Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith Building Permit Cost
A Fort Smith building permit is priced from the cost of construction under Code of Ordinances Sec.
6-30. Residential work (single-family and duplex) pays $15.00–$37.50 by bracket, then $37.50 plus $1.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction thereof above $2,000. Nonresidential work climbs a banded ladder — $67.50 + $4.50 per $1,000 to $10,000, $103.50 + $3.75 to $50,000, $253.50 + $3.00 to $100,000, $403.50 + $2.25 to $1,000,000, then $2,536.50 + $1.50 above it. Multifamily, commercial and industrial projects add a plan review of 20% of the permit fee, capped at $1,500.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential permit fee ($1,001 to $1,500)Permit fee | $52.50 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $1,000 and up to $1,500 | — |
| Nonresidential permit fee ($100,001 to $1,000,000)Permit fee | $403.50 + $2.25 per $1,000 of project valuation above $100,000 | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $100,000 and up to $1,000,000 | — |
| Nonresidential permit fee ($10,001 to $50,000)Permit fee | $103.50 + $3.75 per $1,000 of project valuation above $10,000 | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $10,000 and up to $50,000 | — |
| Nonresidential permit fee ($1,501 to $2,000)Permit fee | $67.50 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $1,500 and up to $2,000 | — |
| Nonresidential permit fee ($1,000,001 and over)Permit fee | $2,536.50 + $1.50 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000,000 | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $1,000,000 | — |
| Nonresidential permit fee ($2,001 to $10,000)Permit fee | $67.50 + $4.50 per $1,000 of project valuation above $2,000 | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $2,000 and up to $10,000 | — |
| Nonresidential permit fee ($50 to $500)Permit fee | $15.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation up to $500 | — |
| Nonresidential permit fee ($501 to $1,000)Permit fee | $37.50 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $500 and up to $1,000 | — |
| Nonresidential permit fee ($50,001 to $100,000)Permit fee | $253.50 + $3.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $50,000 | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $50,000 and up to $100,000 | — |
| Residential permit fee ($1,001 to $1,500)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and Project valuation over $1,000 and up to $1,500 | — |
| Residential permit fee ($1,501 to $2,000)Permit fee | $37.50 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and Project valuation over $1,500 and up to $2,000 | — |
| Residential permit fee ($2,001 and over)Permit fee | $37.50 + $1.50 per $1,000 of project valuation above $2,000, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is residential and Project valuation over $2,000 | — |
| Residential permit fee ($50 to $500)Permit fee | $15.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and Project valuation up to $500 | — |
| Residential permit fee ($501 to $1,000)Permit fee | $22.50 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and Project valuation over $500 and up to $1,000 | — |
| Plan review fee (20% of building permit fee, max $1,500)Plan review | 20% of calculated permit fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed | max $1,500.00 |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A new single-family home in Fort Smith with a documented cost of construction of $220,000.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $220,000 |
| Project area | 2,200 sq ft |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
| Type of work | New construction |
Example total
$364.50
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 1Rules considered 15
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Residential permit fee ($2,001 and over)Permit feeSec. 6-30(1): residential construction $2,001.00 and over, $37.50 plus $1.50 for each additional $1,000.00 valuation or fraction thereof.Show the working
| $37.50 + $1.50 per $1,000 of project valuation above $2,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $364.50 |
| Total | $364.50 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Nonresidential permit fee ($1,001 to $1,500) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Nonresidential permit fee ($100,001 to $1,000,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Nonresidential permit fee ($10,001 to $50,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Nonresidential permit fee ($1,501 to $2,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Nonresidential permit fee ($1,000,001 and over) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Nonresidential permit fee ($2,001 to $10,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Nonresidential permit fee ($50 to $500) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Nonresidential permit fee ($501 to $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Nonresidential permit fee ($50,001 to $100,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Residential permit fee ($1,001 to $1,500) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Residential permit fee ($1,501 to $2,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Residential permit fee ($50 to $500) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Residential permit fee ($501 to $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Plan review fee (20% of building permit fee, max $1,500) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 1 fee rule in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Sec. 6-30(1) top band ($2,001 and over): $37.50 for the first $2,000 plus $1.50 × 218 whole thousands (fraction rounds up) = $327.00 → permit $364.50. Residential permits carry no plan review. Total: $364.50. (The 2,200 sq ft × $100/sq ft minimum-valuation chart floors the valuation at $220,000 — exactly the documented figure here.)
