Farmington, Arkansas Building Permit Guide

Farmington’s Building Official issues building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, sign, demolition and certificate of occupancy permits from City Hall at 354 W. Main Street (479-267-3865). The fee comes from a valuation table in City Code Sec. 11.04.08: a job valued at $200,000 pays $760, and where plans must be submitted a plan-checking fee of half that amount is added.

What needs a permit in Farmington?

Farmington uses one permit application for every type of work it permits, and the Building Official issues each of them:

Inside a designated flood plain, City Code Sec. 11.08.04 requires a building permit for any construction, remodeling, major repair or other substantial improvement.

Who issues building permits in Farmington?

The City of Farmington’s Building Official, Rick Bramall, issues building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, sign, demolition and certificate of occupancy permits and inspects the work. The same office handles code enforcement. The City’s permits apply to land inside Farmington’s corporate limits.

Applying in Farmington

The City’s Permit Application covers building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, storage building, sign, pool and deck permits on one page. It asks whether the work is commercial or residential and whether it is new, moving, alteration, demolition, repair, remodel or addition, and it asks for the lot and subdivision, site address, owner, zoning, contractor, heated and non-heated square footage, total project cost and a job description. Sign permits may need dimensions and locations as well. The form can be filled in online or printed.

Third-party review. Chapter 11.29 of the City Code (Ordinance 2025-10, December 8, 2025) puts Act 591 of 2025 into effect locally. If the City cannot complete a permit application within five business days, it tells the applicant whether it can review the plans within the time the Act allows; if not, the applicant may hire a licensed private professional provider. The City then accepts the provider’s review or sends written comments within ten business days, and silence counts as acceptance. A provider can also carry out inspections after giving notice; the City has one business day to object, and only the City issues the certificate of occupancy.

Farmington permit fees

Under City Code Sec. 11.04.03, the valuation is the building’s gross area multiplied by the average square-foot construction cost published in the August Building Safety Journal (used from January 1 of the next year), rounded up to the next $1,000. That valuation is then priced with the table in Sec. 11.04.08:

The top band starts at $1,600, although the band below reaches $1,660 at $500,000, so keep a calculation inside one band. The fee sheet posted on the Building page shows $20 for anything up to $2,000; the codified table above has no fee up to $1,000 unless an inspection is needed. A project valued at $200,000 pays $460 plus 100 × $3, or $760. When the valuation is over $1,000 and plans must be submitted, a plan-checking fee of half the permit fee ($380 here) is paid with the plans, on top of the permit fee.

Impact fees. On September 14, 2026 the City Council approved a timeline extension for the City’s Impact Fee Study. Subdivisions and large scale developments may owe a fee in lieu of park land dedication, which the council reinstated for one development in July 2026.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Farmington

The Building Official also issues electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, applied for on the same City form by ticking the trade. The City lists these trade codes as in use: the 2021 International Mechanical Code, the 2018 Arkansas Plumbing and Fuel Gas Codes, and the National Electrical Code.

The electrical edition is changing. The City’s web page lists the 2020 NEC, but on October 12, 2026 the City Council adopted Ordinance 2026-15, which adopts the 2026 NEC with Arkansas amendments and carries an emergency clause; Municode lists it as adopted but not yet codified.

The City’s posted fee table in Sec. 11.04.08 covers building permits only; call the Building Department at 479-267-3865 for trade permit fees.

What to submit

• The completed Permit Application, with the job description, square footage and total project cost
• Plans and specifications where the work requires them; the plan-checking fee is paid when they are submitted
• For subdivisions and large scale developments, the Fire Department’s Tech Plat Review Sheet and an electronic plan set with hydrants highlighted, emailed seven days before the Tech Plat meeting
• For work in a flood plain, the details the Building Official needs to confirm the building is elevated or floodproofed, anchored and built with flood-resistant materials

How to get a Farmington building permit: 5 steps

Farmington inspections

Each permit comes with a copy of the City’s inspection schedule. Anyone who does not keep to it is charged a $35 service fee, and each re-inspection costs $25. Call the Building Department at 479-267-3865 with inspection questions.

The general contractor must have sanitary facilities on site from the start of construction. A portable toilet may not sit in the side or rear setbacks or within 5 feet of the curb, and it must be emptied at least weekly, or twice a week if it serves two or more sites. If complaints continue after written notice, the Chief Building Official can stop all inspections until the site complies.

Under the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code as adopted by Farmington, a new attached garage needs a heat detector or heat alarm (Ordinance 2025-02).

Local rules that matter in Farmington

Flood plain: Chapter 11.08 of the City Code requires a building permit from the City Building Inspector for construction, remodeling, major repairs and substantial improvements in a designated flood plain. New or substantially improved homes must have the lowest floor, basement included, at or above the 100-year flood level; nonresidential buildings may instead be floodproofed to that level. No land use or fill may raise the 100-year flood by more than one foot at any point. Farmington takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, on FEMA maps effective January 25, 2024.

Stormwater, grading and erosion: the City has adopted a Stormwater Pollution Prevention, Grading and Erosion Control Manual and a Drainage Criteria Manual, and the City Engineer administers the stormwater manual. Grading permits use the Planning Commission’s grading permit application.

Unsafe buildings: the Building Official can order an unsafe building repaired or removed, and owners who ignore the notice face fines of $25 to $500 per day under the City’s building code penalties.

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

Farmington permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Farmington?

The City’s Building Official at City Hall, 354 W. Main Street (479-267-3865), for work inside the city.

How much does a building permit cost in Farmington?

It depends on the valuation: $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3 for each additional $1,000, so $760 for $200,000. A plan-checking fee of half the permit fee is added when plans are required.

How is my project valued?

The gross square footage times the Building Safety Journal’s average cost per square foot, rounded up to the next $1,000.

Can I use a private plan reviewer?

Yes, if the City tells you it cannot review within the Act 591 timeframe. The City then has ten business days to accept the private review or send comments.

Which electrical code applies?

The 2026 National Electrical Code with Arkansas amendments, adopted by the City Council on October 12, 2026 with an emergency clause; the City web page still lists the 2020 edition.

Do I need a permit to build in a flood plain?

Yes, for any construction, major repair or substantial improvement, and a house must have its lowest floor at or above the 100-year flood level.

Official Farmington permit resources

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

• Farmington building permits and code enforcement
• Farmington online permit application
• Farmington building permit fee sheet (older version of Sec. 11.04.08)
• Farmington Planning Commission applications
• Farmington Code Title 11, buildings and construction
• Farmington City Council agendas and minutes

Simplify Farmington 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 Farmington permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.