Maumelle, Arkansas Building Permit Guide

The City of Maumelle’s Planning & Permits office issues building, electrical, plumbing, gas and HVAC permits for property inside the city limits, with applications filed online in the City’s OpenGov portal. A new house pays $0.19 per square foot under roof for the building permit and $0.07 per square foot for each of the electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits.

What needs a permit in Maumelle?

Homeowners who live in a house may make most repairs themselves, but the City still requires a permit and inspections for these common jobs:

If you hire someone for any of this work, make sure the company has bought the permit.

Who handles permits in Maumelle?

Planning & Permits handles building permits, code enforcement and planning applications. Scott Grummer is the Director of Planning & Economic Development. The code enforcement and permits staff inspect the work, and the Fire Department reviews multi-family and commercial plans for fire and life safety.

Land outside the city limits is unincorporated Pulaski County, which has its own planning office.

Maumelle online applications

All permit applications are made in the City’s OpenGov citizen portal (the older viewpointcloud address forwards there). The Planning & Permits category lists separate online applications for:

• Residential Building Permit and Commercial Building Permit.
• Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical permits; the mechanical permit covers replacements and new commercial work, not new homes.
• Solar System and Generator permits (the generator permit needs the electrician’s and plumber’s licence details).
• Deck (with a link to the prescriptive deck guide), Patio Cover or Car Port, Accessory Structure, Storm Shelter and Swimming Pool permits.
• Fence, Roofing, Retaining Wall, Grading, Demolition, Sign and Excavation and Cut permits.
• Site plan review, subdivision, rezoning, conditional use and variance applications.

Builders of a new home, or of an addition or remodel worth $2,000 or more, must attach a copy of their state residential building contractor’s licence and a certificate of liability insurance. An owner building their own home is exempt from the licence rule unless they build more than one house a year.

Maumelle permit fees

Fees are set in Appendix C of the Maumelle City Code, last amended for building permits by Ordinance 943 in 2017. No fee change appears in the City Council’s 2026 agendas.

Example: a new 2,000 sq ft house pays $380 for the building permit and $140 each for the electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits, or $800, before gas fees. A remodel fee can never exceed $0.19 per square foot under roof of the whole building.

Starting work before applying for a permit costs three times the normal permit fee. Commercial projects over $75,000, other than one- and two-family homes, need architect drawings or approval.

Trade permits and fire review

Outside new-home construction, trade work is permitted and charged separately under the City Code:

Section 14-32 of the City Code adopts the building and residential codes as amended into the Arkansas Fire Code, the International Existing Building Code, the National Electrical Code as adopted by the state, and the most recent Arkansas energy, plumbing and gas, mechanical and fire codes, with NFPA 101 as a reference. The fee schedule also lists a $25 homeowner’s examination fee for electrical work.

What to include with an application

Pools must sit at least 10 ft from the rear property line and 8 ft from the side lines.

How to get a Maumelle permit

Inspections in Maumelle

Contact Permits at 501-851-2784, ext. 229, to arrange inspections. Electrical work has rough and finish inspections, plumbing has slab, rough and final inspections, and a re-inspection costs $40. An extra electrical trip caused by the electrician’s own errors, such as a wrong address, is charged $25.

Before any fence permit is issued, the owner must flag the property lines and the proposed fence line and ask a code enforcement officer to verify them, then tell the City when the fence is finished so it can be inspected. A job site without the required portable toilet can be issued a stop work order.

Local rules that affect Maumelle projects

Flood zones: Chapter 30 of the City Code requires new homes in an AE flood zone to have the lowest floor at least 1 foot above the published base flood elevation, recorded on an Elevation Certificate. The mayor or the mayor’s designee is the floodplain administrator. Maumelle participates in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Fences: residential fences may be no more than 6 ft tall, must stop at the front building line, must be built of wood, decorative wrought iron, composite, brick or large rock (PVC that looks like wood or iron is allowed), and must be finished within six weeks. Each fence needs a gate at least 3 ft wide, a 2 inch gap at the bottom where it crosses a drainage path, and must stay 10 ft from the top of the backslope of an open ditch. Pool fences must be at least 48 inches high.

Grading: Ordinance 1166, adopted on February 2, 2026, makes clear that a subdivision’s plat approval does not authorize land clearing, grubbing or mass grading, which need a grading permit.

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

Maumelle permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Maumelle?

The City’s Planning & Permits office at 550 Edgewood Drive (501-851-2784, ext. 229) issues building and trade permits inside the city limits.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Maumelle?

$0.19 per square foot under roof for the building permit, plus $0.07 per square foot each for the electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits: $0.40 per square foot in all.

Can I apply online?

Yes. Every permit type, from decks and fences to commercial buildings, has an online application in the City’s OpenGov portal.

Do I need a permit to build a fence in Maumelle?

Yes, a separate permit for each lot. Fences cost $30, may be no taller than 6 ft and must be finished within six weeks.

How long is a permit valid?

One year, or as long as appreciable progress continues; more than three months without progress can lead to revocation.

What happens if I build without a permit?

The City charges three times the normal permit fee, on top of any fine.

Official Maumelle permit resources

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

• Maumelle building, code enforcement and permits
• Maumelle OpenGov permit applications
• Maumelle City Code Appendix C, fees
• Maumelle City Code Chapter 14, buildings and fences
• Maumelle City Code Chapter 30, floods

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