Bolthole Index

St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana

Building permits, zoning and septic in Town of Madisonville, Louisiana

Town of Madisonville, Louisiana has municipal zoning; start building-permit questions at Town Hall because we could not confirm the town’s application procedure.12 Madisonville’s A-residential district sets lot dimensions and a building-height limit.34 Individual sewage systems require state-health-officer approval, separate from town zoning; ask the Louisiana Department of Health’s St. Tammany Parish Environmental Health office about your address.56

At a glance

Building permits
Town procedure unconfirmed; start with Town Hall27
Zoning
Town zoning applies inside Madisonville limits1
A-residential lots
Minimum 60 feet frontage by 120 feet depth3
A-residential height
Maximum 40 feet, measured to the roof peak4
RV living
Flood-zone conditions apply; general residential occupancy remains unconfirmed8
Septic approval
State-health-officer permit required for an individual sewage system5
Private wells
Licensed driller and state registration required; domestic wells have different notification timing9

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Madisonville Town Hall

Starting contact for identifying the town’s building-permit administrator, zoning contact and floodplain administrator; a dedicated building office was not confirmed.

(985) 845-7311

209 Hwy 22 W. Madisonville, LA 70447

Septic permits

Louisiana Department of Health — St. Tammany Parish (Mandeville) Health Unit — Environmental Health

Environmental Health contact for confirming individual sewage-system approval and the local application route for a Madisonville address.

985.893.6296

21454 Koop Drive, Suite 2B, Mandeville, LA 70471

Septic permits

St. Tammany Parish Department of Environmental Services

Ask whether the parish Sewerage Inspection Permit program applies to the proposed system inside Madisonville; municipal coverage is unconfirmed.

985-898-2535

es@stpgov.org

21454 Koop Drive, Building B Mandeville, LA 70471

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Madisonville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Town of Madisonville, LA?

Louisiana requires local construction-code enforcement procedures to include plan review, inspections and the issuance, denial or revocation of building permits; the administering authority can be a municipality, parish or authorized provider.7 We could not confirm Madisonville’s general building-permit requirement, application form, fee schedule or inspecting provider; call Town Hall and ask for the administrator responsible for your proposed work.2 Request the submission checklist, inspection schedule and occupancy requirements before committing to construction.2 For land outside town limits, use the St. Tammany Parish guide: the parish building-permit requirement cited there applies to unincorporated land.10

Does Town of Madisonville have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Town of Madisonville regulates land inside town limits through its own zoning districts; the A-residential district is intended for single-family dwellings, specified low-intensity commercial uses within residences and associated recreation.1 In Madisonville’s A-residential district, the minimum lot dimensions are 60 feet of frontage by 120 feet of depth.3 Buildings and structures in that district cannot exceed 40 feet to the peak of the roof.4 Those dimensions are district-specific, rather than a townwide rule for every parcel.11 Ask Town Hall to identify the parcel’s district and the contact who can confirm setbacks, lot coverage and whether an additional dwelling is allowed; we could not confirm those parcel-specific answers.2

How do septic permits work inside Town of Madisonville?

Louisiana requires a permit from the state health officer before installing, altering or operating an individual sewage system in Madisonville, with approved plans and specifications.5 An individual-system installation permit depends on a determination that community sewer connection is not feasible and that the site will not create a nuisance or public-health hazard.5 Ask the Louisiana Department of Health’s Mandeville Environmental Health office to confirm the approval route for the address.6 St. Tammany Parish Environmental Services also lists an onsite wastewater permitting and inspection program, but we could not confirm its coverage inside Madisonville; ask that department whether a parish Sewerage Inspection Permit is additionally needed.12 Final state approval requires verification of compliant installation through an inspection and/or the licensed installer’s certification.13

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Town of Madisonville?

