Ouachita County government has no building or planning office, so it issues no building permits for land outside the towns. Its own pages list 911 Addressing and Emergency Management at 870-837-2206 and the County Shop for road problems. Camden runs a full building inspection program, East Camden’s posted ordinances require building permits, and Stephens posts an unsigned building permit fee ordinance; ask Stephens City Hall whether it is in force.
Who handles building permits in Ouachita County?
The County Judge’s office (P.O. Box 644, Camden; 870-837-2210) runs county roads and administers Quorum Court ordinances. The Quorum Court meets on the first Tuesday of each month, and the County Clerk at 145 Jefferson Street SW ((870) 837-2220) posts its agenda packets. The November 2026 meeting is set for November 10 because of the election.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place (2025 population) | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| Camden (10,127) | Building Inspections Team (Code Enforcement): building, electrical, plumbing, sign and moving permits, plan review and certificates of occupancy; 870-837-5508 |
| East Camden (758) | City Hall, 870-574-2900. Its posted Ordinance No. 19 (1969) requires a permit before erecting, enlarging, repairing or removing a building, and Ordinance 18-02 (2018) adopted the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code as its building code |
| Stephens (749) | City Hall, 121 Ruby Street; 870-786-5404. The city posts an unsigned building permit fee ordinance (No. 366-2024); ask City Hall whether it was adopted |
| Bearden (738), Chidester (243), Louann (149) | The published sources do not say; Bearden City Hall is at (870) 687-2204 and Chidester City Hall at (870) 685-2906, per the county’s Our Cities page |
| Unincorporated Ouachita County | No county building permit; request a 911 address from 911 Addressing |
East Camden’s 1969 ordinance sends each application to the City Recorder and then to the council at its next meeting, which may refuse a permit for a fire, health or traffic hazard; minor repairs that involve no major work on the outside walls are exempt. The same ordinance sets the permit fee by the estimated cost of materials and labor: $1.50 up to $500, $2.50 from $500 to $1,000, $3.50 from $1,000 to $2,000, and $0.50 for each additional $1,000. Violations are misdemeanors with fines of up to $15 for each day. Ask City Hall (870-574-2900) whether it still charges this 1969 schedule. Under East Camden’s Ordinance 99-02 (1999), mobile and manufactured homes are not allowed in the R1 and R2 zones; in commercial and industrial zones each needs a permit from the building inspector with a $25 non-refundable fee and a Board of Adjustment hearing, plus approved skirting, tie-downs and two off-street parking spaces.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Stephens posted building permit fees
Stephens posts Ordinance No. 366-2024 on building permits and fees, but the posted copy is unsigned: its recitals say the city “has proposed” the fee schedule, the signature, adoption date and vote lines are blank, and its page headers read 365-2024. Ask City Hall (870-786-5404) whether it was adopted before relying on these figures. The posted schedule bases the fee on the total cost of construction and exempts agricultural buildings from inspections and fees.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Construction costing $10,000 or less | No fee, unless an inspection is required; then the $25 inspection fee |
| Construction costing $10,001 and up | $25 plus $1 for each additional $1,000 |
| Re-inspection | $25 |
| Plan review (commercial or industrial buildings only) | $25 |
| House or manufactured home moving or set-up | $25 |
| Single phase of construction or miscellaneous inspection | $25 per inspection |
| Lost permit | $15 |
| Completion deposit | 50% of the building permit fee, refunded when the certificate of occupancy is issued |
Ouachita County charges no building permit fee because it issues no building permits. Camden’s fees are set in its own code of ordinances.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Addresses, roads, flood maps and septic systems
911 addresses: 911 Addressing shares the Judge’s mailing address (P.O. Box 644, Camden) and answers at 870-837-2206, the same line as Emergency Management.
County roads: call the County Shop at 870-837-2212 about road problems, tree limbs and debris.
Flood maps: FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Ouachita County as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with its current map dated December 17, 2010. Bearden, Camden, Chidester and East Camden also participate; Louann and Stephens are in the not-participating section.
Septic systems: the Arkansas Department of Health reviews onsite wastewater permit applications for systems under 1,500 gallons per day. Camden Water Utilities asks for that Health Department septic approval before it sets a water tap for property outside the city.
Planning a build in Ouachita County
Camden and East Camden permit inside their limits; for Stephens, Bearden, Chidester or Louann, call the town; anywhere else is county land.
Find the lot on the December 2010 flood map before you design.
Where there is no sewer, get the Health Department approval; a Camden water tap outside the city needs it too.
Call 911 Addressing at 870-837-2206.
In Camden or East Camden, apply at City Hall; in Stephens, ask whether the posted fee schedule and 50% completion deposit apply.
Rather not deal with the Ouachita 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
Ouachita County permit FAQs
Does Ouachita County issue building permits?
No. The county has no building office. Camden requires permits inside the city, and East Camden’s posted ordinances require them there.
Who issues building permits in Camden?
Camden’s Building Inspections Team in the Code Enforcement Department, at 870-837-5508. It issues building, electrical, plumbing, sign and moving permits.
How much is a building permit in Stephens?
The posted, unsigned Ordinance No. 366-2024 lists no fee for work costing $10,000 or less unless an inspection is needed ($25), and $25 plus $1 per additional $1,000 above that, with a 50% completion deposit refunded at the certificate of occupancy. Ask City Hall whether it is in force.
Who assigns addresses in rural Ouachita County?
911 Addressing, at 870-837-2206.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Is Ouachita County in the flood insurance program?
Yes, with a current flood map dated December 17, 2010. Louann and Stephens are listed as not participating.
Who approves a septic system outside Camden?
The Arkansas Department of Health, which reviews onsite systems under 1,500 gallons per day.
Official Ouachita County permit resources
- Ouachita County courthouse contacts (Judge, 911 Addressing, Emergency Management)
- Ouachita County roads and solid waste
- Ouachita County: Our Cities
- Ouachita County Clerk (Quorum Court agendas)
- City of Camden Code Enforcement
- City of East Camden building ordinances
- City of Stephens Ordinance No. 366-2024, building permits and fees, posted unsigned copy (PDF)
- 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 Ouachita County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.