Commercial Siding Installation in LaPlace, LA
Big Easy Roofing installs commercial cladding across LaPlace and the east bank of St. John the Baptist Parish. The finish on a commercial wall is the last layer to go up. Behind it sit the water-resistive barrier, the insulation and the flashing at every opening, and on a historic district storefront the openings are part of what the guidelines recommend keeping.
LaPlace commercial siding installation at a glance
A commercial wall is an assembly of layers, and the cladding is the outside one. IBC Chapter 14 sets requirements for the water-resistive barrier, drainage and flashing behind it. In the LaPlace Historic District, the parish guidelines recommend keeping historic storefronts and, where applicable, anchoring signs in mortar rather than masonry.
The code that covers the wall
Section 1401.1 says the chapter establishes "the minimum requirements for exterior walls; exterior wall coverings; exterior wall openings; exterior windows and doors; and architectural trim." EIFS has its own Section 1407.
What goes behind the cladding
Section 1402.2 asks for a water-resistive barrier behind the exterior veneer, a means of draining water that gets into the wall, and flashing as described in Section 1404.4, with exceptions set out in the code.
Where the flashing goes
At the perimeters of exterior doors and windows, at penetrations and terminations, where walls meet roofs, and at built in gutters and similar places where moisture could enter the wall.
The LaPlace guidelines
The 2024 LaPlace Historic District Design Guidelines recommend maintaining historic storefronts, retaining the residential features of a former house in commercial use, and, where applicable, anchoring signage in mortar instead of masonry.
New buildings in the district
The guidelines say "Do not copy historic buildings, but reference historic buildings for materials, fenestration patterns, height, and configuration of the façade."
Which office covers you
The Permit Division on (985) 651-5565 at 1811 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace, through MyGovernmentOnline or in person. Whether an address is in the historic district is for Planning and Zoning on the same number.
This page addresses cladding on buildings treated as nonresidential for code purposes. Mixed use buildings and residential multifamily need their own classification and code review.
The code sections on this page are from the model International Building Code Chapter 14 text we read in September 2026. The parish does not publish an edition year on its permits page. Commercial cladding is priced on the wall, the system and the access rather than a published range, so call Big Easy Roofing for a scoped price.
Four commercial wall assemblies and what sits behind each cladding
The cladding follows from the wall assembly, and the assembly follows from the structure. Four common commercial walls put the insulation in different places and attach the cladding to different substrates. The survey settles which one the building has before any product is named.
| Wall assembly | Structural back-up | Insulation position | Cladding attaches to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel frame with exterior insulation | Steel studs with sheathing | Continuous over the sheathing, with a water-resistive barrier where the approved assembly calls for one | Furring or a clip and rail system through the insulation into the studs, per the approved assembly |
| Masonry with exterior insulation | Concrete masonry or brick | Continuous over the masonry, where the assembly calls for it | Rails or long fasteners into the masonry, per the approved assembly |
| Insulated metal panel | Steel frame or masonry | The foam core inside the panel | The listed panel system, with joints sealed to the manufacturer detail |
| Tilt-up or precast concrete | The concrete panel is structure and back-up | Interior side or in a furred cavity, depending on the assembly | Fixed direct to the concrete or on furring, per the assembly |
The four rows are not exhaustive; older and mixed walls are common. On a historic district building the survey also records the storefront, any residential features and the existing sign fixings before a scope is written.
The code and the parish, on a LaPlace commercial wall
La. R.S. 37:3737(I) is written for roof construction and reroofing and does not name cladding; this page discusses wall work under IBC Chapter 14. The parish Permit Division confirms what the scope requires, and the parish commercial application notes that other permits, a sign permit among them, may be required.
The applicable code
Chapter 14 covers exterior walls, wall coverings, openings, windows, doors and trim. La. R.S. 37:3737(I) is written for roof construction and reroofing and does not name cladding. The Permit Division confirms what a given scope requires.
What the parish form notes
The parish Commercial Permit Application, revised 6/13/25, says "Additional permits and/or approvals may be required, such as sign permit, sewer/water taps, road crossing permit, demolition permit, DEQ permit, etc."
Which office covers you
The Permit Division on (985) 651-5565 at 1811 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace, 8 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday excluding government holidays. Applications go through MyGovernmentOnline or in person. What a given wall scope needs on file is confirmed there.
The district question
Whether the building is in the LaPlace Historic District, and whether the work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, is for Planning and Zoning on (985) 651-5565. We ask before the scope is priced.
Why the flashing list matters on a storefront
Section 1404.4 says flashing "shall be installed at the perimeters of exterior door and window assemblies, penetrations and terminations of exterior wall assemblies, exterior wall intersections with roofs, ... and at built-in gutters and similar locations where moisture could enter the wall."
Our reading, not the code's: a storefront is mostly door and window perimeter, so on a commercial front most of the flashing work sits around the openings rather than across the wall.
What the survey settles first
The substrate the cladding fixes back to, the insulation present or specified, the water-resistive barrier, and every transition at parapets, openings and the base of the wall. On a district building, also the storefront and what is fixed to the front.
Where the wall needs work at the barrier or the insulation before the cladding goes on, the scope names that as its own line.
