Permit guide · Washington County

Building permits in Fayetteville

Who to call before you build in the city of Fayetteville, what they publish, and what they do not. Everything below came from the jurisdiction's own website.

Last checked July 27, 2026 · City

Department
Building Safety Division, Development Services Department
Address
113 W Mountain St, Fayetteville 72701
Phone
479-575-8238
Counter hours
Hours are not published. Call before you drive over.
Code edition
2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Codes based on the 2021 International Fire Code, 2021 International Building Code and 2021 International Residential Code; 2020 edition of the National Electrical Code; 2014 Arkansas Energy Code. Effective January 1, 2023.
Permit portalFee scheduleCall 479-575-8238

How inspections work

Request inspections through the city's Citizen Self-Service (EnerGov) portal. The city states a minimum of one day's prior notice is required to request an inspection. No separate inspection-only phone line is published on the pages that could be read.

What the office says about permits

The city states that field inspections are made on all construction, including additions, alterations and repairs, and that a minimum of one day's prior notice is required to request an inspection. Fayetteville does publish a dedicated FAQ titled 'When do I not need a permit?' at fayetteville-ar.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=365, but that page could not be retrieved during this research, so no exemption list (water heater, HVAC changeout, reroof, deck, fence, siding) is recorded here. Confirmed fee lines from the city's Fees page: Building Permit Renewal $50; Re-Inspection Fee $25 with subsequent re-inspections doubling to a $200 maximum; Permit Processing Fee $200; Temporary Certificate of Occupancy $25; Outside City Limits Plumbing $20 per inspection; Plan Review Fee equal to one half of the total permit fees. Commercial building permit fees are based on the use of the building and the cost of construction. No flat base residential building permit fee was published on the readable pages.

Work that may not need a permit

This jurisdiction does not publish a list of exempt work. Do not assume a small job is exempt; one phone call settles it.

Contractor registration

not yet confirmed as a stated prerequisite. The city says all businesses inside city limits must obtain a Business License unless exempt (fayetteville-ar.gov/297/Business-License), but the city pages that could be read do not state that a business license or contractor registration must be on file before a permit is issued. The city does publish an FAQ titled 'When do I need an Arkansas Contractor's License Number?' that could not be retrieved. Verify by phone.

Can a homeowner pull their own permit?

not yet confirmed in the city's own wording. The Building Safety document list includes an 'Owner Builder Affidavit' and a 'Certificate of Ownership - Trade Permit', which indicates owner-builder permits exist, but the city's policy page ('Who can apply for a permit?') could not be retrieved. Verify before relying on it.

Source. Everything above was read from https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/538/Building-Safety and checked on July 27, 2026. Cities change fees and hours without announcing it, so call before you drive over. Nothing here is legal advice and only the jurisdiction can tell you whether your specific job needs a permit.

Permit offices in Benton and Washington counties

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