Bolthole Index

Benton County, Arkansas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Avoca, Arkansas

Town of Avoca is a town in Benton County, Arkansas. Town of Avoca adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Town of Avoca’s rules apply, not the county’s. Septic permits inside Town of Avoca come from the state health agency. 27 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on November 1, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Benton County page.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Avoca

Town of Avoca’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erection, alteration, or moving of a building or structure inside Avoca town limits.

    • The zoning official must review and approve the request before a permit issues; the permit is a zoning-compliance permit issued from town hall.
    • Fee amounts were not found in the opened text.
    “no permit shall be issued for the erection, alteration, or moving of a building or structure until after the zoning official has reviewed the request and determined that such is in compliance with provisions of this code.”
  • Building code adoptedPartial

    New structures and uses inside Avoca town limits.

    • The code refers to the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code as a condition of authorization; it does not state that the International Building Code is adopted by name.
    • Other building or residential codes are not addressed in the opened text.
    “applicants shall acknowledge their legal obligation and responsibility to comply with all provisions of the 2012 arkansas fire prevention code, which is based on the international fire, building, and residential codes.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Manufactured dwelling units moved into Avoca town. No general building-inspection requirement was found in the opened text for site-built homes.

    • Residential-design manufactured units must pass a life/safety inspection before they are brought into town limits.
    • Replacement manufactured units for nonconforming lots also require a life/safety inspection by a certified building or housing inspector.
    “all manufactured dwelling units shall comply with the following standards; be no more than eight(8) years old; and shall have passed a life/safety inspection”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Use or occupancy of any building or property inside Avoca town limits.

    • Occupancy requires a determination of compliance from the zoning official; the code calls this a determination rather than a certificate of occupancy by name.
    • Records of authorizations are kept by the zoning official and copies are furnished on request.
    “it shall be unlawful to use or occupy or permit the use or occupancy of any building or property, or both, or part thereof hereafter created, erected, changed, converted, or wholly or partly altered or enlarged in its use or structure until a determination of compliance with the j code is given by the zoning official.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Avoca town limits; the town administers its own zoning code through its zoning official and board of zoning adjustment.

    • The zoning codebook as posted says it was adopted by Ordinance No. 107 in May 2017; Ordinance 95 (2012) adopted an earlier rewrite of the code by reference.
    • The town's zoning code applies to Avoca town only; the Benton County link is from third-party listings, not from the town code text, which does not name a county.
    “avoca zoning code adopted by ordinance no. 107— may 2017 town of avoca zoning code table of contents”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts of Avoca town.

    • The text lists R1, R2, B1, B2 and I districts. The official zoning map, adopted by reference in Section 2, was not opened.
    “a. establishment of districts the following zoning districts, which may be referred to by their abbreviations, are hereby established: ri residential r2 residential bl neighborhood commercial b2 general commercial industrial i”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Principal structures in the R2 residential district inside Avoca town.

    • Each principal structure must have a minimum dimension of 24 feet on each side, finished on a permanent foundation.
    • No minimum square footage for R2 site-built homes was found in the opened text.

    minimum dimension per side: >= 24 feet

    “3. each principal structure shall have a minimum total dimension on each side of twenty- four feet(241), and the entire twenty- four feet(24') shall be finished on a permanent foundation.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    B2 general commercial district inside Avoca town.

    • Street-side setback is 20 feet.
    • Opaque six-foot screening applies where a B2 use abuts a residential district.

    minimum front setback: >= 25 feet · minimum rear setback: >= 10 feet · minimum side setback: >= 10 feet (street side 20 feet)

    “2. building setbacks shall be a minimum of twenty- five feet(25') in the front; ten feet (10') in the rear; and ten feet (10') on the sides, provided street side setbacks shall be a minimum of twenty feet(20').”
    4 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    I industrial district inside Avoca town (building coverage).

