Jonesboro, AR Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Chief engineer
- Concrete/bituminous cut deposit
- $5.00 per square foot
- Gravel surface cut deposit
- $2.00 per square foot
- Minimum deposit
- $25.00 regardless of size
- Restoration standard
- City engineering standards (§ 58-80)
Summary
No one may cut into, tunnel under or disturb a Jonesboro street, alley or sidewalk without a written permit from the chief engineer. Applicants must post a restoration deposit of $5.00 per square foot for paved surfaces, with a $25.00 minimum.
Sec. 58-79. - Permit procedure; deposit. (a)No person shall cut into, tunnel under, or in any manner disturb the surface of any street, alley or sidewalk in the city without first applying for and obtaining from the chief engineer a written permit to do so... (b)Any person applying for said permit shall estimate in writing the number of square feet to be cut or tunneled. Before such permit is granted the application shall deposit with the city collector for the purpose of ensuring that the street is properly restored the sum of $5.00 per square foot for cutting concrete or other bituminous surface and $2.00 per square foot for cutting into gravel surface; provided the minimum deposit shall be $25.00 irrespective of the estimate.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 58-79 governs any private disturbance of the public right-of-way surface. Subsection (a) requires a written permit from the chief engineer before cutting, tunneling under, or otherwise disturbing a street, alley or sidewalk, and the permit must be dated and state the applicant's name and address, the exact location of the cut, and the purpose for which it is granted. 00 regardless of the estimated area. Subsections (c) through (e) add a separate inspection fee, charged with any building permit for new construction, for each separate driveway; that fee is set as a flat rate by the inspection department and collected by the city collector, and failure to pay it blocks issuance of the building permit itself. Section 58-80 then requires all excavated material to be removed and the disturbed surface restored to the city's engineering standards.
Violations & Fines
The code ties compliance to the permitting and deposit process itself: a building permit will not be granted until the required inspection fee is paid under § 58-79(e), and the restoration deposit under § 58-79(b) secures the city's cost of repairing the cut. Disturbing a street, alley or sidewalk without first obtaining the required permit is a violation of this Code and falls under the general penalty in § 1-7, a fine of up to $500.00 that doubles for repeat offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to cut into a Jonesboro sidewalk or street?
How much is the deposit for a Jonesboro street cut permit?
Is there a separate fee for a new driveway cut?
Who has to restore the street after the work is done?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jonesboro
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