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Big Easy Patio November 3, 2026 In Covington and the rest of St. Tammany Parish, check with the permit office for your address before you build a carport, because both the parish and the City of Covington publish permit paperwork for accessory structures and only the office can say what your project needs. Inside Covington city limits that’s the City of Covington Building Permits Office; at an unincorporated address it’s the St. Tammany Parish Department of Permits and Inspections.
This post is general information about the permit process as of October 2026, not legal or code advice. Rules and forms change, and only the permit office can say what applies to your property.
We build carports across the Northshore, and the permit question comes up on almost every one. The answer people hope for is a simple size cutoff, something like “under X square feet, no permit.” We looked for one on both offices’ own pages and didn’t find a published carport exemption, so we won’t invent one. Here’s what we did find, and how to get a firm answer for your lot.
Start by working out who your permit office is. St. Tammany has both incorporated towns and large unincorporated areas, and permits are handled by different offices:
A Covington mailing address doesn’t always mean you’re inside city limits, so check your parcel before you call. The parish’s residential permit application includes an “Accessory” permit type alongside additions and new homes, which is likely where a carport would fall. The office decides how your specific project is classified.
This is the most searched version of the question, and the honest answer is that we couldn’t confirm one. Neither the parish’s residential permit packet nor the City of Covington’s accessory building checklist publishes a size below which a carport is exempt. Some places elsewhere in the country do set small-structure exemptions, which is likely where the idea comes from, but a rule from another state or parish doesn’t carry over here. If someone tells you a carport under a certain size needs no permit in St. Tammany, ask the permit office to confirm it before you rely on it.
Unpermitted structures can lead to a stop-work order or a required removal, and they can raise questions when you sell the house. A phone call up front costs nothing.
Requirements depend on the office and the project, but both published checklists point to similar paperwork. The parish’s 2026 residential packet, in its general plan-review list for new construction, additions and remodels, asks for items like:
The City of Covington’s residential accessory building checklist, dated July 2026, lists a stamped survey, a drainage plan, a plot plan with all setbacks, stamped plans that show design wind speed and exposure, and flood-zone documentation. Use each office’s current checklist as the final word.
It can. A St. Tammany Parish memo to builders states that, beginning January 1, 2025, an engineered wind design stamped by a Louisiana licensed architect or engineer is required for several project types, including accessory buildings over 1,000 square feet. Whether a given carport falls under that rule is the office’s call, and a design that addresses wind uplift is a good idea in our hurricane season regardless of size.
Covington sits where the Bogue Falaya and Tchefuncte rivers wind through town, and many lots fall in mapped flood zones. Both offices ask about flood zone status for that reason, and the city’s checklist calls for added documentation in an “A” zone. Drainage gets attention too: the city’s accessory checklist asks for a drainage plan, and the parish packet lists a stormwater agreement and stormwater site plan. A new roof and concrete pad change where rainwater goes, so expect questions about it. Our post on drainage, oaks and permits in Madisonville covers similar ground for a nearby town.
Trees are a Covington-specific step. The city lists tree removal as a separate application and asks for a tree plot plan on accessory buildings, so if a carport means taking out a large tree, raise it early.
The parish’s 2026 residential application spells out two time limits worth knowing. An application is treated as abandoned 90 days after filing unless it has been pursued in good faith or a permit has been issued, though the director can grant extensions on written request. Once a permit is issued, it becomes invalid if work doesn’t start within 180 days, if work stops for 180 days, or if the job isn’t finished within 2 years of issuance. The City of Covington sets its own procedures, so ask that office about timing if you’re inside city limits.
Inspections are part of the process too. The parish states that permits filed after January 1, 2026 must have their required inspections done by an inspector employed directly by the parish department, and the city asks that inspections be requested one business day ahead. Build those steps into your schedule, especially if you want the carport finished before a particular season or event.
A permit isn’t the only approval. Many Northshore subdivisions have restrictive covenants that can limit where an accessory structure can go or what it can look like, and those are separate from the permit. Zoning setbacks decide how close to a property line you can build. Check both before you settle on a location. If you’re comparing builders, our guide to choosing a patio builder in Covington lists permit questions worth asking.
When we quote a carport, we identify the permit office for your address and go over its current checklist with you. Then we design the structure and its drainage to match what that office requires. We can’t promise how any office will rule, but we can make sure the application is complete. Material choice affects the design too: a light aluminum structure carries different loads than a steel one. For background on carports themselves, read what a carport is and whether it beats a garage.
Planning a carport in Covington or elsewhere in St. Tammany? Call the permit office for your address first, then call Big Easy Patio at (504) 384-8978 or use our contact page. We serve Covington and the surrounding Northshore and will walk you through the design side of the application.
