Sherwood, Arkansas Building Permit Guide

Inside Sherwood, permits come from the City’s Engineering, Permits & Planning Department, whose Permit and Planning Division issues building permits and separate electrical, plumbing and HVACR permits. A new home’s building permit costs $0.16 per square foot under roof, and every general contractor must first post a $10,000 bond with the City.

What needs a permit in Sherwood?

The residential application lists the classes of work the City permits, and Sherwood’s amendments to the state code remove the usual exemptions for small storage buildings and fences:

Who issues permits in Sherwood?

The Engineering, Permits & Planning Department has two divisions: Engineering, and Permit and Planning. Permit applications, fees and inspections are handled by the Permit and Planning Division, which the City’s trade forms call the Building Codes Division, and the department recommends ordinances and resolutions to the Mayor and City Council.

Unincorporated land around Sherwood is handled by Pulaski County, not the City.

Sherwood forms and contractor requirements

The department’s page posts PDF forms for:

• Residential Building Permit and Commercial Building Permit Application.
• Electrical, Plumbing and HVACR permit applications, each with its own fee sheet.
• Accessory Dwelling Unit Application.
• New Home Building Packet, which bundles the residential application, occupancy compliance form, stormwater permit, homebuilder affidavit, code list and inspection guide.
• Grading and Land Alteration, Stormwater, Floodplain Development and Street and Right-of-Way Work permits.

Before a permit is approved for a general contractor, the City needs a current contractor’s licence, a current city business license and a current $10,000 bond payable to the City of Sherwood; the code applies the bond rule to every building trade contractor who contracts for permitted work. Subcontractors must also be licensed and bonded with the City. Applications filed without plans and a scope of work are automatically denied, and all permit fees are non-refundable.

Sherwood permit fees

The building permit for a new home is $0.16 per square foot under roof under sections 11.04.07 and 11.16.03 of the Sherwood Municipal Code. Other building permits follow the fee schedule adopted with Ordinance 2057, and the trade fees are printed on each application.

Example: a 2,000 sq ft new home pays $320 for the building permit; the electrician, plumber and HVACR contractor each pay their own permit fees on top. Commercial permits also carry the state Act 474 construction surcharge of 50 cents per $1,000 of total job cost. No fee change appears in the City Council’s July to October 2026 agenda packets.

Electrical, plumbing and HVACR permits

Each trade pulls its own permit, and only the trade contractor holding that permit can request its inspections. Sample fees from the City’s applications:

The City’s code and homebuilder packet list the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code (Ordinance 2057), the 2017 National Electrical Code, the 2021 International Mechanical Code, the 2018 Arkansas Plumbing and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2014 Arkansas Energy Code; the state has applied the 2021 Fire Prevention Code statewide since January 1, 2023, and the state electrical code is the 2020 NEC. Commercial plumbing needs Arkansas Department of Health approval, as does residential plumbing for buildings larger than a fourplex.

Commercial plan submittal

Commercial plans go in as one electronic copy and three paper copies, on a platted lot, with:

Commercial work over $100,000 needs an architect’s or engineer’s stamp, and assembly, educational and institutional buildings need one whatever the cost. A non-standard building design needs its own application.

How to get a Sherwood permit

Inspections in Sherwood

A permit box holding the permit card must stand in an accessible spot on the job site, and inspections other than the saw meter are not done without it. The address must be posted and readable from the street. Inspectors leave correction notices in the permit box; once the work is fixed, a new request is made and the $25 re-inspection fee is paid before the Certificate of Occupancy.

A portable toilet must be within 100 ft of the property line until a plumbed toilet is available, and nothing may be moved into the house before the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.

Local rules that affect Sherwood projects

Flood zones: development in a mapped flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit. The permit expires if work does not start within six months, and a Certificate of Compliance follows only after a FEMA Elevation Certificate shows the as-built floor elevation. Subdivisions of more than 50 lots or 5 acres must supply 100-year flood elevations. Sherwood participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated July 6, 2015.

Permit extensions: one 90-day extension is free if requested in writing for good cause; after that, a replacement permit for another 90 days costs half the original building permit fee.

Stormwater: the stormwater permit asks for silt fence, wattles or check dams and any ADEQ permit, and all protective devices must be in place before grading starts.

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

Sherwood permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Sherwood?

The City’s Engineering, Permits & Planning Department at 31 Shelby Road (501-835-4753) issues building and trade permits inside the city limits.

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

$0.16 per square foot under roof, so $320 for a 2,000 sq ft house, before the separate electrical, plumbing and HVACR permits.

Do I need a permit for a storage building or fence?

Yes. Sherwood’s code amendments require permits for storage buildings and fences regardless of size.

What does a contractor need before getting a permit?

A current contractor’s licence, a city business license and a $10,000 bond payable to the City of Sherwood.

How long is a residential permit valid?

Twelve months from issue, and work must start within 180 days. One free 90-day extension can be granted on a written request.

What does a failed inspection cost?

The re-inspection fee is $25, and it must be paid before final sign-off.

Official Sherwood building-permit resources

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

• Sherwood Engineering, Permits & Planning
• Sherwood residential building permit application
• Sherwood commercial building permit application
• Sherwood commercial building checklist
• Sherwood new home building packet
• Sherwood electrical permit application
• Sherwood plumbing permit application
• Sherwood HVACR permit application
• Sherwood floodplain development permit application
• Sherwood Municipal Code, Title 11 Buildings and Construction

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