Benton County building department

Benton County Building Safety handles building permits, inspections, and code compliance for unincorporated Benton County. The department was formerly called Community Risk Reduction. Its office is in the county Administration Building in Bentonville. It is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and stays open through lunch. Property inside a city such as Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, or Bella Vista is permitted by that city, not the county.

What needs a permit

Work	County rule
New single-family home, addition, or interior remodel	Residential permit
Detached shop (no living space), carport, storage building, deck, fence	No building permit (Group U exemption, effective Nov. 28, 2023)
Deck or carport attached to a residence	Miscellaneous permit
Manufactured or prefab dwelling, storm shelter, pool, demolition, solar	Miscellaneous permit
New electrical, plumbing, or HVAC work	Trade permit, even on an exempt structure
Any new commercial development	Commercial permit, after County Planning Board approval
Structure burned for fire department training	Structure burn permit (County Fire Marshal and local fire chief approval)
New driveway onto a county road, or boring or cutting a county road	Road Department permit, (479) 271-1057

The Group U exemption doesn’t apply to structures used for commercial purposes. It also doesn’t cover detached utility buildings inside the city limits of Avoca, Decatur, Little Flock, and Springtown, where the county still requires a permit.

When no building permit is needed, you still have to contact the county Planning Office at (479) 464-6166 so it can review your site plan. For plumbing permits, the county may ask for a copy of the approved septic permit or septic verification.

Applying

The iWorQ portal handles online permit submittal, permit lookup, inspection requests, inspection status, and fee payment. The county also posts fillable PDF applications with checklists for residential, miscellaneous, and trade permits. A residential permit interactive guide is on the department site.

Floor plans must show:

• Dimensions and room labels
• Window and door locations and sizes
• Plumbing fixtures
• Heated/cooled, garage/utility, and unfinished basement square footage
• Smoke detector locations

Include exterior elevations of every side. Remodels need both the existing and proposed floor plans plus a detailed scope of work. Hand-drawn plans are accepted if they are to scale and legible. The county won’t accept sheets larger than 11 x 17 in.

If your plans change after approval, submit the revised plans for plan review before you continue work. Staff don’t visit sites before a permit is issued.

Owner-builders and contractors

If you own the property, you can do the work yourself without a license. Anyone you hire must hold the appropriate current state contractor’s license, and you submit a copy with the permit application. A contractor taking over another contractor’s permit has to file a separate application with their state license. Complaints about contractors go to the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board.

Fees

Fees for new construction are based on total construction cost, calculated with the ICC Building Valuation Data table adopted by county ordinance.

Item	Fee
Electrical, plumbing, or HVAC trade permit	$50 each
Demolition	$50
Storm shelter	$50
Attached carport	$50 ($100 with slab)
Attached deck	$100
Mobile/manufactured home	$100
Structure moved onto a lot (with a bedroom)	$250
Pool, solar	Based on labor and material valuation
Remodel	Based on total construction cost
Commercial plan review	$50
Re-inspection	$50 (may be charged per trade)
Reopening an expired permit	$50
Online card payment	3% of permit fees

Inspections

Inspections need 24 hours’ notice. For a next-day inspection, the request must arrive before 4:30 p.m. The county doesn’t take a.m./p.m. time requests, and scheduling depends on staff availability and weather. Since April 1, 2025, the county doesn’t do final inspections for new construction on Fridays.

You can request an inspection four ways:

• Online through iWorQ
• Email to [email protected]
• Text to (475) 522-1003
• Phone at (479) 271-1003, option 1

Inspectors take code questions but can’t book inspections themselves. A typical new home gets these inspections:

1. Footing (before concrete)
2. Under-slab plumbing
3. Slab (before concrete)
4. Framing
5. Rough-in electrical, plumbing, and mechanical
6. Insulation
7. Yard lines
8. Final

You don’t need to be on site, as long as the inspector can get in and the work area is clear. Whoever requests the inspection must provide access, including ladders. Inspection reports with correction items are emailed, usually by the end of the day or the next morning. Partial inspections outside the normal sequence may cost a $50 special inspection fee. You must pay any failed-inspection fee before further inspections are done.

You may hire a third-party inspector at your own expense, but their findings can’t override the county inspector’s. If you can’t settle a code disagreement with your inspector, the county directs you to the State inspector.

Permit life

A permit is valid for 6 months as long as work is active and inspections are happening. To request an extension, email [email protected] with the permit number and project address. The county generally approves no more than three extensions.

Adopted codes (unincorporated county)

• 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code (Vol. I, II, III)
• 2020 National Electrical Code
• 2018 Arkansas Plumbing Code and 2018 Arkansas Fuel Gas Code
• 2021 Arkansas Mechanical Code (2021 IMC)
• 2014 Arkansas Energy Code (2009 IECC with Arkansas amendments)
• 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code