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

Town of Highfill’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction, alterations and residential building work inside Highfill town's limits

  • The City's building page says the department 'ensures that all construction and alterations in highfill are safe, compliant'; permits are issued by the City, with application by email, mail or in person.
  • The granting of a permit does not authorize violation of other state or local law regulating construction.

  “required applications & permits easily access downloadable forms and packet materials for: building permits (residential & commercial)”

• Building code adoptedPartial

  Electrical work inside Highfill town's limits

  • Ordinance 2026-18 passed October 13, 2026 and declares an emergency, so it takes immediate effect.
  • Adopts the state's 2026 electrical code (2026 NEC, NFPA 70) with Arkansas amendments; this is the only code adoption found on the City's pages.
  • Other building codes (residential, plumbing, mechanical, fire) were not confirmed.

  “adopts by reference the 2026 national electrical code (nfpa 70) with arkansas amendments, exceptions, and modifications.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Highfill town's corporate limits. The City publishes its own zoning district classifications (N-R, RR, RE, R-1, R-2, R-3, RN, PUD, C-1, C-2, I-1, I-2).

  • The city's planning page says the zoning district table is the City of Highfill's own classification list; the zoning ordinance text (Title 14) was not opened and was not confirmed.
  • Arkansas Act 314 (effective March 18, 2025) removed the city's authority to designate planning areas outside its corporate limits, so this zoning claim applies only inside town limits.
  • The planning page says the maps 'do not establish zoning, property rights, or development entitlements'; the codebook controls.

  “highfill zoning classifications city of highfill zoning districts zoning district abbreviation permitted uses minimum area minimum width at line”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Highfill town's corporate limits

  • Published on the City's planning page as a summary table; the Title 14 text was not opened, so the table is not verified against the codebook.
  • The City lists a proposed Residential Estate (RE) district in pending 2026 amendments; it is not treated as adopted here.

  “residential r-1 single-family residential 9,000 sq. feet 70 feet residential-two family r-2”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family lots in Highfill town's R-1 Single-Family Residential district

  • Figure comes from the City's zoning district table on its planning page; Title 14 text not verified.
  • Lots in other districts (N-R, RR, R-2, R-3, RN) have different minimums.

  minimum lot area: >= 9000 sq ft · minimum width at building line: >= 70 ft

  “residential r-1 single-family residential 9,000 sq. feet 70 feet”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in Highfill town's Rural Residential (RR) district, larger lots in conjunction with agriculture

    “rural residential rr larger lots in conjunction with agriculture 1 acre 150 feet”

  • Specified — Lots in Highfill town's Natural Resources (N-R) district for farms, ranches and single-family residences

    “natural resources nr farms, ranches, single-family residences 2 acres 200 feet”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes in Highfill town's R-3 Residential-Multifamily district only

  • Listed as a permitted use in R-3 in the City's district table; R-3 lot and use standards in Title 14 were not verified.
  • The City's planning page also lists a 'mobile home registration' form, which applies to manufactured homes under the City's process; its requirements were not opened.
  • Manufactured homes are not listed as permitted in R-1, R-2, RR, N-R or RN per the table.

  “residential-multifamily r-3 single-family residential, manufactured homes, duplexes, townhouses, multifamily”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and plats inside Highfill town's limits

  • The City lists lot split, property line adjustment, preliminary plat and final plat applications; the subdivision ordinance text was not opened.
  • Under Arkansas Act 314 (effective March 18, 2025) the City may act only inside its corporate limits.

  “lot split property line adjustment rezone preliminary plat final plat”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Structures inside Highfill town's limits on land within a floodplain

  • Elevation certificate required for residential and commercial applications on floodplain parcels.

  “floodplain if the property is within a floodplain, an elevation certificate (ec) is required”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit applications inside Highfill town's limits

  • Application is not complete until all required checklist documents are received; incomplete applications may delay issuance.
  • Permit becomes void if work is not started within 6 months or is abandoned for 6 months.
  • Documents larger than 11x17 must be submitted digitally.

  “email your completed checklist and documents to [email protected] to begin the process.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Highfill

Town of Highfill 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)

  Residential septic systems for homes inside Highfill town's limits: the Arkansas Department of Health approves the septic design the City requires before a building permit

  • The City's residential checklist requires an approved septic design letter from the Arkansas Department of Health; the City itself does not approve septic designs on this page.
  • Authority recorded as 'other' because the schema allows the state only for statewide scope; the rule-maker is the Arkansas Department of Health.

  “utilities & approvals benton county 911 address confirmation letter arkansas department of health approved septic design letter”

• Septic permitRequired

  Residential building permits in Highfill town for homes on septic

  • Requirement appears on the City's residential checklist; the septic design letter is issued by the Arkansas Department of Health, not the City.
  • Applies only where the home is not connected to city sewer; sewer connection rules were not confirmed.

  “arkansas department of health approved septic design letter”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Highfill town's limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Highfill town's limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Highfill town's limits
• Setbacks — Front, side and rear setbacks in Highfill town's R-1 and other residential districts
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in Highfill town's zoning districts

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.