Madisonville’s RV provision addresses designated flood zones, rather than granting general permission to live in an RV on residential land.8 In the covered inland flood zones, an RV must either remain fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the referenced permit, elevation and anchoring requirements.8 Highway readiness means wheels or a jacking system, quick-disconnect utilities and security devices, and no permanently attached additions.8 The town also imposes alternative conditions in the covered coastal flood zones.8 We could not confirm townwide private-land camping or tiny-home occupancy rules; ask Town Hall for both zoning and floodplain review before relying on an RV or tiny home as housing during construction.2

What steps should you take before building in Town of Madisonville?

  1. Ask Town Hall to confirm the parcel’s zoning district and identify the building-permit and floodplain contacts; Madisonville has municipal zoning and district-specific dimensions.213
  2. Establish whether community sewer connection is feasible before designing an individual sewage system, because Louisiana makes that determination part of installation approval.5
  3. Obtain the building-permit submission and inspection requirements from the town’s designated administrator; Louisiana’s enforcement framework includes both plan review and inspections.27
  4. If proposing a private well, use a licensed driller and arrange state registration; domestic wells follow post-installation notification rather than the ordinary advance-notification route.9
  5. For a driveway connection onto a state highway, obtain the signed and numbered Access Connection Permit Certificate before construction begins.14

Watch-outs

  • Madisonville’s flood-zone RV conditions do not establish permission for residential RV occupancy; ask Town Hall about the proposed use and parcel.82
  • We could not confirm Madisonville’s building-permit fees, owner-builder exemption or occupancy-document requirements; request those answers from Town Hall before budgeting construction.2
  • Community sewer availability affects whether an individual sewage system can be approved in Madisonville.15

Sources

  1. Sec. 36-87. A-residential district permitted uses (Town of Madisonville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Madisonville Town Hall (townofmadisonville.org)
  3. Sec. 36-87. A-residential district permitted uses (Town of Madisonville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Sec. 36-87. A-residential district permitted uses (Town of Madisonville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, Part XIII, Public Health—Sanitary Code (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Louisiana Department of Health — St. Tammany Parish (Mandeville) Health Unit — Environmental Health (ldh.la.gov)
  7. R.S. 40:1730.23 — Enforcement of building codes by municipalities, parishes, and the fire marshal (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Madisonville Code of Ordinances, Sec. 22-110—Specific flood standards (Town of Madisonville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 43, Part VI, §701 (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. St. Tammany Parish Unified Development Code (2026 county census)
  11. Sec. 36-87. A-residential district permitted uses (Town of Madisonville), quoted and re-checked
  12. St. Tammany Parish Department of Environmental Services (stpgov.org)
  13. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, Part XIII, Public Health—Sanitary Code (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. LaDOTD Access Connections Policy (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, Part XIII, Public Health—Sanitary Code (Louisiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Madisonville

Town of Madisonville’s own rules

  • Building permitLimited

    Fence installation in Madisonville's A-residential district.

    • A permit must be obtained from the building inspector before installation.
    • A fee established and amended by the mayor and town council must be remitted at that time.
    “A permit must be obtained from the building inspector prior to installation and a fee, in an amount as established by the mayor and town council, and amended from time to time; the amount of said fee shall be documented by the town clerk, must be remitted at this time.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Madisonville town limits.

    • Uses and dimensional controls depend on the zoning district.
    “The A-residential district is limited to single family dwellings and the following uses, but only when the single family dwelling has been constructed and occupied:”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Present — Land inside Madisonville town limits; the town adopts Chapter 36, Zoning and Subdivision Regulations.
      “The purpose of A-residential district is to provide for the location and grouping of uses that are limited to single-family dwellings and low intensity commercial uses within residences, and associated recreation.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts inside Madisonville town limits.

    • The reviewed code identifies A-residential and D institutional districts and references C-1 community commercial, but the complete district list and zoning map were not reviewed.
    • District-specific dimensional controls differ.
    “The purpose of the institutional district is to locate therein all such properties which are institutional in nature.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Published (with conditions) — Zoning districts inside Madisonville town limits.
      “The purpose of A-residential district is to provide for the location and grouping of uses that are limited to single-family dwellings and low intensity commercial uses within residences, and associated recreation.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family residential buildings in Madisonville's A-residential district.

