Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Greenwood, Arkansas

Greenwood’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New residential, commercial and industrial construction inside Greenwood city limits

  • The city's list of permit-required work also includes additions and remodeling of existing structures, electrical/plumbing/mechanical installation and replacement, storage buildings or accessory structures, swimming pools, new fences, home based businesses, storm shelters, underground sprinklers and spigots, and all activity inside the FEMA special flood hazard area.
  • Construction may proceed after the permit is issued.

  “construction of residential, commercial, & industrial structures”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New construction, additions and alterations inside Greenwood city limits

  • Codes adopted: 2021 Arkansas Building Code (2021 IBC with amendments), 2021 Arkansas Residential Code (2021 IRC with amendments) and 2021 Arkansas Fire Code (2021 IFC with amendments), each effective January 1, 2023; 2021 Arkansas Mechanical Code (2021 IMC without amendments) effective July 1, 2022; 2018 Arkansas Plumbing Code and 2018 Arkansas Fuel Gas Code effective September 1, 2021; 2014 Arkansas Energy Code (2009 IECC with amendments) effective January 1, 2015.
  • The city states that there are no city amendments to the adopted codes.

  “the city of greenwood adopts the following codes:”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Greenwood city limits (City of Greenwood, Arkansas), administered by the city Planning & Development department at City Hall, 30 Bell Road, Greenwood, AR 72936

  • The source states the department's responsibility to develop and maintain the zoning ordinance; the ordinance text and district map were not opened, so no dimensional or use limits are recorded here.
  • Zoning-district-specific limits are unknown and are covered by separate unknown claims.

  “develop and maintain the zoning ordinance”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Any development activity inside the FEMA special flood hazard area within Greenwood city limits

  • The city's permit-required list states all activity inside the FEMA special flood hazard area requires a permit.
  • The city floodplain ordinance and its standards were not opened.

  “all activity inside the fema special flood hazard area”

• Permit processPartial

  Applying for building, trade and other city permits inside Greenwood city limits

  • Applications, inspection scheduling and payment run through the TEKConnectGov permit portal.
  • The page links a permitting and inspections help document that was not opened, so step-by-step detail is partial.

  “the city of greenwood uses tekconnectgov for creating permit applications, scheduling inspections, and reviewing/paying permits.”

Rules another office applies inside Greenwood

Greenwood 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 sewage (septic) systems on land inside Greenwood city limits; the Arkansas Department of Health, through the county health unit where the property is located, administers permits. The city of Greenwood's own sewer/wastewater rule was not found.

  • Administered through the county health unit in the county where the property is located (county health unit for Greenwood not confirmed by an official page in this run).
  • Greenwood city's own sewer connection or wastewater rules were not located, so city involvement is unknown.

  “call the health unit in the county where the property is located and ask for the onsite environmental specialist.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New onsite sewage systems on land inside Greenwood city limits

  • Permit is obtained from the county health unit for the county where the property is located, per the Arkansas Department of Health FAQ.
  • Permit application and fees were not confirmed on an official page in this run.

  “how do i get a permit for a septic system? call the health unit in the county where the property is located and ask for the onsite environmental specialist.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Greenwood city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Greenwood city limits
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and district list inside Greenwood city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the main single-family residential district inside Greenwood city limits
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in the main single-family residential district inside Greenwood 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.