Sharp County’s government, at 718 Ash Flat Drive in Ash Flat (County Judge’s office 870-994-7338), lists no building, planning or permit department, and its posted 2026 quorum court records deal with budgets. Building permits come from the cities: Ash Flat charges $500 for a new house under an August 2026 ordinance, Cherokee Village takes applications through its iWorQ portal, and Hardy, Highland and Horseshoe Bend require their own permits. On county land, septic systems need an Arkansas Department of Health permit.
Who issues building permits in Sharp County?
The county’s departments page lists the County Judge, Sheriff, County and Circuit Clerk, Treasurer, Assessor, Collector, Coroner, Quorum Court, District Court, Veterans Service Office, Prosecutor, dispatch and detention center, all at 718 Ash Flat Drive, but no permit, planning, floodplain or road office. Populations below are Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates; several towns straddle county lines.
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Get a free quote →| Place | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| Cherokee Village (4,112 in Sharp; part in Fulton) | City of Cherokee Village Planning & Zoning office, City Hall, 2 Santee Dr.; (870) 257-5522; applications and permits through the City’s iWorQ portal. Its fee schedule (Ordinance 2017-01) charges room additions $100 to $500 by size, a manufactured home $300 and a new commercial building $0.25 per sq ft; a $900 lot-clearing permit, issued once the septic plat is in, counts toward the home permit if that permit follows within 30 days |
| Cave City (1,805 in Sharp; part in Independence County) | City of Cave City: building permits from the Mayor or the Mayor’s designee under the City’s Zoning Code (Ordinance 2025-04, revised 2026), with a plot plan; City Hall, 201 S. Main Street, 870-283-5455 |
| Highland (1,060) | City of Highland: Ordinance 05-56 requires a City building permit for new structures, new homes, remodels and commercial construction, and Ordinance 09-01 for plumbing or electrical reconfiguration; 870-856-6199 |
| Ash Flat (1,058 in Sharp; part in Fulton) | City of Ash Flat Code Enforcement Department, City Hall, 869 Ash Flat Dr.; (870) 994-7324; Monday–Thursday 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Friday 7–11 a.m. |
| Hardy (744 in Sharp; part in Fulton) | City of Hardy: the City Code’s Building Official receives applications, issues permits and inspects; City Hall (870) 856-3811 |
| Evening Shade (433) | The published sources do not say; ask the city |
| Sidney (203) | The published sources do not say; ask the town |
| Williford (85) | The published sources do not say; ask the town |
| Horseshoe Bend (13 in Sharp; mostly Izard County) | Horseshoe Bend’s Building Inspector, in the Building and Zoning office at 704 Commerce Street (870-670-5113) |
| Unincorporated Sharp County | No county building permit is published; septic permits from the Arkansas Department of Health |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Ash Flat permit fees (Ordinance 8-1-2026)
Ash Flat, the county seat, set its permit fees in Ordinance 8-1-2026, passed with an emergency clause on August 13, 2026. No permit is issued until the fees are paid, work started without a permit pays double, and the Council may raise the fees 3% each January.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New house or relocated building (permit, plan review and all inspections) | $500 |
| New mobile home installation | $300 |
| Residential addition, carport, storage building, garage or deck | $250 |
| Residential alteration (new roofing or siding, load centers, storm repairs, fences) | $50; roofing or siding also a $200 deposit until a landfill receipt is shown |
| Residential HVAC replacement or alteration | $50 |
| Residential demolition (90 days to finish) | $200 deposit |
| New commercial building up to 11,999 sq ft | $1,000 plus the state fee |
| New commercial building of 12,000 sq ft or more | $2,000 plus the state fee |
| Commercial addition | $750 up to 2,500 sq ft; $1,000 above |
| Commercial alteration | $750 |
| Commercial HVAC | $100 |
| Commercial roof | $100 plus a $500 deposit |
| Commercial demolition | $500 deposit |
| Swimming pool | $45; re-inspection after pump, electrical, lighting or fence work $25 |
| Commercial water heater or dishwasher | $50 each |
| Re-inspection | $35 |
| Investigative fee (inadequate information or work begun without a permit) | $45 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →The ordinance also limits fences, walls and plantings on corner lots to 3 ft in height within 15 ft of the street corner.
Flood maps and septic systems in Sharp County
Flood insurance: FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Sharp County as a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current flood map dated September 16, 2011. Ash Flat, Cave City, Cherokee Village, Evening Shade, Hardy, Highland and Horseshoe Bend also participate, and Ash Flat regulates panels 16, 17 and 18 of the county’s flood map. Sidney and Williford are listed as not participating. The county’s site names no floodplain administrator; ask the County Judge’s office about a site in a flood hazard area.
Septic systems: where there is no public sewer, a septic system needs an onsite wastewater permit from the Arkansas Department of Health, whose local specialists handle systems of less than 1,500 gallons a day.
Rather not deal with the Sharp County building department?
Get a free quote →Steps for building in Sharp County
Check whether the lot is inside Ash Flat, Cherokee Village, Hardy, Highland or Horseshoe Bend, or another town.
In Ash Flat, call the Code Enforcement Department; in Cherokee Village, apply through iWorQ; in Highland, permits are required before work starts and must be displayed on site.
Look up the site on the county’s September 16, 2011 flood map before you design.
Without sewer, apply to the Arkansas Department of Health for the onsite system 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
Sharp County permit FAQs
Does Sharp County issue building permits?
The county lists no building or planning office and publishes no permit program; the cities, including Ash Flat, Cherokee Village, Hardy, Highland and Horseshoe Bend, issue their own.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Ash Flat?
$500 under Ordinance 8-1-2026, including plan review and the inspections; a new mobile home installation is $300.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →How do I get a building permit in Cherokee Village?
Through the City’s iWorQ permit portal, or call the Planning & Zoning office at (870) 257-5522. Allow at least seven working days, and bring a certified perc test and the warranty deed with the application.
Is Sharp County in the flood insurance program?
Yes, with a flood map dated September 16, 2011; most of its cities participate too.
Who permits septic systems in Sharp County?
The Arkansas Department of Health.
Official Sharp County permit resources
- Sharp County departments and contacts
- Sharp County Quorum Court minutes and agendas
- City of Ash Flat Ordinance 8-1-2026, building permit fees
- City of Ash Flat
- City of Cherokee Village Planning & Zoning (building permits)
- City of Cherokee Village building permit procedures and fees
- City of Highland Ordinance 05-56, building permits
- City of Hardy documents and municipal code
- City of Horseshoe Bend Building and Zoning
- 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 Sharp County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.