Washington County, AR Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Ag/single-family permits
- Deemed already issued
- Conditional use fee
- $100.00 to Planning Office
- Wireless facility add-on fee
- $1,500.00, refundable if unused
- Standard neighbor notice
- 300 feet, 14 days by certified letter
- Large scale development notice
- 1/2 mile, 30 days
- Appeal path
- Board, Quorum Court, Circuit Court (30 days each)
Summary
Washington County's unincorporated area does not require a separate building permit for ordinary agricultural or single-family construction: Code of Ordinances Section 1320.07(16) deems those permits already issued. Anything else, a conditional use, a variance, or a non-conforming expansion, needs an actual building permit or plat approval from the Planning Administrator and, often, Zoning Board of Adjustment review before work can begin.
16) BUILDING PERMITS. The provisions of this article shall be administered by the Planning Administrator; building permits are hereby deemed to be issued for agricultural and single-family residential uses. All conditional uses and uses requiring a variance are required to have a building permit or plat approval.
17) VIOLATIONS. A violation of this article shall be punishable and enforceable as set out in Washington County Code section 11-114.
18) APPLICABILITY. This article shall apply to all uses that have not received preliminary approval by both the City and County before the effective date of this article. This article shall not apply to any business or industry currently negotiating with any city to locate adjacent to the city limits.
Full Breakdown
00 fee for a personal wireless services facility to cover a court reporter for the Quorum Court hearing, refundable if unused. The Planning Administrator must notify adjoining owners within 300 feet by certified letter at least 14 days before the Board meeting, or within one-half mile at least 30 days out for a Large Scale Development. The Board decides conditional uses by majority vote and variances by a three-fourths majority, and every conditional use must still be ratified by the Quorum Court sitting in its legislative capacity, by ordinance, under subsection 10.
Non-conforming uses under subsection 7 are treated as conditional uses for any expansion, re-establishment, or rebuilding, and likewise require a building permit or plat approval. This permitting scheme was adopted by Ord. 2006-066, passed November 13, 2006, and last amended by Ord. 2015-090, passed November 23, 2015.
Violations & Fines
Section 1320.07(17) states that "a violation of this article shall be punishable and enforceable as set out in Washington County Code section 11-114." A denied or conditioned Board decision can be appealed to the Quorum Court within thirty days on a form filed with the County Clerk, and from there to Circuit Court within another thirty days of the Quorum Court's ruling, under subsection 15.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a building permit to build a house on agricultural land in unincorporated Washington County?
What triggers an actual building permit or plat approval requirement?
How much does a conditional use or variance application cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Arkansas building safety overview
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