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HB 387

ARCHITECTS: Provides relative to professional engineering and land surveying

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Foy Gadberry

Louisiana architects may perform limited incidental engineering—within five feet of a building foundation and secondary to architectural work—under safety and scope limits.

Effective date: 08/01/2026.
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Bill Summary · HB 387

Legislative Bill Summary – HB 387 (2026, Louisiana)

Title

ARCHITECTS: Provides for the incidental practice of engineering

Purpose and intent

  • To authorize licensed architects in Louisiana to perform a limited, incidental scope of engineering work that is closely tied to architectural projects.
  • The bill defines the boundaries so that engineering activities remain secondary to architecture and do not supplant the need for professional engineering supervision.

Key provisions

Incidental engineering by architects (new authority)

  • Enacts a new provision (R.S. 37:701(I)(3)) allowing an architect (as defined in R.S. 37:141(B)) to engage in certain activities that fall within the practice of engineering (as defined in R.S. 37:682), but only to the extent such activities are incidental to the architect’s practice of architecture.
  • Scope is limited to minor mechanical, electrical, or civil-structural engineering work that is necessarily incidental to architectural work.
  • Incidental engineering work must be of a secondary nature and substantially smaller in scope and magnitude than the architectural work.
  • The incidental engineering work must be performed safely and competently, without jeopardizing public life, health, property, or welfare.
  • Specific limitation for site work (including drainage, grading, sidewalks, pavements, and utilities): site work is limited to areas within five feet of the building foundation.

Site work restriction

  • The five-foot limitation applies to site work related to new construction or additions, ensuring that architects’ incidental engineering does not extend beyond a narrow, defined perimeter around the foundation.

Related plan review and Fire Marshal provisions (adjusted)

  • Amends and reenacts R.S. 40:1574.1(C)(1) to address plan review procedures by the State Fire Marshal.
  • If submitted plans do not satisfactorily comply with laws, regulations, and codes, the Fire Marshal must issue a letter listing the particular requirements that must be met before plans can be stamped “Reviewed.”
  • If plans are submitted in violation of certain provisions (R.S. 37:155(A)(4) or R.S. 37:701(I)), the Fire Marshal is not required to provide such a letter.
  • The bill adds a similar exception for violations of the new incidental-engineering provision (R.S. 37:701(I)(3)).

Affected parties

  • Architects (as defined in Louisiana law) who practice architecture will be able to perform limited incidental engineering work.
  • Construction project stakeholders (owners, developers, and contractors) relying on architectural services for projects with incidental engineering components.
  • State authorities: State Fire Marshal (for plan review and compliance oversight) and professional licensing framework governing architects and engineers.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Effective date: Not explicitly stated in the text provided; the bill would move through the legislative process with typical committee and floor procedures.
  • Action history:
    • 2026-02-25: Referred provisionally to the Committee on Commerce.
    • 2026-03-09: Read by title and referred to Committee on Commerce.

Practical impact and considerations

  • Provides clearer statutory protection for architects performing limited incidental engineering tasks, potentially expanding the scope of work architects can undertake without needing an engineering license for every project component.
  • The five-foot site-work constraint helps ensure that more complex engineering tasks still remain within the realm of licensed engineers.
  • Plan review communications with the Fire Marshal may become more conditional or constrained when incidental-engineering activities are performed under this new authorization.
  • Compliance and safety remain paramount: the incidental engineering work must be secondary to the architectural scope and not compromise public safety.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law to highlight exact changes or draft a quick Q&A for practitioners.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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