Louisiana's "50%" Rule of Building Renovations

A staff member came to me this week wanting to know the source of the “50% rule” when substantially renovating an existing building – the rule that mandates if the value of the proposed improvements is greater than 50% the total value of the building, the entire building must be brought up to current code.

The rule is not found in the code; rather it is a LA State law interpreted and enforced by the State Fire Marshal’s office.  For reference, here is a link to the statute