Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-09-11
75 of Arkansas's 75 counties — 100% — let an owner build their own home without a licensed contractor. That is the 7th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Clark County (84/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 1516 counties nationwide → Arkansas: no building codes → Arkansas: no zoning → Arkansas: no codes, no zoning → Full Arkansas profile →
75 of 75 Arkansas counties · sorted by Index score
Statewide rule. Arkansas residential-contractor licensing requirements for an owner constructing the owner's residence or a single-family residence on the owner's property; this…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Licensing Law and Rules of the Residential Contractors Committee ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Residential building-contractor and home-improvement-contractor licensing for owner-builders in Dallas County and elsewhere in Arkansas. An owner acting as a res…
Home Improvement Application and Test Information ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential builder and home-improvement contractor licensing, including work in Ouachita County. An owner acting as the contractor in construction of t…
Arkansas Home Improvement New Application, Building Code and Licensing Information ↗Statewide rule. Owner-builders constructing their own residence or owners acting as their own home-improvement contractor on their own property in Arkansas, including Grant Coun…
Rules of the Residential Contractors Committee ↗Statewide rule. Residential-builder and home-improvement contractor licensing for owner-builders in Madison County and elsewhere in Arkansas; this claim does not establish exemp…
State of Arkansas Home Improvement New Application ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential builder and home-improvement contractor licensing requirements, including work performed in Hempstead County. Owners are exempt from residen…
Home Improvement New Application ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing requirements, including work performed in Sharp County. A person constructing their own residence is exempt unless they…
Residential Contractor Law revised July 2025 ↗Statewide rule. An owner acting as the residential building contractor for the owner’s residence, or as the owner’s own home-improvement contractor on the owner’s property, in P…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules ↗Statewide rule. An owner constructing the owner's own residence or acting as the owner's own home-improvement contractor on the owner's own single-family property in Perry Count…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Licensing Law and Rules of the Residential Contractors Committee ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor and home-improvement contractor licensing requirements, including work in Van Buren County. A person acting as a residential buil…
State of Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Home Improvement New Application ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential builder and home-improvement contractor licensing requirements for an owner constructing the owner's residence or acting as the owner's own …
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Home Improvement Application and Information ↗Statewide rule. Residential builder and home-improvement contractor licensing in Clay County and elsewhere in Arkansas. An owner acting as the contractor in constructing the own…
Home Improvement Specialty New Application ↗Statewide rule. Owner-builders acting as residential building contractors or home-improvement contractors on their own residential property in Independence County, under Arkansa…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Licensing Law ↗Statewide rule. A person acting as residential building contractor for construction of that person's own residence, including in Union County. The exemption is from the resident…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Licensing Law ↗Statewide rule. Owner-builders and owners acting as their own home-improvement contractors under Arkansas residential-contractor licensing law; this source addresses contractor …
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. State residential-building-contractor and home-improvement-contractor licensing requirements for an owner building or improving the owner's residence or single-f…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. State residential-contractor licensing exemptions for owners constructing or improving their own residences or property in Howard County and elsewhere in Arkansa…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules ↗Statewide rule. Owner-builders performing residential building-contractor or home-improvement-contractor work in Searcy County, under Arkansas residential contractor licensing l…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Licensing Law ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential-contractor licensing for an owner constructing the owner's own residence or acting as the owner's own home-improvement contractor on the own…
Arkansas Residential Rules ↗Statewide rule. Owner acting as the contractor for construction of the owner’s residence, or acting as the owner’s own home-improvement contractor on the owner’s property, in Ho…
Home Improvement Specialty New Application ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential-contractor licensing for an owner constructing the owner's residence or an owner acting as home-improvement contractor for the owner's singl…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Licensing Law ↗Statewide rule. Owner-builders under Arkansas residential builder and home-improvement contractor licensing requirements; this is a contractor-licensing exemption and is not evi…
State of Arkansas Home Improvement New Application ↗Statewide rule. Residential builder and home-improvement contractor licensing exemptions for owners in Arkansas, including projects in Lafayette County. An owner acting as the c…
State of Arkansas — Home Improvement New Application ↗With no county building permit required in unincorporated areas, an owner may build their own residence; septic must still be permitted through ADH.
Arkansas.gov - Sevier County directory ↗Arkansas provides a homeowner permitting exemption for septic work performed by the owner on a single residence on 10+ acres with all system parts 200+ feet from property lines,…
Arkansas Department of Health, Onsite Wastewater FAQs ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Builders who build or contract to build single-family buildings for their own occupancy under the Arkansas Energy Code. The exemption is limited to compliance wi…
Arkansas Energy Code for New Building Construction Supplements and Amendments ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential-contractor licensing for an owner constructing the owner's residence or acting as the owner's own home-improvement contractor on the owner's…
Arkansas Residential Contractor Rules ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential builder and home-improvement contractor licensing for owner-builders, including Franklin County The exemption concerns residential builder a…
State of Arkansas Home Improvement New Application ↗Statewide rule. State residential contractor licensing requirements for an owner building or improving a residence in Arkansas; this source does not establish an exemption from …
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Residential contractor licensing requirements for an owner building or improving the owner's residence or property in Arkansas, including Sebastian County The ex…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential-contractor licensing for an owner acting as the contractor in construction of the owner’s residence or as the owner’s own home-improvement c…
Home Improvement New Application ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing requirements for an owner constructing the owner's residence or acting as the owner's own home-improvement contractor o…
Residential Contractor Law revised July 2025 ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing requirements for an owner constructing the owner's residence or acting as the owner's own home-improvement contractor o…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Licensing Law ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential builder and home-improvement contractor licensing, including work in Saline County. An owner acting as the contractor in construction of his…
Home Improvement Specialty New Application ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Owner-builders and owners acting as their own home-improvement contractors on property in Poinsett County, under Arkansas residential-contractor licensing law. T…
State of Arkansas Residential and Home Improvement Contractor Information ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Owner-builders and owners acting as their own home-improvement contractors for residential work in Crawford County under Arkansas residential contractor licensin…
Home Improvement New Application ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Statewide rule. Arkansas residential contractor licensing for an individual constructing the individual’s own residence or an owner of a single-family residence acting as the ow…
Arkansas Residential Contractors Committee Rules and Statutes ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Arkansas state page for all 75 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
