Bolthole Index

Washington County, Arkansas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Springdale, Arkansas

Inside Springdale city limits (Washington County, Arkansas), the city's Building Department issues building permits1 and the city's own zoning ordinance, administered with the Planning Department, sets lot sizes and uses2. Septic systems are regulated by the Arkansas Department of Health or its authorized agents, not by the city3. Washington County's no-building-permit rule covers unincorporated land only4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for any construction work; city Building Department1
Zoning
City zoning ordinance (Chapter 130) applies inside city limits2
Septic
Arkansas Department of Health or its authorized agent3
RV living
Occupying an RV as a dwelling on a residential lot is limited to 7 days in any 12 months5
Minimum home size
At least 24 feet by 24 feet for single-family dwellings (townhouses excepted)6
Minimum lot
10,000 sq ft in SF-1; 2 acres in A-1 Agricultural78
Driveway
Curb cut permit needed; $500 cash deposit9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Springdale Building Department

Building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside Springdale city limits

479-750-8154

201 Spring Street, Springdale, AR 72764

Zoning

City of Springdale Planning Department

Zoning questions, zoning map and zoning verification inside Springdale city limits

(479) 750-8550

201 Spring Street, Springdale, AR 72764

Septic permits

Washington County Health Department

Local health-department contact for septic questions and Designated Representative referrals

479-521-8181 ext. 2115

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Springdale means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Springdale have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot size?

Springdale adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 130 of the city code, for land inside city limits2. Washington County's zoning applies to unincorporated land only, not to a lot in Springdale10.

Lot sizes depend on the district. In the SF-1 Low Density Single Family district, a lot needs at least 10,000 square feet and 80 feet of width on a public street; buildings may cover no more than 40 percent of the lot and stand no taller than 35 feet71112. In the A-1 Agricultural district, a lot needs at least 2 acres and 200 feet of width8. Single-family dwellings in residential districts must measure at least 24 feet by 24 feet, except townhouses6.

Living in an RV on a residential lot is limited: temporary on-premises dwelling use is capped at seven total days in any continuous 12-month period5. Overnight camping in city parks is also restricted13. We could not confirm a tiny-home rule.

Do you need a building permit in Springdale, and who issues it?

The City of Springdale Building Department issues building permits, and a permit is required when any construction work is conducted1. Building more than 120 square feet or moving walls or doors requires a building permit1.

Washington County itself does not require building permits for single-family homes in unincorporated areas, but that rule does not follow you inside Springdale city limits4. Call the Building Department at 479-750-8154 before you buy or draw plans1. Zoning verification comes from the Planning Department at (479) 750-855014.

A driveway curb cut in the city right-of-way needs a city permit, and a $500 cash deposit is held when the permit is issued9. We could not confirm which building-code edition the city enforces; ask the Building Department.

How do septic permits work inside Springdale?

Septic permits inside Springdale come from the Arkansas Department of Health or its authorized agents, not from the city3. A permit must be obtained before an onsite wastewater system is constructed, installed or modified15. The permit rule has exceptions, including where public sewer is reasonably available or economically feasible15.

For questions, the Washington County Health Department is reached at 479-521-8181 ext. 211516. Arkansas requires connection to a sanitary sewer when one is within 300 feet and available without crossing another person's property17. Most lots inside Springdale are likely near city sewer, so ask the city whether sewer reaches your lot before planning a septic system.

Building a home in Springdale: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district with the Planning Department and check Chapter 130142.
  2. Find out whether public sewer is within 300 feet; if not, get an onsite wastewater permit from the Arkansas Department of Health1715.
  3. Apply for a building permit from the Building Department1.
  4. Get a curb cut permit for any driveway entering the city right-of-way9.
  5. Request inspections with the Building Department as work proceeds1.
  6. Request the certificate of occupancy, which costs nothing, from the Building Department1.

What stays with Washington County, and what to check before you buy

Inside Springdale, the county does not issue building permits or zoning; those are the city's21. The Washington County Health Department remains the local contact for septic questions16.

Washington County's effective property tax rate is 0.6%18. Only about 8.6% of soils in Washington County lack severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, so expect a soils evaluation and possibly an engineered system if sewer is not available19.

