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Roofing in New Orleans: Historic Districts, Permits and Heavy Rain

A shotgun house in Bywater and a single-family home in Lakeview raise different roof questions. This page walks through those questions. Lone Wolf Roofing serves New Orleans from our Metairie office.
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Served from Metairie

Lone Wolf Roofing is a woman-owned and family-owned company serving New Orleans from its Metairie office. Our office is at 2882 Cleary Avenue, Metairie, LA 70002. Metairie sits immediately west of New Orleans. Many central New Orleans addresses are about 15 to 30 minutes away under normal conditions. Eastern New Orleans, Lower Coast Algiers and other outlying sections can take longer. Travel time also changes with traffic, construction and river crossings. We do not promise a citywide arrival time.
We handle roofing in New Orleans from that Metairie office. We do not have an office in the city. Customers here have left Google reviews for roof replacement in New Orleans and for slate roof work in the French Quarter. You can read three of them below. The Metairie service area page has more on the office itself.

Historic districts: Bywater, Algiers Point and the French Quarter

The Bywater Historic District covers roughly 120 blocks and more than 2,000 buildings. Most are one-story, wood-framed shotgun houses on narrow lots. Some are Creole cottages or double-gallery houses. Gabled and hipped roofs are common. Exterior roof work here may need Historic District Landmarks Commission review, depending on the property and the materials.
Algiers Point sits on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Many homes are single-story, wood-built and raised above grade, with gabled or hipped roofs. Some are two-story double-gallery houses. Some corner buildings have living space above a business. Covered exterior work may also need Commission review.
The French Quarter works differently. The Vieux Carré Commission regulates buildings and exterior changes. Visible historic materials, roof forms, dormers, parapets, flashing and drainage details all matter. A roof there cannot be treated like a standard suburban replacement. Owners must get Commission approval and the applicable city permits before covered work begins.
Not every property in the city is in a historic district. Whether review applies depends on the exact address, the property’s rating, the scope of work and the material. Confirm that before you order anything. When you are ready to replace, the roof replacement page explains how that project runs.

Lakeview and Gentilly

Lakeview has large single-family areas, a limited number of two-family and multifamily properties, and business and marina districts. Roof shapes and building ages vary, so no one roof type fits the neighborhood. Each property needs its own look at roof shape, decking, drainage, ventilation and current permit requirements. Owners of business or mixed-use buildings can start with the commercial roofing page.
Gentilly mixes established residential streets with postwar suburban development. Parts of it have documented drainage, subsidence and stormwater concerns. The city created the Gentilly Resilience District to lower flood risk, slow subsidence and manage rainwater better. We do not assign a flood zone or foundation condition to a home without checking its address. The roof inspection page explains how an inspection works.

The city's re-roofing permit

The City of New Orleans requires a building permit for covered repair and alteration work. Replacing less than 50% of the roofing on a one-family or two-family dwelling is listed as exempt from the standard permit. The exception is when the Director finds hazardous or complex conditions. Replacing 50% or more goes through the city’s re-roofing permit system.
Permits are issued by the Department of Safety and Permits and can be submitted through the city’s One Stop App. The re-roofing process asks for geotagged photos from all four sides. They must show removal of the old roof material, water-intrusion-resistant underlayment, drip edge and flashing, and the new shingles or metal panels. The permit holder uploads the photos and requests permit closure. Ask any contractor who will take and upload them. If you only need a fix, the roof repair page covers common problems.

Heavy rain, wind and hurricane season

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Tropical systems can bring high winds, wind-driven rain, heavy rainfall, tornadoes, flooding and power outages. Heavy rain can also overwhelm the ground and drainage system and flood streets without a named storm. Flood risk differs by address. Areas outside the levee system, such as Venetian Isles, Lake Catherine and Irish Bayou, face added coastal flooding and storm-surge exposure. Check the current city and FEMA address tools before assuming anything about a property.
After a storm, a roof inspection helps sort real damage from routine wear. Emergency tarping is available 24/7 from our Metairie office. See storm damage restoration for that work.

Workmanship warranty for New Orleans roof projects

Lone Wolf Roofing offers a 100-Year Workmanship Warranty. It covers problems caused by faulty or improper workmanship in our installation. The 100 years describes workmanship coverage. It does not mean a roof or roofing material is expected to last 100 years. Manufacturer warranties are separate. They cover eligible materials under the manufacturer’s own terms, product eligibility and registration requirements. Our workmanship warranty can be transferred one time to the next homeowner. Coverage is subject to the written warranty’s terms, eligibility requirements and exclusions. Read more on the warranty page.
Permits are issued by the Department of Safety and Permits and can be submitted through the city’s One Stop App. The re-roofing process asks for geotagged photos from all four sides. They must show removal of the old roof material, water-intrusion-resistant underlayment, drip edge and flashing, and the new shingles or metal panels. The permit holder uploads the photos and requests permit closure. Ask any contractor who will take and upload them. If you only need a fix, the roof repair page covers common problems.

Reviews from customers (Google)

Offers for New Orleans homeowners

Appreciation discount. Lone Wolf Roofing offers a 10% appreciation discount to veterans, active military members, emergency responders and seniors. Mention it when you contact us. We will explain how the discount applies before work begins. Details are on the veteran and senior discount page.
Price match. Have another roofing proposal? Lone Wolf Roofing will beat a qualifying apples-to-apples roofing quote by $500. We compare the work, products, roofing components, ventilation, cleanup, warranties and inclusions. This is not an automatic discount. Permit and historic-district requirements still apply to every proposal. Read the Price Match Guarantee.

Questions Homeowners Asked in New Orleans

Does a roof project in a New Orleans historic district need extra approval?
Possibly. Properties in a local historic district or designated as landmarks may need a Certificate of Appropriateness and Historic District Landmarks Commission review. French Quarter properties may need Vieux Carré Commission approval. It depends on the address, rating, scope and material.
Geotagged photos from all four sides. They must show removal of the existing roof material, water-intrusion-resistant underlayment, drip edge and flashing, and the new shingles or metal panels. The permit holder uploads them and requests closure.
On a one-family or two-family dwelling, replacing less than 50% of the roofing is listed as exempt from the standard building permit. The Director can still require one if conditions are hazardous or complex. At 50% or more, the re-roofing permit system applies.
Historic status, flood exposure and the permit path all differ by address. None of them can be assumed from the neighborhood name alone.
No. The Vieux Carré Commission regulates French Quarter exteriors, including roof form, materials and flashing. Lakeview properties are judged one at a time for roof shape, decking, drainage, ventilation and permit requirements.