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

Town of Bergman’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside Bergman town limits, administered by the town's Building Permits and Inspections department

  • Construction may proceed only after a permit is obtained from the town; the page says the department is responsible for permitting all construction.
  • The page does not list permit thresholds, exemptions, or fees.
  • Building permit ordinance (No. 03-18) and building permit application are listed on the town ordinances page but their PDFs could not be read.

  “they are responsible for permitting all construction and conducting inspections of all construction-related permits as well as issuance of certificates of occupancy, fire prevention, and special events.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction inside Bergman town limits covered by a town building permit

  • The page states the department conducts building construction inspections; it does not list inspection stages or scheduling rules.

  “the building permits and inspections department is responsible for: conducting building construction inspections issuing building permits issuing certificate of occupancy permits”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of buildings inside Bergman town limits

  • The page lists an 'occupancy permit' PDF (44 kb) as a related document; its text was not readable, so the trigger for the certificate is not confirmed.

  “the building permits and inspections department is responsible for: conducting building construction inspections issuing building permits issuing certificate of occupancy permits”

• Permit processPartial

  Residential and commercial building permit process inside Bergman town limits

  • Plans are reviewed at Bergman city hall on council meeting night; the page states council meetings are the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm unless otherwise posted.
  • The page directs questions to the city superintendent at (870) 754-9201.
  • Written permit ordinance, application fees and plan-review steps were not readable, so the process is only partly published.

  “reviewing building plans to obtain a permit for both residential and commercial uses, bring a copy of the building plans to bergman city hall on council mtg night for review. you may purchase the permit at this time.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Bergman

Town of Bergman 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)

  Onsite wastewater (septic) systems on land inside Bergman town limits: the Arkansas Department of Health program, working with local environmental specialists, sets the rules and reviews permits for systems under 1500 gpd

  • Systems 1500 gallons per day and larger are reviewed by the Department of Energy and Environment, Division of Environmental Quality, not by ADH.
  • The page does not name the Boone County health unit as the reviewing office for Bergman; the county link was not confirmed.
  • Town of Bergman does not state any septic rule on its own pages that were opened.

  “sets statewide policies and provides assistance to environmental health specialists in each of the local health units.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New onsite wastewater (septic) system serving a home inside Bergman town limits with design flow under 1500 gallons per day

  • A state onsite wastewater permit is reviewed by ADH with local environmental specialists before installation.
  • Systems 1500 gallons per day and larger are reviewed by the Department of Energy and Environment, Division of Environmental Quality.
  • Individual system permit application form EHP-19 and installation specifications EHP-6 are listed on the ADH page.

  design flow threshold for ADH review: < 1500 gallons per day (systems 1500 gpd and larger reviewed by DEE Division of Environmental Quality)

  “this program, in cooperation with the local environmental specialists, reviews permit applications for onsite wastewater systems under 1500 gallons per day (gpd).”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether owner-builders may build inside Bergman town without a licensed contractor or permit
• Building code adopted — Which building code (if any) Bergman town has adopted for construction inside town limits
• Local zoning — Whether Bergman town adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside town limits
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts mapped for land inside Bergman town limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for a single-family home inside Bergman town 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.