Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Pulaski County, Arkansas

Pulaski County publishes a registration/building-permit application specifically for the Lake Maumelle Watershed¹. Development there that is not deemed permitted through registration requires an application to the Zoning Administrator³. We could not confirm a general county building-permit requirement for the rest of unincorporated Pulaski County, so give Planning & Development the parcel number and proposed work¹. The county's rules here apply to unincorporated Pulaski County; inside Little Rock⁴, North Little Rock⁵, Jacksonville⁶ and Maumelle⁷, the city issues building permits. Septic permits stay with the Arkansas Department of Health, city or not². Arkansas requires a county or municipality that issues permits for new construction to adopt the state code, while the state code also applies in rural and unincorporated areas^8,14. The energy code similarly requires adoption by counties and municipalities that issue new-construction permits¹⁵. An owner acting as contractor on the owner's residence has a limited licensing exemption, but other building, zoning and septic requirements still apply⁸.

Pulaski County Planning & Development is the first call for zoning, floodplain development, building permits and fees¹. The office is at 3200 Brown St, Little Rock, and its phone number is 501-340-8260¹. Its published forms cover Lake Maumelle registration/building permits and conditional uses, plus site-plan and subdivision review, but they do not establish one universal process for every parcel¹. A watershed building-permit application goes to the Zoning Administrator³. The county publishes its planning fee schedule as Ordinance 82-OR-29¹⁶. Preliminary and final plat review in unincorporated areas costs a $100 base fee per application plus $3 per unit for 5 to 40 units, $2 per unit for 41 to 100 units and $1 per unit beyond that; a minor subdivision of 4 units or fewer is $10, and site plan review is $100¹⁶. For floodplain permit fees, call Planning & Development^1,16. A subdivider must submit plats and improvement plans to the Planning Board, obtain preliminary approval before site work, and obtain final approval before conveying lots¹¹. For county-road questions, contact Road & Bridge at 501-340-6800¹⁷.

Pulaski County zoning applies in the Lake Maumelle Watershed portion of unincorporated Pulaski County³. The watershed code establishes Conservation, Village, Low Impact Planned Residential and Non-Residential districts, and the zoning map designates the applicable area³. The county's zoning does not govern city land: Little Rock¹⁸, North Little Rock¹⁹, Jacksonville²⁰ and Maumelle²¹ each zone inside their own limits. Elsewhere, municipal extra-territorial rules may apply³. Watershed setbacks, height limits and dimensional standards vary by district³. In the Village District, the minimum lot is 20,000 square feet or the subdivision code's requirement, whichever is greater; Conservation district lot size follows the subdivision code³. Subdivision minimums also depend on water and sewage service³. A watershed accessory dwelling without central sewer needs a septic tank approved by the Arkansas Department of Health³. We could not confirm a general minimum dwelling size; ask Planning & Development for the parcel's district¹.

The Arkansas Department of Health or its Authorized Agent administers onsite wastewater permits statewide, including Pulaski County². Where no Authorized Agent has been designated for the county, applications go straight to the Department². A Permit for Construction must be issued before anyone builds, alters, repairs or extends an onsite wastewater system, and a Permit for Operation before it is used². The installer must give the Authorized Agent at least 24 hours' notice before starting work, and a plan-review fee is payable before Part 1 of the application is issued, with no refund if the applicant does not proceed². The installer must also call for inspection when the installation is ready, and the system cannot be used until its operation permit is issued². A permit may be refused where public sewer is reasonably available or economically feasible². A premises within 300 feet of an available sanitary sewer must connect when connection does not cross another person's property, and a septic system cannot be built or used there². A proposed subdivision within 300 feet of public sanitary sewer must connect each lot¹¹. Only 13.5% of Pulaski County soils avoid a severe USDA limitation for conventional drain fields, so make wastewater approval an early contingency¹⁰. State-authorized pre-manufactured composting or incinerating toilets remain part of the regulated onsite-wastewater system².

We could not confirm a general Pulaski County rule allowing long-term RV living or temporary camping on a private parcel. In mapped flood zones A1-30, AH and AE, an RV must stay fewer than 180 consecutive days, remain licensed and highway-ready, or meet floodplain permit, elevation and anchoring requirements¹². Arkansas classifies a tiny house on wheels as a mobile home if it is plumbed and inspected under the state plumbing code, and as an RV if it is not¹³. That classification does not itself authorize residential use on a parcel. Ask Planning & Development about watershed zoning, extra-territorial rules and floodplain status^1,3. Manufactured homes are permitted in the watershed Conservation district and conditional in the Village and Low Impact Planned Residential districts, subject to wastewater conditions³.

1. Give Planning & Development the parcel number and ask which zoning district, extra-territorial, floodplain and fee rules apply^1,3.
2. For a Lake Maumelle Watershed parcel, determine whether registration is enough or file the building-permit application with the Zoning Administrator³.
3. Confirm the lot-size standard because subdivision minimums vary with water and sewage service, while the watershed may impose a larger district minimum^3,11.
4. Determine whether sewer connection is mandatory; otherwise obtain septic construction approval, inspection and an operation permit before use^2,11.
5. If subdividing, submit plats and improvement plans and obtain approval before site work or lot sales^11,16.
6. Confirm legal access because a landlocked subdivision lot needs an ingress-and-egress easement on the survey or plat¹¹.
7. If doing electrical work yourself, confirm the limited primary-residence exemption and any state or local conditions⁹.

Check the parcel's watershed status, official zoning-map district, extra-territorial jurisdiction, setbacks and floodplain status before making an offer^1,3. For a new subdivision, minimum lot size ranges from 6,000 square feet with qualifying shared systems to one acre with a private well and individual sewage disposal¹¹. A proposed subdivision within 300 feet of public sanitary sewer must connect each lot¹¹. The county has no obligation to extend addressing or utility service to a parcel or building created in violation of its subdivision rules¹¹. Make the offer contingent on an acceptable wastewater plan because only 13.5% of Pulaski County soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹⁰. Confirm access because a landlocked subdivision lot needs an ingress-and-egress easement on the survey or plat¹¹. A state-highway driveway requires a state permit²².