Little Rock, AR
Little Rock Electrical Permit Cost
Little Rock electrical permits are priced under City Code Sec.
8-31(c)(II). A new one- or two-family dwelling pays $0.08 per square foot under roof — about $160 on a 2,000-square-foot house. Everything else is priced from the load-center ladder ($8.00 up to 60 amps to $33.00 at 200 amps, then $5.00 per 100 amps over) and the openings ladder ($10.00 for 1–20 openings to $80.00 for 301–400, then $5.00 per 25 over), with a $30.00 minimum and the citywide data processing fee of $3–$8.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Load center up to 100 amps ($16.00)Permit fee | $16.00 flat fee | amperage over 60 and up to 100 | — |
| Load center up to 150 amps ($24.00)Permit fee | $24.00 flat fee | amperage over 100 and up to 150 | — |
| Load center up to 200 amps ($33.00)Permit fee | $33.00 flat fee | amperage over 150 and up to 200 | — |
| Load center up to 60 amps ($8.00)Permit fee | $8.00 flat fee | amperage up to 60 | — |
| Load center over 200 amps ($5.00 per 100 amps over)Permit fee | $0.05 per ampere above the first 200 A (per 100 A or fraction thereof) | amperage over 200 | — |
| New one- and two-family dwelling electrical fee ($0.08/sq ft under roof)Permit fee | $0.08 per sq ft | Occupancy is residential and Work type is new construction | — |
| Openings, 1 to 20 ($10.00)Permit fee | $10.00 flat fee | openings at least 1 and up to 20 | — |
| Openings, 101 to 200 ($50.00)Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | openings over 100 and up to 200 | — |
| Openings, 201 to 300 ($65.00)Permit fee | $65.00 flat fee | openings over 200 and up to 300 | — |
| Openings, 21 to 60 ($25.00)Permit fee | $25.00 flat fee | openings over 20 and up to 60 | — |
| Openings, 301 to 400 ($80.00)Permit fee | $80.00 flat fee | openings over 300 and up to 400 | — |
| Openings, 61 to 100 ($30.00)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | openings over 60 and up to 100 | — |
| Openings over 400 ($5.00 per 25 openings)Permit fee | $80.00 for the first 400 openings, plus $5.00 for each additional 25 openings or part thereof | openings over 400 | — |
| Data processing fee ($3.00)Technology fee | $3.00 flat fee | Project valuation over $500 and up to $50,000 | — |
| Data processing fee ($4.00)Technology fee | $4.00 flat fee | Project valuation over $50,000 and up to $100,000 | — |
| Data processing fee ($6.00)Technology fee | $6.00 flat fee | Project valuation over $100,000 and up to $500,000 | — |
| Data processing fee ($8.00)Technology fee | $8.00 flat fee | Project valuation over $500,000 | — |
| Minimum permit fee floor ($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 new one-family dwelling in Little Rock, 2,000 square feet under roof, with 200-amp service and a permit for the complete electrical installation.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $30,000 |
| Project area | 2,000 sq ft |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
| Type of work | New construction |
Example total
$163.00
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 3Rules considered 18
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
New one- and two-family dwelling electrical fee ($0.08/sq ft under roof)Permit feeSec. 8-31(c)(II)(A)(1): one- and two-family dwelling, $0.08 per square foot under roof.Show the working
| $0.08 per sq ft | $160.00 |
Data processing fee ($3.00)Technology feeSec. 8-31(c)(I)(D): data processing fee, $3.00 for permit valuations of $501.00 to $50,000.00. Charged on every trade.Show the working
| $3.00 flat fee | $3.00 |
Minimum permit fee floor ($30.00)Other feeSec. 8-31(c)(II)(G): the minimum electrical permit shall be $30.00. Charged as the shortfall when the computed fees fall below it.Show the working
| $30.00 minimum on calculated permit fee, less the $160.00 calculated | $0.00 |
| Total | $163.00 |
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.
