Greene County’s Code of Ordinances keeps its Building article “Reserved” and adopts no county zoning, so there is no county building permit outside the towns. Several county rules still reach rural projects: the flood damage prevention program governs development in mapped flood hazard areas, utility companies, improvement districts and contractors need the County Judge’s written permit for work on or across county roads and rights-of-way, and a data center ordinance sets noise studies and limits. New addresses come from the 911 Center (870-239-7562), and Paragould, Marmaduke and Oak Grove Heights handle building permits inside their limits.
Who issues building permits in Greene County?
The courthouse is at 320 West Court St., Paragould, and the County Judge’s office (870-239-6300) is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. The quorum court meets in the Circuit Courtroom at 6:00 p.m. on the third Monday of each month (the third Tuesday in January and February). Populations below are Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates.
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Get a free quote →| Place | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| Paragould (31,135), county seat | City Inspector’s office, Office of Planning and Development, 301 W. Court St.; (870) 239-7513. Online applications in iWorQ; $25 per application plus $3 to $5 per $1,000 of value |
| Marmaduke (1,254) | City of Marmaduke: building permits are obtained in person at City Hall; (870) 597-2753, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a noon-hour closing. Its zoning code (Ordinance 2015-277, July 2015) has an administrative official designated by the Mayor issue building permits and certificates of occupancy, wants a plot plan in two copies, voids a permit not started within 6 months or unfinished after 2 years, and bars utility connection before a certificate of occupancy; Ordinance 268 (2013) adopted the 2006 International Building Code for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses |
| Oak Grove Heights (1,195) | The City lists a City Inspector; City Hall, 85 Kimberly Street, (870) 586-0042, open 8:00 a.m. to noon on weekdays |
| Lafe (419), Delaplaine (67) | The published sources do not say; ask the town hall |
| Unincorporated Greene County | No county building permit; flood hazard areas fall under the county flood damage prevention program; address from the 911 Center; septic through the Health Department |
The county’s June and July 2026 quorum court minutes deal with grants, appropriations and jail fees; neither adds a building or planning ordinance.
Flood, road, data center and address rules on county land
Flood damage prevention: section 270.00 of the county code (Ordinance 2011-009, last amended by Ordinance 2022-012 on July 18, 2022) applies to every mapped Special Flood Hazard Area in the county’s jurisdiction, using the Flood Insurance Study and flood map dated September 15, 2022. It covers buildings, manufactured homes, clearing, grading, fill, excavation and similar work, and adopts the county’s Flood Damage Prevention Code dated May 16, 2013, which can be inspected at the County Clerk’s office. The county’s Floodplain Administrator enforces it with cease-and-desist orders and citations, and a conviction carries a fine of up to $500 a day. FEMA lists the county, Paragould and Oak Grove Heights as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program; Lafe and Marmaduke are listed as not in the program, and Delaplaine is not listed.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Data centers: Ordinance 2023-012 (code section 360.03) applies in the unincorporated county. Before building, the owner must notify every address within half a mile and the County Judge, have a third-party acoustic engineer record baseline sound at eight points on the property line, and file a noise attenuation building plan with the County Judge and County Clerk. A post-construction study must show compliance before the center operates: sound at the receiving property line may not reach 65 dBA from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. or 55 dBA overnight.
County roads: under code section 1200.01, any utility company, improvement district or public or private contractor must get the County Judge’s written permission, issued as a permit, before installing or working on facilities or other construction on, over, under, along or across county roads and rights-of-way. The Judge may require a deposit or bond of $500 to $50,000, kept in force until at least a year after the work is finished; the permit holder files as-built plans with the Judge, must relocate the facility at its own cost if the road is later changed, and must restore roads and ditches. Anyone whose machinery damages a county road or fills its ditches pays for the repair (section 1200.02). A road to be dedicated for county maintenance must be built to the Greene County Road Specifications, with fines of at least $200 a day for violations (section 1200.03). On July 15, 2024 the quorum court also adopted the road encroachment ordinance prepared by its Public Works Team, titled for “the protection of the traveling public” within the unincorporated county (its emergency clause was not passed); the April 2024 minutes describe its aim as enforcing “no road encroachment without permission from the County Judge.” Road questions go to the Road Department, 4600 Fairview Rd., Paragould (870-239-6314).
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Addresses: call the 911 Center’s Addressing Department at (870) 239-7562 with the property details for a new address.
Septic systems: the Greene County Health Department, 801 Goldsmith Road, Paragould (870-236-7782), is where the Department of Health’s environmental specialists take onsite wastewater permit applications.
Steps for building in Greene County
Paragould files online; Marmaduke takes permits in person at City Hall; call Oak Grove Heights, Lafe or Delaplaine first.
Development in a mapped flood hazard area on county land must meet the county flood code.
Apply through the Health Department in Paragould when the lot has no sewer.
Contractors and utilities need the County Judge’s written permit before working on or across a county road; ask the Judge’s office about any encroachment.
Call the 911 Center’s Addressing Department for the new building’s address.
Rather not deal with the Greene County building department?
Get a free quote →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
Greene County permit FAQs
Does Greene County issue building permits?
No. The Building article of the county code is reserved and the code adopts no county zoning; Paragould, Marmaduke and Oak Grove Heights handle building permits in their limits.
Do I need county approval to build in a flood zone?
Yes. Development in a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area on county land must comply with the county’s flood damage prevention program, enforced by its Floodplain Administrator.
What does the county require for a data center?
Notice to everyone within half a mile, baseline and post-construction sound studies and a noise attenuation plan filed with the County Judge and County Clerk; sound may not reach 65 dBA by day or 55 dBA at night at the neighbor’s line.
How do I get an address for a new house?
Call the 911 Center’s Addressing Department at (870) 239-7562.
Who approves work in a county road right-of-way?
The County Judge. Utility companies, improvement districts and contractors need the Judge’s written permit, with a deposit or bond of $500 to $50,000 at the Judge’s discretion, under code section 1200.01.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Where do I get a building permit in Paragould?
From the City Inspector’s office at 301 W. Court St. ((870) 239-7513) through the City’s iWorQ portal.
Official Greene County permit resources
- Greene County courthouse departments
- Greene County: add a new address (911 Center)
- Greene County Code of Ordinances (PDF)
- Greene County Code of Ordinances on Municode
- Greene County Quorum Court and minutes
- Greene County Road Department
- Greene County Health Department
- City of Marmaduke Building Permits & Inspections
- City of Oak Grove Heights administration
- Arkansas Department of Health: Onsite Wastewater
- FEMA Community Status Book: Arkansas
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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More Arkansas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Greene County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.