St. James Parish, LA zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
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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 St. James Parish has 11 FIRM panels, the newest effective July 2011; no coastal V zones are mapped in it.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a St. James 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 a St. James lot shows the same lines the parish assessor draws. St. James Parish covers about 152,231 acres of land and 9,581 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The St. James Parish assessor keeps the parcel record (St. James Parish website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
St. James Parish zones its unincorporated land. 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 a St. James 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. St. James Parish is soil survey area LA093, St. James Parish, Louisiana, last updated September 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in St. James Parish needs a permit from the St. James Parish health unit sanitarian (Louisiana Department of Health onsite wastewater program).
Setbacks
Setbacks in St. James 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.
Hazards that apply
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a St. James lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in St. James 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 St. James Parish has 11 panels, the newest effective July 2011. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in St. James Parish?
Open the Louisiana map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the St. James 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 St. James Parish?
Zoning in St. James Parish is set by the parish for unincorporated land and by each city 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 St. James 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 St. James 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 St. James Parish?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in St. James Parish needs a permit from the St. James 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 LA093 (St. James Parish, Louisiana).
What can I build on 5 acres in St. James Parish?
Zoning in St. James Parish is set by the parish for unincorporated land and each city inside its own limits. 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 St. James Parish website.
What are the residential setbacks in St. James Parish (2026)?
Setbacks in St. James 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 St. James Parish website.
Next to St. James Parish: Ascension Parish, Assumption Parish, Lafourche Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish.
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