Metairie, LA real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
There is no City of Metairie. It is an unincorporated part of Jefferson Parish, so the Parish Council is your city council and parish departments handle permits, zoning and drainage. Old Metairie has its own review board on top of that.
Metairie neighborhoods buyers ask about
Every one prices differently. Ask your agent for the latest sales in the ones you like.
Also near Metairie:
Buying a home in Metairie: what to know
The rules that apply everywhere in Louisiana are on the Louisiana page. These are the Metairie details that trip people up.
Get pre-approved →-
Metairie has no mayor and no city hall. It is unincorporated Jefferson Parish. Your elected body is the Jefferson Parish Council, and you find your representative by council district, not by city ward. That one fact explains most of what is different here.
-
The parish issues every permit. Building and renovation permits run through the Jefferson Parish online permit portal, not a Metairie city office, because there is not one. Parish inspection records are the only permit history your house has.
-
Old Metairie has its own review board. The Old Metairie Neighborhood Conservation District is policed by the Old Metairie Commission. New houses, demolitions and even a swimming pool can require a public hearing, with a sign on the property, a legal advert and letters to every owner within 300 feet.
-
That Old Metairie process has three steps, not one. The commission makes a recommendation, the board of zoning adjustments rules on any variances, and then the Parish Council acts by resolution. Build that timeline into your contract.
-
Drainage here is pumped, not gravity-fed. Jefferson Parish maintains about 340 miles of canals, ditches, cross drains and culverts, plus 72 drainage pump stations. The parish itself recommends flood insurance for every property behind a levee. Ask which basin the property drains to.
Selling a home in Metairie
Find your elevation certificate before you list.
The parish's floodplain office works from elevation certificates and flood insurance declarations, and buyers and insurers will both ask for it.
Pull parish permits for any past work.
Every permit was issued by Jefferson Parish. If a past addition has no record in the parish portal, a buyer's lender or insurer may stop on it.
In Old Metairie, produce the commission approvals.
If a prior owner built, demolished or added a pool in the conservation district, the file should show the commission recommendation and the council resolution.
Metairie real estate questions
Is Metairie a city?
No. Metairie is an unincorporated part of Jefferson Parish. There is no City of Metairie, no Metairie mayor and no Metairie city hall. The Jefferson Parish Council is your governing body, and parish departments handle permits, zoning, drainage and flood rules.
Who do I get a building permit from?
Jefferson Parish. Permits for Metairie addresses go through the parish's online portal. If you are told to call the city, there is no city to call. That also means parish records are the only permit history that exists for your house.
What is the Old Metairie Commission and does it apply to me?
It applies if your property is in the Old Metairie Neighborhood Conservation District. New construction, demolition and even a pool can require a public hearing with a posted sign, a published advert and mailed notice to owners within 300 feet, then variances and a council resolution.
How does drainage work here?
It is pumped. Jefferson Parish maintains roughly 340 miles of canals and ditches and 72 drainage pump stations, and the area sits behind a long levee and floodwall network. The parish itself recommends flood insurance for every property behind a levee.
Does living behind a levee mean I can skip flood insurance?
No, and the parish says so directly. Jefferson Parish recommends flood insurance for every property behind a levee, accredited or not. The parish also runs its own rating programme for unincorporated Jefferson, which affects what you pay.
Buying or selling in Metairie? Talk to a local agent.
An AXEN agent who works in Metairie answers your questions for free. No cost to talk. No pressure to sign anything.