Cabot, Arkansas Building Permit Guide

Inside Cabot, building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are applied for at the City’s Planning & Zoning office, and the building official in the Fire Department’s Fire Building & Safety Inspections division reviews the plans, issues the permits and inspects the work. Submitting an application is free; the fee is worked out at plan review and paid when the permit is issued.

What needs a permit in Cabot?

The City lists these as the most common residential permits, and the same rule applies to commercial property: a permit comes before any electrical, plumbing, mechanical or structural work starts.

Homeowners who live in the house may do most repairs themselves, but still need the permit and inspections. If you hire a company, make sure it has bought the permit.

Who issues permits in Cabot?

Planning & Zoning, led by Planning and Zoning Director Laura Nobles, receives permit applications, lists a building inspector at 501-843-4819 and reviews development proposals for zoning, including Significant Development Permits for projects over 5,000 sq ft of floor area. The Fire Department’s Fire Building & Safety Inspections division acts as the building official under the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code: it reviews residential and commercial construction documents, issues permits for new buildings, alterations and commercial demolition or moves, and carries out building, trade and fire protection inspections through to the Certificate of Occupancy.

Cabot applications and forms

The City publishes printable PDFs and online versions of its applications; the online forms ask you to sign in with a City website account. The forms include:

• Building Permit Application for new homes and commercial buildings, with the erosion control certification, code compliance certificate, occupancy compliance form and pre-inspection checklist attached.
• Remodel Permit Application, which asks whether the building predates 1978 (lead-safe work rules) and has the owner or contractor certify the structure is not being built to sell.
• Deck/Patio and Accessory Building applications, each needing a sketch of the structure and its location.
• Electrical change-out, Solar Panel, Generator, Sign, Demolition and General Purpose/Change Out permits.
• Grading Permit, ROW Utility Permit and Floodplain Development Permit applications.

Most applications include a certificate under Act 591 of 2021 in which the applicant chooses the City’s own plan review and site inspections instead of a third-party provider. Building and remodel applications ask for the licence numbers of the general contractor, plumber, electrician and mechanical contractor.

Cabot permit fees

The City does not charge to submit an application. Permit fees are calculated when the plans are reviewed and the permit is approved, and all fees are due when the permit is issued. The fees the City prints on its forms and code:

The water and sewer charges are set in Exhibit C of Ordinance 15 of 2026, which the City Council passed on May 4, 2026 for the Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission. The building and trade permit amounts are set once the plans have been reviewed.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

Separate permits are required for electrical, plumbing and heating, ventilation or air conditioning work. The City’s FAQs say a plumbing permit is needed for new construction, repairs, remodels and yard line change-outs; a mechanical permit whenever heating or air conditioning equipment is installed, repaired or replaced (portable units excepted); and an electrical permit for all new construction, remodels and repairs.

Section 6-19 of the Cabot Code, as amended by Ordinance 27 of 2023, adopts the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code (Volumes I to III), the 2020 National Electrical Code, the 2018 Arkansas Plumbing and Gas Codes, the 2021 Arkansas Mechanical Code, the 2014 Arkansas Energy Code and the 2009 NFPA Life Safety Code. On a solar job a licensed electrician must be on site from start to finish, and the grounding and rails must pass inspection before panels go on.

What to submit with a new building

The erosion control certificate must show either an ADEQ stormwater construction permit, automatic coverage under ADEQ’s general permit with an on-site pollution prevention plan for sites under 5 acres, or, for less than an acre of disturbance, a commitment to keep sediment on site under Ordinance 13 of 2007.

How to get a Cabot permit

Inspections in Cabot

Call 501-843-4819 to request an inspection; the City also has an online Request for Inspection form. The City’s trade forms say the contractor must stay on the job site until the inspector arrives and completes the inspection.

A new home starts with a pre-inspection of the lot by the Floodplain & Stormwater Inspector, who checks for a builder’s board, silt fence, gravel drive, fenced trash area, mailbox, concrete washout basin and portable toilet. The Certificate of Occupancy is held until the disturbed ground is permanently stabilized, and a site the inspector finds non-compliant with ADA rules will not get a Certificate of Occupancy until it is corrected.

Local rules that affect Cabot projects

Flood zones: Cabot’s flood damage prevention code (Chapter 18 of the Cabot Code) requires a floodplain development permit for any development in a mapped special flood hazard area. A new home in an AE zone must have its lowest floor at least 2 feet above the published base flood elevation, shown on an Elevation Certificate; nonresidential buildings may instead be floodproofed to 3 feet above the base flood level. The mayor or the mayor’s designee is the floodplain administrator, and the Planning Commission hears appeals. Cabot participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated April 25, 2024.

Accessory buildings: on lots of half an acre or less, all accessory buildings together may cover no more than half the main building’s area, up to 850 sq ft; on larger lots the limit is 5% of the lot, up to 3,500 sq ft. Their colors must be consistent with the house.

Highway frontage: sites on an Access Management Street or highway, such as Highway 321, must show the access provisions on the site plan.

Arkansas building code

Arkansas’s building code is the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code, adopted by the State Fire Marshal and in force statewide since 1 January 2023; building permits are issued locally where a city or county runs a permit program, and the plumbing, gas, mechanical, energy and electrical codes are adopted by separate state agencies. The Arkansas codes

Cabot permit FAQs

Where do I get a building permit in Cabot?

From Planning & Zoning at 1 City Plaza, Suite A (501-843-4819). The Fire Department’s Fire Building & Safety Inspections division reviews the plans and inspects the work.

How much does a building permit cost in Cabot?

There is no charge to apply. The permit fee is calculated when the plans are reviewed and is paid when the permit is issued; a solar permit, for example, is $120.

Do I need a permit for a deck in Cabot?

Yes. Planning & Zoning requires a permit for every deck, with a sketch showing its size, materials and location.

Can I do my own repairs?

Homeowners who live in the house may do most repairs themselves, but they still need the permit and the inspections.

How long is a Cabot permit good for?

A permit is void if work does not start within 6 months of issue or stops for 6 months, and the development code gives two years to complete construction.

Which codes does Cabot enforce?

The 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code, the 2020 National Electrical Code, the 2018 Arkansas Plumbing and Gas Codes, the 2021 Arkansas Mechanical Code and the 2014 Arkansas Energy Code, under Section 6-19 of the Cabot Code.

Official Cabot construction and permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Cabot residential permits
• Cabot commercial permits and forms
• Cabot online permit applications
• Cabot building permit application packet
• Cabot Planning and Zoning
• Cabot Fire Building and Safety Inspections
• Cabot floodplain development permit application
• Cabot Code of Ordinances

Simplify Cabot permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Arkansas. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cabot permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.