Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Pea Ridge, Arkansas

Pea Ridge’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Land inside Pea Ridge city limits: construction, placement, remodel or repair above 20% of present value.

  • Permit required for remodeling or repair where cost exceeds 20% of present value.
  • Applies to single-family, multi-family, commercial and public buildings listed in 11.04.03.

  “the owner of any land situated within the incorporated limits of the city of pea ridge, arkansas, shall neither construct nor allow construction or placement, on such land, of any building or structure without having obtained a building permit from the city of pea”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Pea Ridge city limits; the city adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Chapter 14).

  • Zoning applies to all land, buildings and structures within the corporate limits of Pea Ridge.
  • The official zoning district map is kept on file with the City Clerk.

  “the provisions of these regulations shall apply to all land, buildings, and structures within the corporate limits of pea ridge as they now or may hereafter exist.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  All residential districts inside Pea Ridge city limits.

  • Applies to all buildings combined on a lot in residential districts.
  • Commercial district lot coverage is a separate limit and is not covered by this claim.

  maximum lot coverage, all buildings, residential districts: <= 35 percent

  “(1) maximum lot coverage (all buildings) in all residential districts shall not exceed thirty-five percent (35%).”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Recreational vehicles on a lot with a principal single-family dwelling under construction, inside Pea Ridge city limits.

  • Use must be solely for temporary accommodations while awaiting completion of the new principal residence.
  • Applies only where a principal single-family dwelling is under construction on the same lot.

  “temporary housing unit: a manufactured housing unit, residential design manufactured housing unit, recreational vehicle, or travel trailer that is located on the same lot as a principal single-family dwelling that is under construction, to be used solely for the purpose of providing temporary accommodations for an individual or family while awaiting completion of the new, principal residence.”

• Tiny homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Cluster housing or cottage court tiny housing units inside Pea Ridge city limits, in R-3 zones and manufactured housing developments.

  • Cluster or cottage court developments require at least 3,630 sq ft of gross site area per unit space, maximum density 12 per acre.
  • Unit space setbacks: 30 feet from public street right-of-way, 20 feet from other adjacent lot lines; 20 feet separation between units.

  gross site area per unit space: >= 3630 sq ft (cluster housing or cottage court developments)

  “9. cluster housing or cottage court manufactured and tiny housing units shall be considered permitted uses in r-3 zones, and in manufactured housing developments.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured housing developments inside Pea Ridge city limits: conditional use in R-3, permitted use in R-4.

  • Each unit space at least 3,000 sq ft and at least 4,350 sq ft gross site area per unit space.
  • Unit space setbacks: 30 feet from street rights-of-way, 20 feet from other lot lines; 20 feet separation between units.
  • Individual lot placement outside developments not addressed in opened text.

  gross site area per manufactured housing unit space: >= 4350 sq ft (manufactured housing developments)

  “manufactured housing developments may be permitted as conditional uses in r-3 districts and are permitted uses in the r-4 district.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Large-scale developments inside Pea Ridge city limits before temporary or permanent utility connection.

  • The quoted rule applies to large-scale development, not to a single new home.
  • No mandatory-connection ordinance (requiring a home to hook to city sewer when available) was located in the opened text.

  “submission requirements before a building permit for a large scale development may be issued and before temporary or permanent connection to city utilities shall be permitted, a development plan must be approved.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits issued by the City of Pea Ridge.

  • Fee schedule in Chapter 11.04.05 is tiered by total valuation; the page text was not fully reliable for tier mapping.
  • Permit fee is refundable if the application is denied.
  • Inspection fee: no fee for $100 and less unless inspection required, in which case $6.00 per inspection.

  base fee, total valuation $101.00 to $2,000.00: 20 USD (plus $6.00 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof, to and including $15,000.00)

  “a fee will be charged for each building permit issued and will be based upon the schedule listed below.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications submitted to the City of Pea Ridge.

  • Application submitted in duplicate to the building official or city inspector at City Hall.
  • Application must include applicant contact, building type, site location, outside dimensions, materials, anchoring, first-floor height, start date and one set of plans.

  “the application for any building permit required by this ordinance will be submitted by the landowner concerned to the building official or city inspector of pea ridge, at city hall, in duplicate copy, and shall contain at the minimum the following:”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Pea Ridge city limits.
• Inspections — New construction inside Pea Ridge city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New dwellings inside Pea Ridge city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Pea Ridge city limits.
• Minimum lot size — Single-family lots in the main residential district(s) inside Pea Ridge city limits.

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.