Orleans Parish, LA zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
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Towns in Orleans Parish: New Orleans.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA's parishwide study for Orleans Parish has 56 FIRM panels, the newest effective September 2016; coastal V zones, where waves add to the flood, are mapped along its shore.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for an Orleans house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the parish or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the Louisiana parish parcel layers (each parish publishes its own), so an Orleans lot shows the same lines the parish assessor draws. Orleans Parish covers about 108,530 acres of land and 115,373 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Orleans Parish assessor keeps the parcel record (Orleans Parish website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
Orleans Parish zones its unincorporated land, and New Orleans zones the land inside its limits. ParcelSheet shows the use the parish assessor lists for the lot and links the parish planning and zoning office for the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs.
ADU and guest houses
Under Louisiana's parish zoning law (Louisiana Revised Statutes 33:4780.40 and following), local governments can allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether an Orleans lot can add one depends on its district; the parish planning and zoning office has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Orleans Parish is soil survey area LA071, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, last updated September 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Orleans Parish needs a permit from the Orleans Parish health unit sanitarian (Louisiana Department of Health onsite wastewater program).
Setbacks
Setbacks in Orleans Parish come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; the parish zoning office gives them for the lot's district, and New Orleans for land inside its limits.
Hazards that apply
- Storm surge. Orleans Parish has coastal V zones on its FEMA map, so storm surge reaches its shore. The parish's evacuation zones are on its emergency management site; ParcelSheet shows the FEMA zone and the 3 ft sea level rise map at the lot.
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near an Orleans lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Orleans Parish?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA's parishwide flood map for Orleans Parish has 56 panels, the newest effective September 2016. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Orleans Parish?
Open the Louisiana map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the Orleans Parish assessor shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Orleans Parish?
Zoning in Orleans Parish is set by the parish for unincorporated land and by each city (such as New Orleans) inside its own limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code the parish assessor lists and links the office that sets the zoning; the planning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Orleans Parish?
Under Louisiana's parish zoning law (Louisiana Revised Statutes 33:4780.40 and following), parishes and cities can allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Orleans Parish ask the zoning office for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Orleans Parish?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Orleans Parish needs a permit from the Orleans Parish health unit sanitarian (Louisiana Department of Health onsite wastewater program). ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area LA071 (Orleans Parish, Louisiana).
What can I build on 5 acres in Orleans Parish?
Zoning in Orleans Parish is set by the parish for unincorporated land and each city inside its own limits (such as New Orleans). The zoning district decides the uses, how many homes and the smallest lot it allows on 5 acres. ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped and the use code on the parcel record; the planning office has the district and its rules. See the Orleans Parish website.
What are the residential setbacks in Orleans Parish (2026)?
Setbacks in Orleans Parish come from the zoning code of the parish, or of the city when the lot is inside city limits: the front, side and rear distances depend on the lot's district. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines or give a number it did not read; the zoning office gives them for the district. See the Orleans Parish website.
Next to Orleans Parish: Jefferson Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Tammany Parish.
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