Watch-outs

  • Search results often show Washington County's rule that unincorporated areas need no building permit; that rule does not apply inside Springdale4.
  • The septic permit rule has exceptions tied to public sewer availability, so confirm sewer service before ordering soil tests15.

Sources

  1. City of Springdale Building Department (springdalear.gov)
  2. Chapter 130, Article 4, Section 2: Residential districts (Springdale), quoted and re-checked
  3. Arkansas onsite wastewater statute and rules (Springdale), quoted and re-checked
  4. Building a residence in the county?, quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 114, Section 114-57: Parking and storage of certain vehicles (Springdale), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 130, Article 6, Section 2: Residential districts in general (Springdale), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 130, Article 4, Section 2: Residential districts (Springdale), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 130, Article 4, Section 1: A-1 Agricultural district (Springdale), quoted and re-checked
  9. library.municode.com (Springdale), quoted and re-checked
  10. Building a residence in the county?, quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 130, Article 4, Section 2: Residential districts (Springdale), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 130, Article 4, Section 2: Residential districts (Springdale), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 78, Section 78-45: Camping (Springdale), quoted and re-checked
  14. City of Springdale Planning Department (springdalear.gov)
  15. Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024), quoted and re-checked
  16. Washington County Health Department (washingtoncountyar.gov)
  17. healthy.arkansas.gov, quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. 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

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Springdale

Springdale’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Springdale city limits; Springdale adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance through Chapter 130.

    “residential districts, established by this chapter”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family residential dwellings in Springdale residential districts.

    • Townhouses are excepted.

    minimum dwelling width: >= 24 feet (townhouses) · minimum dwelling length: >= 24 feet (townhouses)

    “minimum width and length dimensions of twenty-four (24) feet, except for townhouses.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential and nonresidential uses in the A-1 Agricultural District.

    • Density is one unit per two acres; minimum width is measured on a public street at the front setback line.

    minimum lot area: >= 2 acres · minimum lot width: >= 200 feet

    “Lot area. There shall be a lot area of not less than two acres for both residential and non-residential use. In addition, there shall be a minimum lot width of not less than two hundred (200) feet on a public street at the front setback line.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the SF-1 Low Density Single Family Residential District.
      “Lot area. There shall be a lot area of not less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet. In addition, there shall be a minimum lot width of not less than eighty (80) feet on a public street at the front setback line.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Lots in the SF-1 Low Density Single Family Residential District.

    maximum building coverage: <= 40 percent of lot area

    “On any lot, the area occupied by all buildings shall not exceed forty (40) percent of the total area of the lot.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in the R-E Residential Estate District.

    • Applies to buildings hereafter erected or structurally altered.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet

    “No building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall exceed a height of thirty-five (35) feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational-vehicle or trailer occupancy on residential lots inside Springdale city limits.

    • Residentially zoned areas are subject to parking-location, distance, traffic-hazard, public-street, and quantity restrictions; temporary on-premises dwelling use is limited to seven total days in any continuous twelve-month period.

    temporary on-premises dwelling period: <= 7 days per continuous 12-month period (The section otherwise permits compliant parking subject to its listed conditions.)

    “for more than seven days total in any continuous 12-month period.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Overnight camping in Springdale city parks.

    • The prohibition does not apply to Boy Scout or Girl Scout troops given permission by the parks and recreation director to camp in conjunction with an authorized cleanup of Springdale Lake or J.B. Hunt Park property.
    “It shall be unlawful to set up or use tents, shacks or any other temporary shelter for the purpose of overnight camping”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Curb modifications and driveway curb cuts in the city right-of-way inside Springdale city limits.

    • A $500 cash deposit is required when the curb-cut permit is issued; the city performs inspections after excavation and after construction; the deposit is returned when the curb modification is completed in accordance with the section.

    cash deposit: 500 USD (required for curb modifications for driveways)

    “a cash deposit of $500.00 will be deposited with the city at the time the curb cut permit is issued.”

Rules another office applies inside Springdale

Springdale 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

    Individual sewage disposal systems inside Springdale city limits.

    • The Arkansas Department of Health or its authorized agents administer the system; this claim does not assign septic administration to Springdale city.
    “shall have general supervision and authority”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential building permits inside Springdale city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Springdale city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Springdale city limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Springdale city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Use or occupancy of buildings inside Springdale city limits.
9 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Springdale publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Washington County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Washington County: county rules, score and offices