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Building Code Enforcement

BUILDING PERMIT INFORMATION AND INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS

The building permit card shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the front of the premises. The permit card shall be kept on the property until the building inspector removes it on the final inspection.

Inspections shall be made by the inspectors upon notification of the permit holder. Inspectors will either approve the construction as completed or will notify the permit holder wherein it does not pass inspection or comply with the applicable code.

FOUNDATION INSPECTION

This is made after the trenches have been excavated, the forms erected, all reinforcing steel in place, and all the materials for the foundation delivered. Concrete supplied from a central mixing plant does not have to be on the site during inspection.

CONCRETE SLAB

This is made after all in-slab or under floor plumbing, electrical, conduit, piping accessories and their ancillary equipment items have been inspected. Reinforcing wire, vapor barrier and termite protection must be installed prior to this inspection.

PLUMBING, MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL

Rough (in wall, ceiling, attic) inspection made prior to covering or concealment and before fixtures are set.

FRAME INSPECTION

This is made after the roof, all framing, fire blocking and bracing are in place; after all pipes, chimneys and vents are complete, and after the rough electrical, mechanical, plumbing and heating wires, pipes and ducts are approved. WALLS CANNOT BE COVERED UNTIL THIS INSPECTION IS APPROVED.

FINAL INSPECTION

Plumbing and electrical and mechanical inspections are required before the final building inspection.

FINAL BUILDING INSPECTION

This is made when the building has been completed and is ready for occupancy. A BUILDING CANNOT BE LAWFULLY OCCUPIED UNTIL A FINAL INSPECTION AND SUBSEQUENT CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY IS ISSUED THEREFOR.

Work shall not be done on any part of a building or structure beyond the point indicated in each successive inspection without first obtaining the written approval of the Building Official, or his designated agent. Such written approval shall be given only after an inspection shall have been made of each successive step in the construction as indicated by each of the foregoing inspections.

INSPECTION REQUESTS are taken between the hours of 8:00 am-5pm

Monday thru Friday at the numbers listed below.

870-779-4971

Building Permits

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDING PERMIT

  1. New, Addition, or Alterations: Single Family, Duplex or Tri-Plex
    1. Site plan (see below)
    2. Floor evaluation if in flood plain
  2. New, Addition, or Alterations: Apartment (4 units or more), Commercial, Industrial
    1. Site plan (see below) prepared by a registered professional engineer or a registered architect.
    2. Survey, certified by a registered land surveyor or county surveyor.
    3. Working drawings (see below) prepared by a registered professional engineer or a registered architect in accordance with the Arkansas Architectural Act and the Arkansas State Fire Code Volume II. (see page 5)
    4. Approval of State Department of Health (if applicable)

Any required site plan or working drawing shall contain the following information:

  1. Site Plan includes as a minimum:
    1. Legal description
    2. Property lines and pins
    3. Right-of-way, easements and setbacks
    4. Name and location of streets
    5. All existing and proposed structures (structures as defined by ordinance)
    6. Distance of structures from property lines
    7. Location of driveway(s), designed to City Ordinance standards.
    8. Location and size of utility and service connections
    9. Minimum finished floor elevation (if within the 100-year flood plain)
    10. Drainage plan.
    11. Parking arrangement showing individual spaces including all handicap spaces (not applicable for single-family)
    12. Screened trash pick-up (as required by ordinance)
  2. Working Drawings include as a minimum:
    1. Foundation Plan: Show all foundations and footings. Indicate size, locations, depth, thickness, materials and reinforcing. Show all imbedded anchoring such as anchor bolts, hold-downs and column bases. Provide soils report when requested by the Building Official.
    2. Floor Plan: Show all floors including basements. Show all rooms, with their use, overall dimensions and locations of all structural elements and openings. Show all doors and windows. Provide door, window and interior finish schedules. Show all fir assemblies and area separations.
    3. Framing Plans: Show all structural members, their size, methods of attachment, location and materials for floors and roofs. When required by Building Official furnish wind, floor, and seismic loads in design calculations.
    4. Exterior Elevations: Show all views. Show all vertical dimensions and heights. Show all openings and identify all materials.
    5. Building Sections and Wall Sections: Show materials of construction and their assembly. Show vertical dimension.
    6. Mechanical System: Show the entire mechanical system. Include all units, their sizes, piping system mounting details, all duct work and duct sizes. Indicate all fire dampers where required. Provide equipment schedules.
    7. Plumbing System: Show all fixtures, piping, fire protection systems, slopes, materials and sizes. Show point of connections to existing utilities. Provide a plumbing riser diagram.
    8. Electrical System: Show all electrical fixtures, (interior, exterior and site) wiring sizes and circuiting, panel schedules, single line diagrams, fire alarm systems, communications systems and fixture schedules. Show point of connection to existing electrical service. Provide a electric riser diagram.

NOTE: Special code provisions exist for buildings located in the Fire District.