- Load center up to 100 amps ($16.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Load center up to 150 amps ($24.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Load center up to 200 amps ($33.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Load center up to 60 amps ($8.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Load center over 200 amps ($5.00 per 100 amps over) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Openings, 1 to 20 ($10.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Openings, 101 to 200 ($50.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Openings, 201 to 300 ($65.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Openings, 21 to 60 ($25.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Openings, 301 to 400 ($80.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Openings, 61 to 100 ($30.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Openings over 400 ($5.00 per 25 openings) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Data processing fee ($4.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Data processing fee ($6.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Data processing fee ($8.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 3 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Sec. 8-31(c)(II)(A)(1): 2,000 sq ft × $0.08 = $160.00. Data processing fee ($501–$50,000 band): $3.00. Total: $163.00. (The load-center and openings ladders price repair/alteration permits; a new dwelling's service and wiring are inside the square-foot rate.)
What is different in Little Rock
Electrical permits are issued to registered electrical contractors through the Building Codes Division; homeowners may take the City's $35.00 homeowner examination to wire their own residence. Permits cover service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, temporary power ($20.00) and signs ($25.00). Inspections and reinspections run $20.00 and $40.00 respectively when not covered by the permit fee. Unpermitted work triples the fee.
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 Little Rock electrical permit fees only. It excludes:
- Entergy Arkansas service connection, metering and transformer charges.
- Building, plumbing and mechanical permits for the same project.
- Fire alarm plan review by the Fire Department.
- Sign permits issued through Planning for zoning clearance (the $25.00 electrical sign fee is separate).
- State licensing and registration fees for electrical contractors.
What you need before applying
- Licensed electrician / homeowner examinationRequired
Electrical permits are issued to registered electrical contractors; a homeowner may take the City's $35.00 homeowner (electrical) examination to work on their own residence.
Common questions
How much is an electrical permit for a new house in Little Rock?
New one- and two-family dwellings pay $0.08 per square foot under roof — $160.00 for a 2,000-square-foot house — plus the $3.00 data processing fee. The rate covers the dwelling's complete wiring, service equipment and garage.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(II)(A)(1)
How is an electrical permit for a panel upgrade priced?
By the load-center ladder: $8.00 up to 60 amps, $16.00 to 100 amps, $24.00 to 150 amps, $33.00 to 200 amps, and $5.00 per 100 amps over 200. A 200-amp panel swap pays $33.00 plus the data processing fee, subject to the $30.00 minimum.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(II)(C)(2)
What are the fees for electrical openings?
The openings ladder prices $10.00 for 1–20 openings, $25.00 for 21–60, $30.00 for 61–100, $50.00 for 101–200, $65.00 for 201–300, $80.00 for 301–400, and $5.00 for each 25 openings over 400.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(II)(C)(3)
What is the minimum electrical permit fee in Little Rock?
The minimum electrical permit is $30.00 (Sec. 8-31(c)(II)(G)). A small job priced below that — say a single load center at $8.00 — pays the $30.00 floor.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(II)(G)
Can a homeowner pull an electrical permit in Little Rock?
A homeowner may perform electrical work on their own residence after passing the City's homeowner (electrical) examination, which carries a $35.00 fee, and paying the applicable permit fees in advance.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(II)(E)(1)
Does Little Rock charge triple for unpermitted electrical work?
Yes. Work installed or put into use without a permit incurs a fee equal to three times what the permit would have cost, and no additional permits are granted until it is paid.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(II)(H)
How much is temporary power and reinspection?
Temporary power to a building is $20.00; each inspection is $20.00 and each reinspection $40.00 where conditions of the fee section apply.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(II)(C)(5), (C)(16)–(17)
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Little Rock City Code, Chapter 8 Art. III, Sec. 8-31 — Building permits and permit fees
Sec. 8-31(c) establishes the permit fee schedules for building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other related work. Full text of the published City of Little Rock Building Code (including Sec. 8-31's fee tables) read via the City's WebLink record; a public full-text mirror of the same code (archive.org/details/gov.ar.littlerock.buiding) was used for reading because the WebLink server requires cookie sign-in for scripted access.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.