Fort Smith, AR Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Building height limits in Fort Smith are set district-by-district by Article 27-400 of the Unified Development Ordinance (Chapter 27 of the Fort Smith Municipal Code) as part of each district's bulk standards. The low-density residential districts of Division II have lower height caps consistent with single-family residential character, while the RH High Density Residential district (Section 27-416), mixed-use, commercial and industrial districts allow taller buildings. Article 27-600 (General Development Standards) provides supplemental rules, including exceptions for church spires, mechanical penthouses, cell towers, water tanks and similar structures that are typically excluded from the height calculation or addressed under specific conditional-use provisions. The City of Fort Smith has adopted the 2021 International Building Code with Arkansas amendments (administered by Fort Smith Building Safety at 623 Garrison Ave., Suite 405; 479-784-1051), which adds height and area limits based on construction type and occupancy classification under IBC Chapter 5; the more restrictive of the UDO cap and the IBC cap controls. Variance from a height cap requires application to the Fort Smith Board of Zoning Adjustment under Article 27-200, with the applicant showing practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship consistent with the Arkansas zoning enabling statute at A.C.A. §14-56-422.