Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hope, Arkansas

Hope’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Placement of a manufactured home inside Hope city.

  • All building-permit fees, street-cut permits, and water and sewer assessment charges must be paid before issuance.
  • Water-meter fees of Hope Water and Light are not included in building-permit fees.

  “required prior to the placement of a manufactured home.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction and maintenance within Hope city, Hempstead County, Arkansas.

  • The ordinance adopted the 1991 Southern Building Code and says conflicting city ordinances prevail.
  • The ordinance states that it took effect after passage on June 16, 1992.

  adopted code edition: 1991 Southern Building Code

  “AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT THE 1991 EDITION OF THE SOUTHERN BUILDING CODE”

• InspectionsRequired

  City-permitted residential construction in Hope city.

  • The permit holder or agent must notify the Building Official when work is ready and provide access and means for inspection.
  • Final inspection is before occupancy.

  “REQUIRED BUILDING INSPECTIONS (including plumbing, electrical & mechanical) Building 1. Footing / foundation: excavation complete w/ reinforcing steel and forms in place.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Commercial construction under a Hope building permit.

  • All plumbing, electrical, and mechanical subcontractors must request final inspections before the final building inspection.
  • The certificate is issued only when permitted work is successfully completed and approved.

  “the issuance of a CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Hope city limits.

  • The Planning and Zoning Commission advises the City Board; the City Board makes the final determination.

  “rezoning requests, approval of preliminary and final plats of a subdivision development, zoning issues, and Special Use Permits.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Residential manufactured homes placed inside Hope city.

  • A completed building permit is required before placement.
  • The home must satisfy federal manufactured-home standards, tie-down and anchoring requirements, solid underpinning, setback requirements, licensed and inspected plumbing/electrical work, paving requirements, and the one-use-per-lot condition.
  • Electric service will not be connected until all required items are in place; the document states there are no exceptions.

  “ELECTRICAL SERVICE WILL NOT BE CONNECTED”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision development inside Hope city.

  • The Planning and Zoning Commission makes a recommendation after discussion of the hearing; the City Board makes the final determination.

  “approval of preliminary and final plats of a subdivision development”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Manufactured-home placement inside Hope city.

  • The driveway must be paved and connected to a City street with a 5-foot radius.
  • Culvert installation must be completed by the Street Department before concrete is placed.

  private driveway minimum dimensions: 9 x 20 feet (Manufactured-home placement) · street connection radius: 5 feet (Manufactured-home placement)

  “A paved driveway with parking space must be provided and all surfaces subject to wheeled traffic must be paved. Driveways must be minimum of 9’ x 20’ on private property, connected to the City street with a 5’ radius.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Residential building-permit applications inside Hope city.

  • Fees are due and must be paid before building-permit issuance.

  “Fees due will be calculated upon receipt of all required information and must be paid prior to the issuance of a building permit.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Commercial and residential building permits inside Hope city.

  • Completed information, review, payment of required fees, and compliance with the Land Development Code and applicable technical codes are stated conditions.
  • Separate plumbing, electrical, and HVAC/R permits are required and issued to trade professionals.

  “apply online for building permits [...] for commercial and residential projects.”

Rules another office applies inside Hope

Hope does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  One-family dwellings in Hope's R-1 Residential Use District.

  • Church lots have a separate minimum: 25,000 square feet or 225 square feet times maximum seating capacity, whichever is greater.

  minimum lot area: >= 8000 square feet (One-family dwelling)

  “One—family dwelling: Minimum~8,OOO square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Lots in Hope's R-1 Residential Use District.

  • Churches have separate side and rear-yard requirements.
  • Rear-yard measurement includes center of an alley where one exists.

  front yard depth: >= 25 feet (Or 50 feet from existing right-of-way center line, whichever is greater) · side yard width: >= 10 feet (Each property line) · rear yard depth: >= 25 feet (From property line or center of alley where one exists)

  “Front yard depth: 25 feet from property line”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in Hope's R-1 Residential Use District.

  • The calculation includes accessory structures.

  maximum structure coverage: <= 40 percent (Includes accessory structures)

  “On any lot, the area occupied by structures, including accessory structures, shall not exceed 40 percent of the total area of such lot.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Onsite wastewater systems inside Hope city, under statewide Arkansas rules.

  • A city or county may act as the Department's authorized agent; otherwise applications are made to the Department.

  “A completed Onsite Wastewater System Permit Application and detailed plans and specifications following the requirements found in Appendix F for the collection, treatment, and/or renovation facilities for all wastes of a domestic nature, containing a predominance of human excreta and exclusive of industrial wastes shall be submitted to and receive the approval of the Department of Health or its authorized agent, prior to construction of a building or residence.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, repair, extension, or operation of an onsite wastewater system inside Hope city.

  • Emergency repairs may proceed without prior notification if a permit is obtained within 10 working days.
  • The rule applies where an onsite system is permissible; sewer availability can require sewer connection.

  emergency-repair permit deadline: <= 10 working days (Emergency repair undertaken without prior notification)

  “Permits for construction and operation [...] shall be obtained”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Operation of an onsite wastewater system inside Hope city.

  • A permit for operation must also be obtained from the Department or its authorized agent before operation.

  “inspected and approved by the department”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Homes and businesses inside Hope city where public sewer meets the statewide availability threshold.

  • Connection applies when the sewer exit point is within 300 feet of sewer access on the owner's property or an adjacent street or alley.

  public-sewer distance: <= 300 feet (Measured from point where sewer exits building)

  “Connection to a public sewer system is required of all homes and businesses when the point where the sewer exits the building is located within three hundred feet (300’)”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Hope city.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Hope city.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Hope city.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Hope city.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Hope city.

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.