A screen room can take back a Metairie or Kenner backyard from the mosquitoes, and sooner or later someone asks the practical question: will a screen room raise property taxes in Jefferson Parish? The honest answer is that it can change your property’s assessed value, and only the Jefferson Parish Assessor’s Office can tell you whether it will and by how much. What we can do is explain how the system works, so you know what to ask before you build.
This article is general information about how Louisiana property assessment works, drawn from the Louisiana Constitution and the Jefferson Parish Assessor’s published guidance. It isn’t tax or legal advice. The assessor’s office decides values, and a tax professional can speak to your situation.
Key takeaways
- Louisiana assesses land and residential improvements at 10% of fair market value, and the Jefferson Parish Assessor appraises and assesses property across the parish, Metairie and Kenner included.
- The homestead exemption covers the first $7,500 of assessed value, which the assessor describes as $75,000 of market value, and that amount doesn’t grow when you add a room.
- The assessor lists building permits among the sources for its construction cost data and records physical changes to properties between reappraisals.
- For owners with the special assessment level, the assessor says it continues as long as the property’s value doesn’t rise more than 25% because of construction or reconstruction.
- The assessor’s published guidance doesn’t say how a screen room or an open patio cover is valued, so ask the office before you build.
How are property taxes assessed on a Jefferson Parish home with a screen room?
The Jefferson Parish Assessor’s Office describes itself as “responsible for uniformly and accurately appraising and assessing all property in Jefferson Parish for property tax purposes.” That covers Metairie and the City of Kenner. Kenner homeowners also get a separate property tax bill from the city, since the assessor lists Kenner among the five municipalities in the parish that send their own bills.
Louisiana’s Constitution sets the assessment ratio. Article VII, Section 18 assesses land and “improvements for residential purposes” at 10% of fair market value, and the assessor’s FAQ says all residential property, including homes, is assessed at 10% of fair market value. For an owner-occupied home, Article VII, Section 20 then exempts the first $7,500 of assessed value “from state, parish, and special ad valorem taxes,” an exemption the assessor describes as $75,000 of market value.
Here’s what that means for a new room. If the assessor values your screen room as added improvement value, the 10% ratio applies to the new total, while the homestead exemption stays fixed at $7,500 of assessed value. How much value a particular screen room adds is the part no article can answer for you.
Does a screen room show up in the assessor’s records?
The assessor’s FAQ describes a cost approach to value that “is based on actual costs to construct new buildings and is obtained from property owners, builders, building permits, building contracts, and other sources.” It also says “interim years between re-appraisals are spent recording physical changes to properties and changes in ownership of properties.” Neither statement says a particular permit triggers a new value, but together they tell you permitted construction is part of the information the office works from.
That isn’t a reason to skip the permit. Jefferson Parish’s permit guidance says “no work may be done before a permit is obtained,” so the permit question and the tax question are separate conversations. Our guide to enclosing a patio in the New Orleans metro covers the permit side, and our Metairie screen rooms page shows what we build.
Is an open patio cover assessed differently from a screen room?
The assessor’s published FAQs don’t address that comparison, and the constitution speaks of residential improvements only in general terms. So we won’t guess. If you’re weighing an open Metairie patio cover against a fully screened room, ask the assessor’s office how each would be treated for your property before you decide. Our breakdown of the benefits of adding a screen room can help with the rest of that decision.
How reappraisal works in Jefferson Parish
Article VII, Section 18 requires taxable property to be reappraised “at intervals of not more than four years,” and the assessor’s FAQ says state law requires assessors to reappraise all real estate at least once every four years. The constitution also provides a phase-in for certain reappraisal increases on homesteads, but that phase-in “shall not apply to the extent the increase was attributable to construction on or improvements to the property.”
In 2026, the assessor’s office opened the parish assessment roll for public inspection from August 17 through August 31. An owner who disagrees with a value after the assessor’s review can appeal to the Board of Review through the Jefferson Parish Council Clerk, and the constitution sets the order of review: “first by the parish governing authority, then by the Louisiana Tax Commission or its successor, and finally by the courts.” If you add a screen room, watch for the next inspection period and check the value listed for your property. Homeowners across the parish can learn more about how we work on our Metairie service area page.
What about a frozen assessment for seniors and disabled veterans?
Some Jefferson Parish homeowners have a frozen assessment through Louisiana’s special assessment level. Under Article VII, Section 18, eligible homestead owners include people 65 or older and people with a service-connected disability rating of 50% or more from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the constitution lists a few other groups as well. It also bars owners whose adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000, and beginning with tax year 2026 that limit adjusts annually by the Consumer Price Index.
The part that matters for a screen room: the Jefferson Parish Assessor says the special assessment level applies “as long as the value of the property does not increase more than twenty-five percent because of construction or reconstruction.” If you have a frozen assessment, ask the assessor’s office how your planned project would be valued against that threshold before you sign anything, and talk with a tax professional about your situation.
Questions to ask the Jefferson Parish Assessor before you build
- How does the office value a screen room compared with an open patio cover on a home like mine?
- When would a completed project show up in my assessment?
- I receive the special assessment level. How would this project count toward the 25% construction threshold?
- Where can I check my listed value during the next public inspection period?
Bring a written scope when you call. We include one with every estimate, with dimensions and materials, which gives the office something concrete to respond to. Kenner homeowners can see local options on our Kenner screen rooms page.
Frequently asked questions
Will a screen room raise my property taxes in Metairie?
It may change your assessed value, because Louisiana assesses residential improvements at 10% of fair market value. Whether a specific screen room changes your assessment, and by how much, is decided by the Jefferson Parish Assessor’s Office, so ask the office about your property.
Does the homestead exemption cover a new screen room?
The homestead exemption is a fixed $7,500 of assessed value on an owner-occupied home. It doesn’t increase when you add a room, so any added value isn’t matched by a larger exemption.
Do Kenner homeowners deal with a different assessor?
No. The Jefferson Parish Assessor appraises and assesses property throughout the parish, including Kenner. Kenner property owners also receive a separate tax bill from the City of Kenner.
I’m over 65 with a frozen assessment. Should I skip the project?
That’s a personal financial decision we can’t make for you. The assessor says the special assessment level applies as long as the property’s value doesn’t increase more than 25% because of construction or reconstruction, so ask the office how your project would be counted and talk with a tax professional before you decide.
Thinking about a screen room for your Metairie or Kenner home? We’ll measure the space and give you a written scope you can take to the assessor’s office. Call (504) 285-2659 or reach out through our contact page to set up a walkthrough.
