Unincorporated Crittenden County, Arkansas requires building permits and has zoning, but we could not confirm the current application process or zoning coverage; start with the County Judge's Office1,2. Inside West Memphis, city zoning applies3. Septic approval comes from the Arkansas Department of Health or its authorized agent before home construction; West Memphis also regulates private sewage disposal locally4,5.
Do you need a building permit in Crittenden County, Arkansas?
Crittenden County requires a building permit for construction in unincorporated areas.
Crittenden County requires a building permit for construction in unincorporated areas1. We could not confirm the current county application, building-permit fees, inspections or issuing department; call the Crittenden County Judge's Office, which administers Quorum Court ordinances, before ordering plans or starting work2. The Arkansas Fire Prevention Code, 2021 Edition, applies statewide, including rural Crittenden County; applicable new construction and alterations must meet its building or residential provisions11. A local permit gap does not remove the statewide code requirement11.
Who handles Crittenden County building permits?
A dedicated Crittenden County building department or current permit counter could not be confirmed.
A dedicated Crittenden County building department or current permit counter could not be confirmed. The practical starting point is the Crittenden County Judge's Office at 100 Court Square, Marion, AR 72364, by phone at (870) 739-3200 or email at judgewheeless@crittco.com2. Ask which office now accepts building applications, whether your parcel is inside county jurisdiction, what plans and inspections are required, and whether a certificate of occupancy is issued. The statewide source expressly recognizes that some Arkansas areas have no local permit or inspection requirement, so the responsible local authority must answer the parcel-specific question12. For a driveway on a county road, ask the same office for the current access process because it operates the county road system2. A driveway connecting to a state highway requires an ARDOT access permit before work in the highway right-of-way13.
Does Crittenden County have zoning?
Crittenden County has zoning, but we could not confirm current coverage, district boundaries, a zoning map or an administering department.
Crittenden County has zoning, but we could not confirm current coverage, district boundaries, a zoning map or an administering department1. The county answers here concern unincorporated land; inside West Memphis, the city administers its own zoning districts1,3. Arkansas Department of Health approval still applies to onsite wastewater, and West Memphis also regulates private sewage disposal locally4,5. For unincorporated land, ask the County Judge's Office for the current map, allowed uses, setbacks, minimum lot size and special-use procedure; the office administers Quorum Court ordinances2. We could not confirm county agricultural-building exemptions, minimum dwelling size or accessory-dwelling rules; ask the same office before relying on a seller's description2.
How do septic permits work in Crittenden County?
The Arkansas Department of Health or its authorized agent must approve the onsite-wastewater application and detailed plans before construction of a building or residence in Crittenden County.
The Arkansas Department of Health or its authorized agent must approve the onsite-wastewater application and detailed plans before construction of a building or residence in Crittenden County4. A Designated Representative submits the application, plans, specifications and fees to the appropriate local health unit; obtain the construction permit before installing, altering, repairing or extending the system4,6. The installer must notify the authorized agent or Designated Representative when installation is ready for inspection; the system cannot be used until inspection approval and issuance of the operating permit6. Emergency repairs may proceed first if the required permit is obtained within 10 working days14. Individual permit-review fees range from $30 for structures of 1,500 square feet or less to $150 for more than 4,000 square feet; alterations, repairs and extensions cost $3015. Surface-discharging systems require at least 3 acres plus applicable setbacks4. With 0% of mapped county soils free of severe conventional drain-field limitations, evaluate wastewater feasibility before buying10.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Crittenden County?
We could not confirm whether Crittenden County allows long-term occupancy of a single RV or tiny home on private land; ask the County Judge's Office to identify the zoning and occupancy contact before moving in.
We could not confirm whether Crittenden County allows long-term occupancy of a single RV or tiny home on private land; ask the County Judge's Office to identify the zoning and occupancy contact before moving in2. Arkansas's health rule regulates parks with 3 or more paid spaces for RVs, tiny houses on wheels or mobile homes when placement or maintenance services are provided for a fee; that park rule does not settle single-unit private-parcel occupancy8. Where sanitary sewer is available within 300 feet of the building's sewer exit and connection can be made without crossing another person's property, connection is required and privies or onsite wastewater systems cannot be used4. Elsewhere, sewage still needs an adequate disposal system and cannot discharge into road ditches or rights-of-way16. Composting or incinerating toilets must be department-authorized and meet state conditions4.
How do you build a home in Crittenden County, step by step?
Call the Crittenden County Judge's Office to identify the current building, zoning, floodplain and county-road contacts.
- Call the Crittenden County Judge's Office to identify the current building, zoning, floodplain and county-road contacts2.
- Confirm jurisdiction, allowed use, setbacks and the building-permit and inspection process before finalizing plans1. Inside West Memphis, ask the city about zoning; state health approval still applies to septic, with additional city private-sewage oversight3,4,5.
- Ask the local health unit or state Onsite Wastewater Program whether public-sewer access requires connection before spending money on septic design4,17.
- If septic is allowed, have a Designated Representative submit the application, plans, specifications and fees to the appropriate local health unit, then secure state health approval before home construction and the septic construction permit before system work4,6.
- Obtain an ARDOT access permit before building a driveway in a state-highway right-of-way13.
What should you check before buying land in Crittenden County?
Start with written confirmation of jurisdiction, permitted use, setbacks, legal access and floodplain requirements because current county zoning and floodplain details were not confirmed.
Start with written confirmation of jurisdiction, permitted use, setbacks, legal access and floodplain requirements because current county zoning and floodplain details were not confirmed. Test wastewater feasibility before the due-diligence period ends: 0% of mapped county soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field10. A subdivision using standard onsite systems must submit plans through the local health unit for state review, including soil, percolation and topographic information4. Annual precipitation is about 53.9 inches, making drainage and flood history worth checking on the tract10. Farmland value averages about $4,236 per acre, while the effective property-tax rate is around 0.6% and the median annual property-tax bill is about $93410. A private domestic-well permit requirement could not be confirmed; state preconstruction location approval is established only for public-water-system wells18.
Watch-outs
- Do not rely on an old fee table or zoning label: the current Crittenden County permit office, process, fees, inspections and zoning coverage could not be confirmed ; call the County Judge's Office at (870) 739-32002.
- Crittenden County's mapped soils show 0% free of severe conventional drain-field limitations, so make wastewater feasibility a purchase contingency10.
- Public-sewer connection is required within 300 feet of the building's sewer exit when sewer is available without crossing another person's property; privies and onsite wastewater systems are prohibited in that circumstance4.
Sources
18 official pages, each quoted and re-checked · written October 10, 2026
- Crittenden County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 13 - Urban/Rural Development (2026 county census)
- Crittenden County Judge's Office (crittendencountyar.org)
- West Memphis: West Memphis Zoning Ordinance (Crittenden County)
- Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024)
- West Memphis: Code of Ordinances, Sec. 42-243, compliance with state health department; system on undersize lot prohibited (Crittenden County)
- 14 CAR § 21-303. Permit Procedure
- Arkansas Residential Rules
- 20 CAR § 138-102. Compliance (Arkansas statewide rule)
- 20 CAR § 138-101. Definitions (Arkansas statewide rule)
- Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
- Arkansas Fire Prevention Code, 2021 Edition
- Home Improvement Contractor License Application (Arkansas statewide rule)
- Regulations: Rules for Access Driveways to State Highways (Arkansas statewide rule)
- Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024)
- Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024)
- General Sanitation Rules
- Arkansas Department of Health Onsite Wastewater Program (healthy.arkansas.gov)
- Public Water Systems Rules
Written October 10, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Crittenden County means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
- Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
- Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
- Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
- Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.
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