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Hurricane outages
Generators with interlocks or transfer switches keep refrigeration, fans and medical equipment running through long outages.
Generator InstallationLocal guide
The New Orleans electrical guide
History, housing, weather and rules that shape electrical work in New Orleans, LA.
Safety and Permits in practice
The City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits issues electrical permits and inspects work, and the city requires electricians to be licensed. Historic districts add review by the Historic District Landmarks Commission or the Vieux Carré Commission for exterior changes. After major storms, the city often issues special guidance for repairs and reconnection.
Neighborhood character
Uptown and the Garden District are known for grand homes and raised cottages, the Marigny and Bywater for Creole cottages and shotguns, Mid-City for raised double shotguns and bungalows, and Tremé for historic homes associated with the city’s Black cultural history. Lakeview, rebuilt after Katrina, has many homes raised well above the street.
The French Quarter
The French Quarter’s buildings date mostly from the late 1700s and 1800s, with courtyards, galleries and thick masonry walls. The Vieux Carré Commission strictly regulates exterior changes, including visible conduit and equipment. Electrical work there requires careful routing and close coordination with the commission.
Shotgun houses
Shotgun houses, one room wide with rooms lined up front to back, are found across New Orleans. Their long, narrow layout means circuits run long distances, and many have original or patched wiring. Renovations often rewire the entire house and raise the panel.
Ida and the citywide blackout
On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida damaged transmission lines and left all of Orleans Parish without power, many for over a week in late-summer heat. Generators became essential, and carbon monoxide poisonings from generators run too close to homes were a serious danger. Many homeowners have since installed standby generators or batteries.
Katrina and raised homes
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005 flooded about 80 percent of the city, thousands of homes were raised or rebuilt. Raised homes have meters, panels and air conditioning equipment mounted high, with service conductors reaching up to them. Raising a home requires coordination with Entergy for the new meter location.
Street flooding from heavy rain
Even without hurricanes, heavy downpours flood streets in many neighborhoods when drainage pumps cannot keep up, as happened in August 2017. Ground-level equipment, such as outdoor outlets and pool equipment, should be raised, and power should stay off to flooded areas until inspected.
Heat, humidity and termites
New Orleans heat and humidity speed corrosion of electrical connections, and Formosan termites damage wood framing, including the supports for panels and boxes. Renovations often reveal termite damage behind panels that must be repaired before new equipment is installed.
Short-term rentals
New Orleans regulates short-term rentals, and permitted rentals must meet safety requirements, including working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Heavy guest use wears out outlets and fixtures.
Entergy New Orleans
Entergy New Orleans provides electricity to the city and handles service connections and restoration. Service upgrades and meter changes on raised homes require Entergy coordination.
Typical New Orleans electrical jobs
Common requests include standby generator installations, rewiring historic homes, raised panel relocations, flood repairs, short-term rental safety updates and surge protection.
Lakeview after the flood
Lakeview, near Lake Pontchartrain, was devastated when the 17th Street Canal floodwall failed during Katrina. Rebuilt homes are often raised several feet, with electrical equipment mounted high and service conductors running up exterior walls. Buyers of rebuilt homes should confirm that electrical work was permitted and inspected.
Raised cottages and under-house space
Many New Orleans homes sit on piers a few feet above the ground, with wiring running in the crawl space underneath. Moisture, animals and flooding damage this wiring over time. Rewiring through the crawl space is common during renovations, along with raising any equipment that sits low.
Generators and carbon monoxide
After Ida, New Orleans saw many carbon monoxide poisonings from generators placed too close to homes. Portable generators must run outdoors, far from windows and doors, and be connected through a transfer switch or interlock. Standby generators with automatic transfer switches avoid many of these risks.
Gentilly and New Orleans East
Gentilly has ranch and bungalow homes from the 1920s through the 1960s, while New Orleans East grew in the 1960s through the 1980s. Both areas flooded heavily during Katrina, and many homes were rebuilt with new electrical systems.
Lightning and surges
Frequent thunderstorms bring lightning and power fluctuations. Whole-home surge protection protects air conditioning equipment and electronics.
Older panels and insurance
With insurance costs high in Louisiana, insurers often look closely at the age and type of a home’s panel. Replacing older panels can help homeowners keep coverage.
Typical timelines
Small repairs can usually be scheduled quickly, but service upgrades on raised homes depend on permits, historic review where applicable and Entergy scheduling. After hurricanes, demand for electricians surges.
Algiers and the West Bank
Algiers Point, across the river from the French Quarter, has historic cottages and shotguns, while other parts of Algiers have mid-century homes. Rewiring and service upgrades are common in this area.
Mid-City and the canals
Mid-City’s raised double shotguns and bungalows line streets near Bayou St. John and the old canals. The area flooded deeply during Katrina, and many homes have been raised or rewired since. Renovations often move panels higher and replace wiring in crawl spaces.
Bywater and the Marigny
Bywater and the Marigny, downriver from the French Quarter, have Creole cottages and shotguns from the 1800s, many restored as homes and rentals. Historic review applies to exterior work, and interiors often need complete rewiring.
Ceiling fans and long summers
Ceiling fans are standard in New Orleans homes with tall ceilings. Fans must hang from fan-rated boxes, and restoring historic homes often involves installing new fan-rated supports in old ceilings.
Uptown mansions and raised cottages
Uptown’s mansions along St. Charles Avenue and its raised cottages on side streets have extensive older wiring, multiple panels and large air conditioning loads. Renovations require careful load planning and phased rewiring.
Tremé and Seventh Ward
Tremé and the Seventh Ward have historic Creole cottages and shotguns tied to the city’s cultural history. Many homes need rewiring and service upgrades, and historic review applies to exterior changes. Preservation-minded renovations keep original features while modernizing systems.
Hurricane season checklist
Before June, New Orleans homeowners should test generators, confirm how they connect, know how to shut off the main breaker and make sure outdoor equipment is secured. After a storm, keep power off if water reached outlets or the panel.
Carrollton and Riverbend
Carrollton and the Riverbend, upriver near Tulane and Loyola, have raised cottages, shotguns and student rentals. Older wiring, small panels and heavy rental use are common, so landlords and buyers often plan rewiring and service upgrades together with raising equipment in homes that sit close to the ground near the river.
