Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Alma, Arkansas

Alma’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, moving or alteration of any building or accessory building inside Alma city limits

  • Work performed before a building permit is issued is subject to a $75.00 per day penalty for each day work is performed without a permit.
  • Permit applicants must submit plats or plans to the building inspector; the planning page advises checking with the building department before starting a project.

  penalty for work without permit: 75 USD per day

  “work performed prior to obtaining a building permit, is subject to a $75.00 per day penalty for each day work is performed without a permit.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings and land inside Alma city limits

  • The certificate is applied for with the building permit application and issued within ten days after completion, in conformity with the regulations and the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code.
  • No land or building may be used until the building inspector issues the certificate.

  issuance deadline after completion: <= 10 days

  “no land or building, or part thereof, erected or altered hereinafter in its use or structure, shall be used until the building inspector shall have issued a certificate of occupancy”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the corporate limits of Alma city, Arkansas (ZIP 72921, 804 Fayetteville Ave). The City adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance.

  • Zoning regulations were amended and restated April 16, 2026 and establish eight districts (R-1, R-1a, R-1b, R-2, R-2a, R-3, R-4, C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1 are listed; article III names eight).
  • Rules apply only inside the city limits; county zoning does not govern land inside Alma city.

  “for the purpose of these regulations, there are established eight (8) zoning districts as follows:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of the City of Alma, Arkansas inside city limits

  • The official zoning map is adopted by city council as part of the regulations and was not opened; district boundaries are interpreted by the city planner or board of adjustment.

  “for the purpose of these regulations, there are established eight (8) zoning districts as follows: r-1 single family residential district r-1a single family residential district r-1b single family residential district r-2 general residential district r-2a multi-family residential district r-3 mobile/manufactured home park r-4 single family/manufactured home district c-1 central commercial district c-2 highway commercial district i-1 restricted industrial district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family principal dwelling lot in the R-1 single family residential district inside Alma city limits (main single-family district)

  • Minimum lot width at the front setback line is 70 feet.
  • R-1a district (single family) minimum is 7,000 square feet, with 60-foot lot width.

  minimum lot area: >= 9100 square feet

  “one-family principal dwelling: minimum of 9,100 square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family principal dwelling lot in the R-1a single family residential district inside Alma city limits

    “one family principal dwelling: minimum of 7,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal dwelling and accessory buildings in the R-1 single family residential district inside Alma city limits

  • Front: 25 feet from property line, or 50 feet from centerline of existing right-of-way, whichever is greater.
  • Rear: 20 feet from property line or center of alley where one exists.

  side setback: >= 10 feet (side facing a street follows front setback) · front setback: >= 25 feet (or 50 feet from right-of-way centerline, whichever is greater) · rear setback: >= 20 feet

  “side: minimum of ten (10) foot setback from each property line to the principal dwelling and accessory buildings.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures in the I-1 restricted industrial district inside Alma city limits (C-3 neighborhood commercial also caps coverage at 50%)

  • I-1 setbacks: structures at least 25 feet from all property lines.
  • C-3 maximum coverage is 50% of lot.

  maximum lot coverage I-1: <= 33 percent

  “no structure may cover more than thirty-three (33) percent of the total lot area.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Dwelling structures in the R-2a apartment residential district inside Alma city limits

    “in no case may a dwelling structure cover more than 60% of an area.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in the R-1 single family residential district inside Alma city limits

  • Commercial districts differ: C-1 and C-2 allow three stories not to exceed 48 feet; C-3 allows 35 feet; I-1 allows three stories not to exceed 48 feet.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet (or two and one-half stories, whichever is greater)

  “no building shall be more that thirty-five (35) feet in height or contain more than two and one-half stories (2 ½), whichever is greater.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  Permanently installed manufactured homes on individual lots in the R-4 single family/manufactured home district inside Alma city limits

  • Lot minimum 7,000 square feet; minimum lot width 60 feet; 25-foot front setback.
  • Units must have a minimum 14-foot width on each side, a masonry crawl-space underpinning if crawl space is used, front door facing the frontage street, shingle roofing, a covered front porch, a foundation meeting current city building codes, all transport elements removed, and must be new and under warranty or inspected by the code enforcement officer before moving to the site.
  • Manufactured-home parks in the R-3 district require at least three acres and individual meters.

  minimum lot area: >= 7000 square feet · minimum unit width: >= 14 feet

  “manufactured homes that are permanently installed on a lot in a manner that is comport with requirements contained in section 6 and in compliance with current united states department of housing and urban development guidelines for manufactured home foundations.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed

  Accessory dwelling units on lots with a single-family dwelling inside Alma city limits

  • One ADU per lot; the primary single-family dwelling must exist or be built first or at the same time.
  • ADU must meet underlying zone standards for lot size, setbacks, height and coverage; ADUs are exempt from residential density standards.
  • ADU may not exceed 75% of primary dwelling habitable space or 1,200 square feet, whichever is greater; must be on a permanent foundation; building permit required.
  • Section does not apply to tiny houses or manufactured housing units.

  maximum ADU size: <= 1200 square feet (or 75% of primary dwelling habitable space, whichever is greater)

  “an adu that meets the location and development standards contained in this code and applicable law is authorized by right and shall be approved at staff level. adus will require building permits prior to construction.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdividing land inside Alma city limits

  • The City publishes subdivision regulations and a planning area map; the regulations themselves were not opened within the research budget.

  “if you plan to build a subdivision or want to divide your property into several lots, you will have to follow our regulations.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Property inside the FEMA floodplain within Alma city limits

  • Check the FEMA floodplain map; properties in the floodplain must follow Ordinance 2017-12, which was not opened.

  “if your property is, you will have to adhere to ordinance 2017-12.”

Rules another office applies inside Alma

Alma 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 inside Alma city limits, administered by the Arkansas Department of Health through local environmental specialists

  • Applies to onsite systems under 1500 gallons per day; systems 1500 gpd and larger are reviewed by the state Division of Environmental Quality, per the ADH page.
  • The City of Alma's own zoning regulations do not regulate septic systems; no City septic ordinance was located.

  threshold: < 1500 gallons per day (larger systems reviewed by DEQ)

  “the arkansas department of health’s onsite wastewater program sets statewide policies and provides assistance to environmental health specialists in each of the local health units.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Alma or Crawford County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Alma city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area of a dwelling inside Alma city limits
• Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Alma city limits
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Alma city limits
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Alma 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.