Zoning, building permits and septic rules in De Queen, Arkansas

De Queen’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Trade permits inside De Queen city

  • Page lists HVAC, plumbing, electrical, mobile food vendor and peddler permits; a general building permit was not found

  “the city of de queen requires hvac, plumbing, electrical, mobile food vendor, and peddler permits.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside De Queen city limits (ordinance also claims a five mile radius jurisdiction under state statute 14-56-413)

  • Administered through the city planning commission; variances and zone changes follow a public hearing process

  “the city of de queen exercises its territorial jurisdiction within a five mile radius according to state statute 14-56-413.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside De Queen city (R-1, R-2, R-2S, R-MH, C-1, C-2, C-3 and others)

  • Full district list not enumerated beyond those seen in Chapter 4

  “article 4-2b residential manufactured home r-mh this district encourages affordable housing of varied types in specified locations within the city.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-2 residential district inside De Queen city, one-family dwelling

  • With public sewer
  • Lots without public sewer follow Arkansas Department of Health standards
  • Two family 8,500 sq ft; multi-family 8,500 sq ft for first unit plus 1,500 sq ft each additional unit
  • R-1 lot area not captured

  minimum lot area one family with public sewer: >= 6000 square feet

  “one family: minimum 6,000 square feet for first unit, with public sewer.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-2 residential district inside De Queen city

  • Front yard averaging exception where adjoining developed lots are within 100 feet
  • Unattached accessory buildings at least 7 1/2 feet from interior side lot line
  • R-1 setbacks not captured

  front yard: 25 feet from property line or 50 feet from center line of right-of-way, whichever is greater · side yard: >= 7.5 feet · side street yard: 10 feet from property line or 40 feet from center of right-of-way, whichever is greater · rear yard: 10 feet from property line or 20 feet from center of alley, whichever is greater

  “front yard: 25 feet from property line or 50 feet from center line of existing right-of-way, whichever is greater.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-2 residential district inside De Queen city (structure coverage); R-1 is 35 percent

  • R-1 district limit is thirty-five percent of lot area, including accessory structures

  maximum structure coverage R-2: <= 40 percent · maximum structure coverage R-1: <= 35 percent

  “on any lot the area occupied by all structures, including the accessory structures shall not exceed forty percent (40%) of the total area of such lot.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes on residential lots inside De Queen city

  • Multi-section manufactured homes not permitted in R-2S
  • R-MH district allows manufactured homes and parks
  • R-2 multi-sectional homes allowed according to ordinance 773 with 20 ft between homes and skirting

  “this district is identical in all permitted uses and requirements to r-2, with the exception that multi-section manufactured homes are not permitted in zone r-2s.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory structures in residential districts inside De Queen city

  • Only one principal structure per lot in residential districts unless otherwise provided
  • A structure with kitchen facilities for independent occupancy is a separate dwelling and must meet lot area and yard requirements

  “in residential districts only one principal structure and its customary accessory structures may hereafter be erected on any lot unless otherwise provided in this ordinance.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits inside De Queen city

  • Electrical and plumbing licenses $75 per year
  • Requests go to the fire department/code enforcement department

  electrical/plumbing license: per 75 USD per year

  “electrical permit requests must be made to the fire department/code enforcement department for each project and price varies based on project.”

• Permit processPartial

  Variance and zone change requests inside De Queen city

  • Letter, deed, site plans and list of owners within 300 feet required
  • Public hearing before planning commission; zone change then goes to city council
  • Process takes about 6 weeks to 2 months

  request fee: 500 USD (plus overcharges for publication fees)

  “a fee of $500 (plus any overcharges for publication fees, payable prior to meeting date) is charged upon request of the change.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask De Queen or Sevier County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside De Queen city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside De Queen city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside De Queen city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside De Queen city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside De Queen 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.