    • The A-residential district is limited to single-family dwellings and listed associated uses.

    minimum lot frontage: 60 feet · minimum lot depth: 120 feet

    “There shall be provided a minimum lot size in A-residential districts of 60 feet front by 120 feet in depth.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings and structures in Madisonville's A-residential district.

    • Height is measured to the peak of the roof.

    maximum height: <= 40 feet

    “No building or structure shall exceed 40 feet in height, measured to the peak of the roof.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed in Zones A1-30, AH, and AE on Madisonville's community FIRM.

    • The RV must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the cited permit, elevation, and anchoring requirements.

    maximum consecutive days on site under temporary option: < 180 days (Alternative compliance paths apply.)

    “Require that recreational vehicles placed on sites within Zones A1-30, AH, and AE on the community's FIRM either: a. Be on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive days; b. Be fully licensed and ready for highway use; or c. Meet the permit requirements of 22-89 (a)(1) and the elevation and anchoring requirements for manufactured homes in subsection (4) of this section.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes placed or substantially improved in Zones A1-30, AH, and AE on Madisonville's community FIRM.

    • For specified new or substantially damaged park/subdivision circumstances, the I-beam must be at or above base flood elevation and the home securely anchored.
    • Other existing-park sites have the stated elevation or pier-and-anchor alternatives.
    “Require that manufactured homes that are placed or substantially improved within Zones A1-30, AH, and AE on the community's FIRM on sites outside of a manufactured home park or subdivision, in a new manufactured home park or subdivision, in an expansion to an existing manufactured home park or subdivision, or in an existing manufactured home park or subdivision on which a manufactured home has incurred substantial damage as a result of a flood, be elevated on a permanent foundation such that the bottom of the longitudinal structural I-beam of the manufactured home is elevated to or above the base flood elevation and be securely anchored to an adequately anchored foundation system to resist flotation, collapse, and lateral movement.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Subdivision development, including manufactured-home parks and subdivisions, inside Madisonville town limits.

    • Must meet the floodplain-development permit requirements cross-referenced in sections 22-59 and 22-89 and article V.
    “All proposals for the development of subdivisions including the placement of manufactured home parks and subdivisions shall meet floodplain development permit requirements of section 22-59, 22-89, and the provisions of article V of this chapter.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Fence permits in Madisonville's A-residential district.

    • The mayor and town council establish and may amend the fee.
    • The amount must be documented by the town clerk and remitted before installation.
    “A permit must be obtained from the building inspector prior to installation and a fee, in an amount as established by the mayor and town council, and amended from time to time; the amount of said fee shall be documented by the town clerk, must be remitted at this time.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Fence installation in Madisonville's A-residential district.

    • Application and approval details other than prior building-inspector permit and fee remittance were not located.
    “A permit must be obtained from the building inspector prior to installation and a fee, in an amount as established by the mayor and town council, and amended from time to time; the amount of said fee shall be documented by the town clerk, must be remitted at this time.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Madisonville

Town of Madisonville does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • SetbacksSpecified

    Residential buildings in Madisonville's A-residential district.

    • Interior-lot and corner-lot measurements differ.

    interior-lot front setback: 20 feet · interior-lot side and rear setback: 5 feet

    “There shall be provided a minimum setback line for A-residential building on an interior lot of 20 feet from the front lot line and five feet from the side and rear lines.”
  • Short-term rentalsAllowed (with conditions)

    Short-term rentals in Madisonville's A-residential district.

    • The A-residential district is limited to single-family dwellings and listed uses.
    • Short-term rentals are subject to Sec. 36-181 et seq., which was not among the supplied excerpts.
    “The A-residential district is limited to single family dwellings and the following uses, but only when the single family dwelling has been constructed and occupied: [...] (6) Short term rentals as described in section 36-181, et seq.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Madisonville or St. Tammany Parish directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Madisonville town limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Madisonville town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Madisonville town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Madisonville town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Madisonville town limits.
11 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Madisonville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. St. Tammany Parish’s page lists the county offices to call.

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