Little Rock, AR
Little Rock Plumbing Permit Cost
Little Rock plumbing permits are priced under City Code Sec.
8-31(c)(III). A new one- or two-family dwelling pays $0.08 per square foot under roof. Repair, alteration and addition work — and all other occupancies — pay the unit-cost schedule: $5.00 per plumbing fixture outlet or appliance, $25.00 for a water service or gas housepiping, and $15.00 for a water heater, with a $30.00 minimum and the citywide data processing fee of $3–$8. Work outside city limits carries a 50% surcharge.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | — |
| Plumbing fixture outlets or appliances ($5.00 each)Permit fee | $5.00 per fixture | Each fixture on the permit | — |
| Gas housepiping ($25.00)Permit fee | $25.00 flat fee | gas housepiping is true | — |
| New one- and two-family dwelling plumbing fee ($0.08/sq ft under roof)Permit fee | $0.08 per sq ft | Occupancy is residential and Work type is new construction | — |
| Water heater ($15.00)Permit fee | $15.00 flat fee | water heaters at least 1 | — |
| Water service ($25.00)Permit fee | $25.00 flat fee | water service is true | — |
| 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 bathroom remodel in an existing Little Rock home: 6 fixture outlets (toilet, lavatory, tub/shower, floor drain, washing machine box, sill cock) plus a water heater replacement.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $15,000 |
| Fixtures | 6 |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
| Type of work | Alteration |
| Number of water heaters | 1 |
Example total
$48.00
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 4Rules considered 10
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Plumbing fixture outlets or appliances ($5.00 each)Permit feeSec. 8-31(c)(III)(B)(1): each plumbing fixture outlet or appliance, $5.00 — each water closet, urinal, sink, lavatory, bath tub, shower, floor drain, etc.Show the working
| $5.00 per fixture | $30.00 |
Water heater ($15.00)Permit feeSec. 8-31(c)(III)(B)(17): water heater, $15.00.Show the working
| $15.00 flat fee | $15.00 |
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)(III)(E): the minimum fee for any plumbing 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 $45.00 calculated | $0.00 |
| Total | $48.00 |
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.
- Gas housepiping ($25.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New one- and two-family dwelling plumbing fee ($0.08/sq ft under roof) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Water service ($25.00) — 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 4 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)(III)(B)(1): 6 fixture outlets × $5.00 = $30.00. (B)(17) water heater: $15.00. Data processing fee ($501–$50,000 band): $3.00. Total: $48.00.
What is different in Little Rock
Plumbing permits are issued under the supervision of a state-licensed master plumber registered with the City, through the Building Codes Division. Permits cover fixture rough-ins, water and sewer services, water heaters, gas piping and drain work; inspections run $20.00 where separately charged. Central Arkansas winters are mild by national standards, but Little Rock sits in climate zone 3A and supply lines outside the thermal envelope still need freeze protection. 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 plumbing permit fees only. It excludes:
- Central Arkansas Water tap, meter and impact fees.
- Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority sewer connection charges.
- Building, electrical and mechanical permits for the same project.
- State plumbing licensing fees for contractors and journeyman registrations.
- Septic system permits from the Arkansas Department of Health or Pulaski County.
What you need before applying
- State-licensed master plumberRequired
Plumbing permits must be pulled under the supervision of a state-licensed master plumber registered with the City.
Common questions
How is a Little Rock plumbing permit fee calculated?
New one- and two-family dwellings pay $0.08 per square foot under roof. All other work pays unit costs: $5.00 for each plumbing fixture outlet or appliance — every water closet, sink, tub, shower, floor drain and similar element — plus specific amounts for services ($25.00), water heaters ($15.00) and gas housepiping ($25.00).
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(III)
What is the minimum plumbing permit fee in Little Rock?
The minimum fee for any plumbing permit is $30.00. A single-fixture repair priced at $5.00 pays the $30.00 floor.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(III)(E)
How much is a water heater permit in Little Rock?
A water heater replacement is $15.00 on the unit-cost schedule, plus the data processing fee — $18.00 for work under $50,000 in valuation. Note the $30.00 minimum: a water heater alone pays $30.00.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(III)(B)(17)
Does Little Rock charge extra for plumbing work outside city limits?
Yes. Work located out of the city limits is charged a surcharge of 50% of the total permit charge, a provision aimed at properties inside the City's water-service area.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(III)(D)
Who can pull a plumbing permit in Little Rock?
Plumbing installations must be supervised by a master plumber licensed by the state and registered with the City. A homeowner may perform plumbing in their own residence after appearing before the plumbing inspector.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(III); registration provisions of the code
What counts as a fixture outlet for the $5.00 fee?
The code's list is long and explicit: each water closet, urinal, bidet, sink, lavatory, basin, laundry sink, wash tray, bath tub, hot tub, shower, sauna, drinking fountain, wet bar, washing machine, hose cabinet, fire pump, sewer ejector, cooling tower, sill cock, dental unit, hub drain, floor/area/roof drain, sand trap, grease trap, sump pump and any other element commonly known as a plumbing fixture.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(III)(B)(1)
How much is a plumbing permit for a new house in Little Rock?
New one- and two-family dwellings pay $0.08 per square foot under roof — $192.00 for a 2,400-square-foot house — plus the data processing fee. The rate covers the dwelling's complete plumbing installation.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(III)(A)(1)
What is the penalty for unpermitted plumbing work?
The violator pays a fee equal to three times the permit fee that would have applied, in addition to any fine or imprisonment under the penalty section of the code.
Little Rock City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(III)(F)
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.