Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith Electrical Permit Cost
Fort Smith prices electrical permits by the number of active circuits installed under one permit:
$5.50 per circuit for circuits 1–4, $5.00 for 5–10, $4.50 for 11–20, $4.00 for 21–42 and $3.50 for 43 and over, with a $30.00 minimum inspection fee. Counting rules matter — a two- or three-wire single-phase circuit counts as two circuits and a three- or four-wire three-phase circuit as three. A panel-only replacement is a flat $30.00, as is a temporary construction service.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active circuits (band ladder: $5.50 / $5.00 / $4.50 / $4.00 / $3.50 per circuit)Permit fee | $5.50 per circuit of the first $0, plus $5.00 per circuit above $0, plus $4.50 per circuit above $0, plus $4.00 per circuit above $0, plus $3.50 per circuit above $0 | Every permit of this type | — |
| Panel replacement ($30.00)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | panel replacement is true | — |
| Temporary construction service ($30.00)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | temporary service is true | — |
| Minimum inspection fee ($30.00)Other fee | the shortfall up to the $30.00 minimum on calculated permit fee | Every permit of this type | — |
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 commercial tenant finish in Fort Smith installing 24 active branch circuits (all two-wire single-phase, counted as 24 circuits).
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Occupancy class | Commercial |
| Type of work | Alteration |
| Active circuits | 24 |
Example total
$113.00
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 2Rules considered 4
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Active circuits (band ladder: $5.50 / $5.00 / $4.50 / $4.00 / $3.50 per circuit)Permit feeSec. 6-75(a): fees based on the number of active circuits installed under one permit — $5.50 per circuit for circuits 1–4, $5.00 for 5–10, $4.50 for 11–20, $4.00 for 21–42, $3.50 for 43 and over. Two- or three-wire single-phase circuits count as two circuits; three- or four-wire three-phase as three.Show the working
| $5.50 per circuit of the first $0, plus $5.00 per circuit above $0, plus $4.50 per circuit above $0, plus $4.00 per circuit above $0, plus $3.50 per circuit above $0 | $113.00 |
Minimum inspection fee ($30.00)Other feeSec. 6-75(a), (l): minimum inspection fee $30.00; where the total fee cannot be determined, a minimum fee of $30.00 is paid. Charged as the shortfall when the computed fee falls below it.Show the working
| $30.00 minimum on calculated permit fee, less the $113.00 calculated | $0.00 |
| Total | $113.00 |
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.
- Panel replacement ($30.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Temporary construction service ($30.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Sec. 6-75(a) ladder: circuits 1–4 × $5.50 = $22.00; 5–10 (6 circuits) × $5.00 = $30.00; 11–20 (10) × $4.50 = $45.00; 21–24 (4) × $4.00 = $16.00. Total: $113.00 — above the $30.00 minimum, so no floor applies.
What is different in Fort Smith
Electrical permits are issued to registered electrical contractors through the Building Safety Division. Inspections, the final inspection and one deficiency re-check are included in the circuit fee; additional trips caused by the electrician run $20.00 each. Unpermitted work triples the fee under the local electrical-code provisions. Fees may be billed monthly to bonded contractors, with payment due by the tenth of the following month.
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 electrical permit fees only. It excludes:
- OG&E and Arkansas Valley Electric service, metering and transformer charges.
- Building, plumbing and mechanical permits for the same project.
- Sign zoning permits from Planning (the $35.00 electrical sign fee is separate).
- State electrical licensing and city occupational license fees.
- Generators and transformers — priced flat ($30/$40 and $15/$40/$60) but not modelled as calculable rows.
What you need before applying
- Registered electrical contractorRequired
Electrical permits are issued to registered electrical contractors. A homeowner may perform work in their own single-family residence after appearing before the electrical inspector and paying permit fees in advance.
Common questions
How is a Fort Smith electrical permit fee calculated?
By the number of active circuits installed under the permit, each priced at its band's per-circuit rate: $5.50 for circuits 1–4, $5.00 for 5–10, $4.50 for 11–20, $4.00 for 21–42 and $3.50 for 43 and over — subject to the $30.00 minimum inspection fee.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-75(a)
How are circuits counted for the fee?
A two- or three-wire single-phase circuit counts as two circuits; a three- or four-wire three-phase circuit counts as three. Multiwire arrangements are therefore charged at the count the code assigns them, not one each.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-75(b)
How much is a panel replacement permit in Fort Smith?
A permit for work consisting only of replacing an existing panel is a flat $30.00. If the panel is relocated more than five feet, the fee reverts to the total active circuits in the panel times the appropriate per-circuit charge.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-75(c)
What is the minimum electrical permit fee in Fort Smith?
The minimum inspection fee is $30.00. Where the total fee cannot be determined at issuance, a minimum of $30.00 is paid and any additional fees or refunds are settled at final inspection.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-75(a), (l)
How much is a temporary construction service permit?
A temporary service used only during construction is $30.00. A mobile home or travel trailer service is $35.00.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-75(d)–(e)
Are inspections included in the circuit fee?
Yes. The permit fee includes all inspections during construction, the final inspection and one subsequent inspection to verify corrections. Additional trips caused by the electrician carry a $20.00 penalty each.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-75(j)
What is the penalty for unpermitted electrical work in Fort Smith?
The permit fee for work started before a permit is issued is three times the fee that would otherwise be charged.
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-75(k)
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. III, Sec. 6-75 — Permit fees
Sec. 6-75 (Ord. 23-99) prices electrical permits by active circuits ($5.50/$5.00/$4.50/$4.00/$3.50 per circuit by band) with a $30.00 minimum inspection fee, plus flat rows for panel replacement, temporary service, mobile-home service, signs, generators and transformers.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.