What the LaPlace guidelines say about commercial buildings and new ones
The parish 2024 LaPlace Historic District Design Guidelines have a section on commercial buildings and one on new construction. They recommend keeping historic storefronts, retaining the residential features of a converted house, anchoring signs in mortar rather than masonry where applicable, and referencing historic buildings for materials on new ones.
Storefronts and converted houses
Section XIII says "The following recommendations address commercial buildings as well as former residential buildings converted to commercial use that are located within the LaPlace Historic District." Its first recommendation is "Maintain historic storefronts, including the window and door style and configuration, period-appropriate materials, and general appearance. Avoid enclosing or removing any historic features of the storefront."
It adds: "If the building was formerly residential, retain the residential features and characteristics of the building." Our reading, not the guidelines': on a converted house, the existing house cladding is worth raising with Planning and Zoning before a commercial panel is proposed over it.
Signs and fixings
On signage the section says "Where applicable, anchor signage and light fixtures in mortar instead of masonry. Do not anchor signage in historic architectural features or remove architectural features to accommodate signage."
Our practice, not a parish rule: every sign support or light fixture that passes through a wall we clad is flashed to the water-resistive barrier, and on a district building the fixing point is agreed before the wall is closed.
New buildings
Section XIV says "Design new buildings to be visually compatible to adjacent buildings in the historic district." and "Do not copy historic buildings, but reference historic buildings for materials, fenestration patterns, height, and configuration of the façade."
The guidelines do not name an approved commercial cladding. They are linked from the parish Historic District Commission page, and whether an address is in the district is for Planning and Zoning.
Big Easy Roofing Process
Four steps. The wall assembly is read and the parish questions are asked before a cladding product is named, so the scope is written against the real wall.
Survey the wall and the front
The structural back-up, sheathing, water-resistive barrier, insulation, every transition, and on a storefront the openings, the sign supports and any historic features.
Ask the parish questions
Where the building may be in the historic district, the address and the proposed work go to Planning and Zoning. What the scope needs on file goes to the Permit Division.
Write the specification
The cladding system, the substrate, the insulation, the water-resistive barrier and every flashing named against Section 1404.4, with the fastener length stated.
Install elevation by elevation and hand over
One elevation open at a time so an occupied building stays weather tight, each penetration flashed before the cladding closes, and the permit file and scope handed over at the end.
Everything else we do in LaPlace
The rest of the Big Easy Roofing services available in LaPlace, each with its own page and written scope. Siding on a house, and the Certificate of Appropriateness process, are on the siding installation page, and rooftop equipment on a district commercial building is on the commercial roof ventilation page.
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Read MoreLaPlace Commercial Siding Installation FAQs
The assembly and code questions behind a commercial cladding scope, and what the LaPlace guidelines say about storefronts, signs and new buildings in the district.
Topic
Question not here?
Tell us the address, the building and what is on the wall now, and we will survey it, ask the parish questions and put the specification in writing. No charge and no obligation.
Call (504) 800-8196What is different about a commercial wall
The structural back-up is usually steel, masonry or concrete, the insulation usually sits outside the sheathing or masonry rather than in a stud cavity, and the code is IBC Chapter 14 with the commercial energy provisions.
What is a water-resistive barrier
A continuous layer behind the cladding that carries water that gets past it down and out of the wall. Section 1403.2 asks for it to be continuous behind the exterior wall veneer, with flashing as described in Section 1404.4.
Where does the code say flashing goes
Section 1404.4 lists the perimeters of exterior doors and windows, penetrations and terminations of the wall, wall intersections with roofs, and built in gutters and similar places where moisture could enter the wall, among others.
What does the reroofing statute say about cladding
La. R.S. 37:3737(I) is written for roof construction and reroofing and does not name cladding. This page discusses wall work under IBC Chapter 14, and the Permit Division confirms what a given scope requires. Where a job also takes in the roof edge, our commercial re-roofing page covers the roof side.
What do the LaPlace guidelines say about storefronts
Section XIII recommends maintaining historic storefronts, including the window and door style and configuration, period-appropriate materials and general appearance, and avoiding enclosing or removing any historic features of the storefront.
Where do the guidelines say signs are anchored
"Where applicable, anchor signage and light fixtures in mortar instead of masonry." They also say not to anchor signage in historic architectural features or remove features to make room for it.
Do the guidelines apply to every commercial building in LaPlace
No. Section XIII covers commercial buildings, and former houses in commercial use, located within the LaPlace Historic District. Whether your address is inside it is for Planning and Zoning on (985) 651-5565.
Will my sign need its own permit
The parish Commercial Permit Application notes that additional permits and approvals may be required, and names a sign permit among them. Whether yours does is confirmed with the Permit Division on (985) 651-5565.
Can the work happen while the business stays open
Usually, by working one elevation at a time so the rest of the building stays sealed, with daily stopping points set by the weather and any penetration through the wall coordinated with the trade responsible for it.
Get a cladding scope written against the real wall and its front with every flashing named
We survey the substrate, the openings and the sign fixings, ask the parish questions a district building raises, and write the scope to IBC Chapter 14 before any product is named. If you would rather start in writing, tell us what the job involves and we will come back with an estimate.
Call (504) 800-8196