    • Minimum lot size for the I district is one acre.

    maximum building coverage: <= 50 percent of lot area · minimum lot size: >= 1 acre

    “4. building coverage shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the lot area, which shall be a minimum of 1 (one) acre.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    Main single-family residential district R1 inside Avoca town.

    • Accessory structures in residential districts are limited to 12 feet in height (separate claim).

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories

    “1. no building shall exceed two and one- half stories, nor shall it exceed thirtyfive feet(35') in height.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Living in motor homes or RVs on premises inside Avoca town. Listed only as a conditional use in the B2 general commercial district. The B1 and I lists are garbled in the captured copy but include the same item.

    • Conditional use requires planning commission approval after public hearing under Section 8.
    • R1 and R2 residential district lists do not include RV living.
    • Captured text is OCR-processed; verify the B1 and I lists in the PDF before relying on them.
    “used auto/ boat/ rv sales living quarters in business motor homes/ rv' s on premises single- family residences”
  • Manufactured homesProhibited

    Mobile homes as defined in the Avoca zoning code (factory-built housing fabricated before June 15, 1976) inside Avoca town.

    • The definition is limited to units built before June 15, 1976; newer manufactured units are governed by the residential-design and manufactured-housing claims.
    • The captured text reads "gare" where the original likely reads "are"; the quotation keeps the captured wording.
    “mobile homes gare expressly prohibited in the town of avoca”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwelling units in R1 residential districts inside Avoca town.

    • Allowed by right only on R1 lots larger than two acres, and only to house immediate family members or employees who work on site.
    • Allowed in R2 only as a conditional use.
    • Not to be used for general rental purposes.

    minimum lot size for R1 accessory dwelling: > 2 acres

    “accessory dwelling units shall be allowed by right in ri districts with lot sizes exceeding two (2) acres provided that the dwelling unit is used to house immediate family members or employees who work on- site.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Creating new lots inside Avoca town limits.

    • The town lists Ordinance 91 (subdivision regulations) and a Subdivision Regulations PDF; the PDF was not opened, so its standards are not stated here.
    “ordinance 91 - sub div regulations ordinance 92 - vacating portion of w orchard”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Each permitted use or lot inside Avoca town.

    • Access must be to a public street or to a connecting easement of record at least 20 feet wide.

    minimum access easement width: >= 20 feet

    “provided that such may be connected to a public street by an easement for access purposes, such being of record, at least twenty feet(20') in width.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Zoning-compliance permits and conditional-use approvals inside Avoca town.

    • Requests are registered at town hall, and the zoning official reviews them before a permit issues.
    • Conditional uses go through a planning commission public hearing with 15 days published notice and notice to property owners within 200 feet.
    • Zoning decisions may be appealed to the board of zoning adjustment.
    “all requests shall be registered at town hall, and all authorizations to proceed shall be issued from town hall.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Avoca

Town of Avoca does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicState (with conditions)

    On-site sanitary facilities for residences on lots platted before the zoning code took effect inside Avoca town. The state health department approves them.

    • The code names the state health department. The county or district health office role was not confirmed from an official page.
    • Applies to residences on lots platted before the code was adopted, where setbacks can be met.
    “residences may be built on lots platted previous to the adoption of this code, provided all setbacks can be met, and provided adequate on-site sanitary facilities are approved by the state health department.”
  • Septic permitLimited

    Nonconforming manufactured-unit replacement inside Avoca town that needs a septic system on the same parcel.

    • Proof of health department approval of a properly functioning septic system is required for that replacement only; no general septic permit rule was found in the opened text.
    “there is proof of health department approval of a properly functioning septic system on the same parcel to serve the unit”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Avoca or Benton County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Avoca town limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Avoca town.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Avoca town.
  • Septic inspection — Septic inspection for homes inside Avoca town.
  • Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid or non-connected sanitation inside Avoca town.
6 more unanswered
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Avoca publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Benton County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Avoca means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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