by Acts 1978, No. 786, §5, eff. July 17, 1978; Acts 1984, No. 356, §1; Acts 2003, No. 387, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2004; Acts 2008, No. 375, §1; Acts 2008, No. 813, §1; Acts 2008, No. 830, §1; Acts 2011, No. 92, §1; Acts 2011, No. 391, §1; Acts 2014, No. 836, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 2016.