Malvern, Arkansas Building Permit Guide

The City of Malvern’s Building Department, staffed by the Fire Marshal’s office at 712 West Moline Street, issues building and trade permits inside the city limits and reviews plans before work starts. Most permits cost $0.05 per square foot with a $40 minimum, under the fee schedule adopted by Ordinance 2016-11.

What needs a permit in Malvern?

The municipal code requires a permit before any structure is built, rebuilt, altered or repaired inside the city limits. The City’s fee schedule and online forms cover:

Who issues permits in Malvern?

The Building Department issues permits and enforces local and state codes. It reviews building plans and holds preconstruction meetings before permits are issued, so problems can be raised before work begins. Its contacts are the Fire Marshal, the Deputy Fire Marshal and a permit technician, and the Fire Marshal’s office also carries out a building and fire inspection of every new business as part of its privilege licence approval.

Land outside the city limits is in unincorporated Hot Spring County, which the City’s permit office does not cover.

Applying for a Malvern permit

The City’s Permit Applications page links online forms for Building, Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing permits and a printable Eradication form. Applying online takes three steps: choose the form, complete and submit it (a PDF copy can be emailed to you), then pay through GovPayNow; the application is not complete until it is paid.

The building form asks for the contractor’s licence number, the project type and the new square footage under roof, and calculates $0.05 per square foot. Fence permits are the exception: they must be obtained in person at the Building Department.

The City’s FAQs say a licensed contractor is not needed by an owner building his or her own home (no more than one a year) or improving it, or for residential jobs of $2,000 or less, and a commercial licence is not needed for the owner’s own property or work of $50,000 or less; none of these exceptions applies to projects meant for lease, rent, resale or public access. Every business working in Malvern also needs a City privilege licence, and remodeling contractors must show their state licence to get one.

Malvern permit fees

Ordinance 2016-11, adopted on July 11, 2016, set the schedule now in section 16.16.020 of the Malvern Municipal Code; the same figures appear on the City’s posted fee schedule, and no later fee change appears in the 2026 council agendas.

Example: a new house with 2,000 sq ft under roof pays $100 for the building permit; plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits are charged separately at $0.05 per square foot on their own measures. Work started without a permit pays double fees and can be fined $100 to $1,000 for each day. An older Expiration of Permits sheet on the City’s site still shows $30 for an extension; the adopted code says $40.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

The City’s FAQs list the codes it enforces: the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code (Volumes I to III), the 2021 Arkansas Mechanical Code, the 2020 National Electrical Code, the 2018 Arkansas Fuel Gas and Plumbing Codes and the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code. Section 16.64.010 of the municipal code, re-adopted by Ordinance 2023-06, adopts the 2014 Arkansas Energy Code; the FAQ’s “2018” energy code line does not match it. In any building other than the owner’s own primary residence, a licensed master or journeyman electrician, plumber or HVAC professional must do the work, apart from replacing existing fixtures and appliances. When an electrical service is upgraded, the City requires working smoke detectors, an outside means of disconnect and GFCI-protected bathroom receptacles.

Plans and plan review

The online building form says engineer-stamped plans are required on all commercial and new construction. Plans are checked against the IRC or IBC plan review sheet before the permit is issued, and pre-1978 buildings trigger the EPA lead-safe work question on the application.

How to get a Malvern permit

Inspections in Malvern

Call the Building Department at 501-332-3638, option 2, for inspections. A home’s building permit includes footing, framing and final inspections; new plumbing includes rough-in, top-out and final; electrical includes in-wall and final; mechanical includes duct and final. Each additional inspection or re-inspection costs $30, paid at the time of inspection.

A permit becomes invalid if work is suspended or abandoned for six months. Resuming needs a new permit at half the new-permit fee, provided the plans have not changed and the suspension has not exceeded six months; a change of contractor means a new, full permit fee.

Local rules that affect Malvern projects

Manufactured homes: they are not allowed in the R1 district. In R2 they must be multi-section units, anchored to state or manufacturer standards, facing the street like nearby houses, with continuous underpinning, front steps with handrails and the transport hitch and axles removed; R3 has the same rules except the multi-section and orientation requirements. Every section must carry its HUD label.

Setbacks: in R1 the minimum lot is 8,000 sq ft, with a 25 ft front setback (or 50 ft from the road centerline, whichever is greater), 10 ft side yards and a 25 ft rear yard. Accessory buildings must be at least 5 ft from the rear line and, on interior lots, 3 ft from the side lines and 90 ft from the front lot line.

Flood zones: Chapter 20.20 of the Malvern Municipal Code requires a development permit for any development in a special flood hazard area, and the code enforcement officer is the floodplain administrator. Since Ordinance 01-22 of 2001, the code bars building any home or commercial structure with its floor lower than 1 foot above the 100-year flood elevation; section 16.04.011 sets the same 1 foot rule for the lowest floor, basement included. Malvern participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current flood map dated March 3, 2011.

Right-of-way: work in a City right-of-way needs a $40 permit and must stay 18 inches from Malvern Water utilities; a street cut costs at least $750.

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

Malvern permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Malvern?

The City’s Building Department, run from the Fire Marshal’s office at 712 West Moline Street (501-332-3638, option 2).

How much does a building permit cost in Malvern?

Most permits are $0.05 per square foot with a $40 minimum; a 2,000 sq ft new house pays $100 for the building permit, plus separate trade permits.

Can I apply online?

Yes. Building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits have online forms, and fees are paid through GovPayNow or at the office. Fence permits must be obtained in person.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes, but accessory buildings under 200 sq ft get a no-fee permit; 201 to 500 sq ft costs $40. A plot plan is needed in every case.

How long is a Malvern permit valid?

One year from issue, and work must start within six months. Extensions of 90 days cost $40 each.

How high must a building sit in a Malvern flood zone?

The floor of any home or commercial building must be at least 1 foot above the 100-year flood elevation, and development in a special flood hazard area needs a development permit from the code enforcement officer, who is the floodplain administrator.

Can I do my own electrical or plumbing work?

The City’s FAQs say a licensed tradesman is not required for work in your own primary residence, but that work still needs a permit and inspection. In other buildings, a licensed tradesman must do everything except replacing existing fixtures and appliances.

Official Malvern permit resources

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

• Malvern Building Department
• Malvern permit applications
• Malvern online building permit application
• Malvern permit fee schedule
• Malvern code enforcement FAQs and adopted codes
• Malvern electrical permit and service upgrade rules
• Malvern residential and commercial permit submittal checklists
• Malvern zoning and subdivision documents
• Malvern Municipal Code, Chapter 16.16 Building Permits
• Malvern Municipal Code, Chapter 20.20 Flood Damage Prevention

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