What is different in Fort Smith
Permits are issued by the Building Safety Division at 623 Garrison Avenue and applied for through the CityView portal. The residential ladder's top band prints 'or fraction thereof' and rounds up; the nonresidential bands, which omit the phrase, prorate — a distinction the fee engine reads from the code's own wording. New homes are valued against the city's minimum-valuation chart ($80–$180 per sq ft by size) unless a Marshall & Swift report documents otherwise. Unpermitted work doubles the fee via the 100% penalty in the local building-code amendments.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate covers the City of Fort Smith building permit and plan review fees only. It excludes:
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, which are issued separately.
- Sidewalk assessments, which scale by construction year rather than by the permit.
- Fort Smith Utility Department water, sewer and gas tap charges.
- Fire Department plan review for suppression systems.
- Sebastian County and state permits for septic systems and rights-of-way.
What you need before applying
- Plans and site plan by project typeRequired
Single-family/duplex: site plan, floor plan, elevations and a structural plan. Triplex/fourplex: working drawings with riser diagrams. Five units and all commercial/industrial: plans prepared by a registered engineer or architect, a certified survey and five sets of plans.
- State contractor license and city occupational licenseRequired
Contractors must hold the applicable state license and a city occupational license. New single-family dwellings require proof of state residential contractor registration when the work exceeds $2,000.
Common questions
How is a Fort Smith building permit fee calculated?
From the cost of construction on the Sec. 6-30 ladders. Residential (single-family and duplex) work pays $15.00–$37.50 by bracket, then $37.50 plus $1.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction thereof above $2,000. Nonresidential work pays a banded ladder of printed bases plus per-$1,000 rates — note the top band's $2,536.50 base steps $108.00 above where the band beneath it lands at $1,000,000, exactly as the schedule prints it.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-30(1)–(2)
What counts as 'cost of construction' in Fort Smith?
All labor, material, subcontracts, overhead, profit and other costs necessary to complete the job, including all site work such as parking lots. For new residential construction the city applies a minimum-valuation chart — $80/sq ft up to 1,800 sq ft, $100 to 2,500, $125 to 3,500, $180 above — unless a Marshall & Swift report supports a lesser figure.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-30
Does Fort Smith charge a plan review fee?
Yes, for multifamily, commercial and industrial projects: a nonrefundable plan review fee equal to 20% of the building permit fee, capped at $1,500, submitted with the plans and charged in addition to the permit fee. Single-family and duplex work pays no plan review.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-30(15)
What is the minimum building permit fee in Fort Smith?
The residential and nonresidential ladders both open at $15.00 for work valued $50–$500. There is no separate global minimum — the $15.00 bottom bracket is the schedule's floor for permitted work.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-30(1)–(2)
How much does a demolition permit cost in Fort Smith?
Demolition is $50.00 for the first 1,000 square feet of structure and $1.00 per 100 square feet after that, plus a $25.00 sewer and water inspection.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-30(4)
What is the penalty for building without a permit in Fort Smith?
The locally amended building code imposes a penalty of 100% of the usual permit fee in addition to the required permit fee — effectively doubling the cost of unpermitted work.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-27(4)
How long is a Fort Smith building permit valid?
Permits run with the building code's standard validity; a permit renewal is $25.00 and a permit cancellation is $25.00 under the same fee schedule.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-30(8), (12)
Do I pay extra for reinspections in Fort Smith?
Yes. A reinspection is $50.00, and an emergency after-hours inspection is $25.00 plus twice the inspector's hourly salary per hour or fraction thereof.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-30(9), (14)
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Ch. 6 Art. II, Sec. 6-30 — Fee schedule
Sec. 6-30 (Ord. 23-99; Ord. 108-09, altered in the 2019 recodification) carries the residential and nonresidential cost-of-construction ladders, the residential minimum-valuation chart, demolition and plan review at 20% capped at $1,500. Read from the Municode Library consolidation, which is where the City's own fee-schedule page links.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.