Randolph County, Arkansas Building Permit Guide

The Randolph County quorum court ordinances indexed in the county’s document search include no building code or zoning, and its 2024–2026 ordinances deal with budgets, grants, elections and animals. Two county rules touch construction: Ordinance 2012-6 sets up a flood damage prevention program for every mapped flood hazard area in the county’s jurisdiction, and Ordinance 2023-16 requires notice, sound studies and a noise plan before a data center is built in the unincorporated county. Inside Pocahontas the city’s Code Enforcement Officer and Building Inspector issue permits; county questions go to the County Judge at the courthouse, 107 West Broadway (870-892-5264).

Who issues building permits in Randolph County?

County contacts are listed on the state’s Arkansas.gov county page: the courthouse is at 107 West Broadway, Pocahontas, and the County Judge’s office answers at 870-892-5264. Its quorum court ordinances are searchable in the CIS county document search. Populations below are Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates.

Pocahontas permits, county flood and data center rules, septic

Pocahontas: permits and inspections are required to build, alter or enlarge any structure and to install, alter, repair or replace electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing work. Contractors must show their licences; a homeowner may do the work on their own primary residence without a licence but still needs the permits and inspections. Return the application with a scaled plot plan in two copies to City Hall or by email to codeenforce@cityofpocahontas.com. Once it is approved the City phones the applicant with the fee, which is paid by cash or check at City Hall or online through Arkansas Gov Pay. City Code 11.04.04 (Ordinance 417) prices a permit at $5 for the first $1,000 of cost and $2 for each further $1,000. Work started before the permit is charged double, except emergency meter or service repairs after storms or accidents. The Code Enforcement Office’s forms list (870) 378-0263; inspections booked at 892-9661 or by email are made the next business day, and nothing may be covered before it is inspected; commercial and industrial jobs need a Certificate of Occupancy application before the final inspection. A swimming pool permit costs $50, and the pool also needs plumbing and electrical permits. A permit lapses after 180 days without work. On April 14, 2026 the City Council passed Ordinance 2026-10, rewriting its rules for wireless communication towers.

Flood damage prevention: Ordinance 2012-6, passed March 8, 2012, applies to all Special Flood Hazard Areas in the county’s jurisdiction and uses the Flood Insurance Study and flood map dated May 2, 2012. It adopts the county’s Flood Damage Prevention Code of March 8, 2012, a copy of which is kept at the Tax Assessor’s office. The Floodplain Administrator enforces it, and violations carry fines of up to $500 a day. FEMA lists the county, Pocahontas, Biggers, Maynard and Reyno as participating in the flood insurance program; O’Kean and Ravenden Springs are listed as not in the program.

Data centers: Ordinance 2023-16, passed July 14, 2023, applies in the unincorporated county. Before a data center is built or operated, the owner and operator must notify every resident within half a mile and the County Judge, have a third-party acoustic engineer document baseline sound levels, and file a noise attenuation building plan with the County Judge and County Clerk; a post-construction study must follow before operation. Sound measured at the receiving property line may not reach 65 dBA from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. or 55 dBA from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. A conviction carries a fine of $1,000 for each offense, or double that for a repeat, plus $500 for each day the violation continues.

Addresses: a 1991 county ordinance (No. 199) set up the uniform building numbering and road naming system used for 911 addresses.

Septic systems: on rural lots the onsite wastewater permit comes from the Department of Health’s local Environmental Health Specialists.

Steps for building in Randolph County

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

Randolph County permit FAQs

Does Randolph County issue building permits?

No county building permit or zoning ordinance appears among the quorum court ordinances indexed in the CIS document search. The county does regulate development in mapped flood hazard areas under Ordinance 2012-6 and data center noise under Ordinance 2023-16.

What does Randolph County require before building a data center?

Notice to residents within half a mile and to the County Judge, 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 property line.

Who issues building permits in Pocahontas?

The City’s Code Enforcement Officer and Building Inspector at City Hall, 410 N. Marr St.

Can a homeowner do their own work in Pocahontas?

Yes, on their own primary residence, without a licence, but permits and inspections are still required.

How much is a building permit in Pocahontas?

The City Code sets $5 for the first $1,000 of cost and $2 for each additional $1,000; the City calls with the fee once the application is approved.

Who permits septic systems?

The Arkansas Department of Health, through its local Environmental Health Specialists.

Official Randolph County permit resources

• Randolph County courthouse contacts (Arkansas.gov)
• Randolph County quorum court ordinances (CIS document search)
• Randolph County Ordinance 2012-6, flood damage prevention
• City of Pocahontas Code Enforcement and building permits
• City of Pocahontas building permit application
• City of Pocahontas Municipal Code Title 11, Buildings and Construction
• Randolph County Ordinance 2023-16, data center noise
• Arkansas Department of Health: Onsite Wastewater
• FEMA Community Status Book: Arkansas

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