NOTES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

  1. All applicable codes listed below.
    1. Arkansas Fire Prevention Code
      Vol. 1 - Fire Code
      Vol. II - Building Code
      Vol. III - Residential Code
    2. NFPA Life Safety code
    3. National Electric Code
    4. Arkansas Energy Code
    5. City Electrical Code Amendments
    6. Arkansas State Plumbing Code
    7. City Plumbing Code Amendments
    8. Arkansas State Mechanical Code
    9. Arkansas State Gas Code
  2. Applicant must comply with all other applicable state and local ordinances.
  3. Property pins and strings must be on site at the time of footing inspections.
  4. Application for an addition to single-family or duplex, where, in the opinion of the Building Official or his designated agent, a site plan drawn to scale and showing all existing and proposed structures and additions indicates that there is no possible infringement on required setbacks, neither the indication nor the setting of property pins will be required.
  5. Applicant must submit 2 sets of plans for all multi-family, commercial and industrial permits.
  6. Contractor (multi-family, commercial, industrial) is required to maintain a set of approved building plans on the construction site in a location that is easily accessible and protected from the weather.
  7. The City Staff shall be allowed to require additional information, only when special conditions exist. Additional information must be requested in writing.
  8. Asylums, hospitals, nursing or convalescent homes, regardless of capacity, schools and educational institutions having a capacity in excess of fifty (50) pupils, and residence buildings, including dormitories, having sleeping accommodations for fifty (50) or more persons, auditoriums, theaters, indoor stadiums, gymnasiums, churches or other places of assembly having a capacity in excess of one hundred (100) or more persons, department stores or factories having a capacity in excess of two hundred (200) persons the plans and specifications shall contain the following items and information:
    1. An architect's or engineer's stamp and signature placed on the front page of each plan submitted and architect's or engineer's stamp on each subsequent page of the plans. Architects and engineers must be registered by the State of Arkansas.

    2. The following paragraph shall be placed on the front page of the plans and blueprints with the registered architect's or engineer's signature:

      "I hereby certify that these plans and specifications have been prepared by me, or under my supervision. I further certify that to the best of my knowledge these plans and specifications are as required by law and in compliance with the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code for the State of Arkansas."

    3. On the front page of the plans or blueprints the following information is to be noted regarding the project:
      1. The occupancy classifications(s) and occupancy loads (existing and proposed)
      2. The Type of Construction (existing and proposed)
      3. Allowable height and building area per floor.
      4. Floor areas (existing and proposed), as follows:
        1. Area, gross floor for each floor of all buildings.
        2. Area, net floor for the following occupancies:
          1. Assembly occupancies;
          2. Bowling alleys;
          3. Restaurants;
          4. All educational occupancies (including uses above the 12th Grade);
          5. Library reading rooms.
          6. When mixed occupancies exist, all occupancies' floor areas will be calculated and listed separately in accordance with the above guidelines.
      5. Separation distances from each exterior wall to assumed and common property lines.
    4. In accordance with Arkansas Act 1100 of 1991 (ACA 12-80-101 through 106) as amended, the structural plans of each public building and structure shall bear the following:
      1. Licensed Arkansas Engineer's seal and signature;
      2. A statement of reference to what seismic zone the structure is designed to satisfy;

LEGAL AND CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

Unless exempted by provisions within the Arkansas Architectural Act, plans and specifications for buildings to be constructed in the State of Arkansas which have as their principal purpose human habitation or occupancy must be prepared by an architect duly licensed and registered to practice in this state.

Exemptions under the law include: "(1) Professional engineers duly licensed or registered but only insofar as concerns work incidental to engineering practice and as the scope of their entrance-to-practice examination under the conditions of the engineers' state registration Law proves competence, providing such persons do not use the designation "Architect" or any term derived there from; (2) buildings that are to be constructed for personal use, such as residences, provided such buildings are not intended, or adaptable, for public employment, assembly, or any other use under which they will be open to the public; (3) single family detached, duplex, triplex and quadplex dwellings; (4) buildings that are constructed at a cost, not including site, of not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000); and further provided that such persons designing said buildings in above-said subdivisions (2), (3), and (4) are residents of the State of Arkansas and provided that they do not use the title 'Architect' or any term derived there from. Provided, however, that the terms of this Act shall not apply to any public school district exempted from the provisions of this Act, or all public school districts embracing cities with a population of thirty thousand (30,000), and which maintain a full-time superintendent of buildings with engineering and architectural experience. Provided, this exception shall only apply (1) to the repair and maintenance of buildings already constructed and alterations thereof, and (2) to new structures that will not exceed in cost the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), however, it is the total cumulative and fair market value of the project. Provided further that the provisions of this Act shall not apply to any public school district where the cost of the building, alteration, or structure does not exceed in cost the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000)." (Arkansas Architectural Act, ARKANSAS CODE ANNOTATED 17-14-101 et seq.)

The State and its political subdivisions, such as county, city, town, township, or legally constituted boards, districts, commissions, or authorities shall not engage in the construction of public works costing in excess of $25,000 involving the practice of engineering, unless the engineering drawings, specifications, and estimates have been prepared by, and the construction is executed under the supervision of a registered engineer. (ARKANSAS CODE ANNOTATED Paragraph 22-9-101.)

In addition to the requirements and exemptions listed in the architects' and the engineers' licensing laws, the Arkansas State Fire Code Vol. II requires certain structures to be designed by an architect or engineer legally registered in Arkansas. Those structures are:

  1. All structures intended for Group Assembly, Educational, and Institutional Occupancies.
  2. Buildings and structures three stories or more high.
  3. Buildings and structures 5,000 square feet or more in area.

EXCEPTION: One & two family dwellings, regardless of size, shall require neither a registered architect nor engineer.