Fees, valuation & enforcement
Permit fees are a project input. Enforcement exposure is a project risk. Use the official schedule where available, then confirm valuation, trade permits, plan review, and inspection charges with the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
Official fee pathway
The final charge may depend on declared construction value, occupancy classification, square footage, plan review, state surcharges, trade permits, technology fees, and inspection activity. Do not use a neighboring city’s fee table as a substitute for this jurisdiction.
Fee desk contact
870-739-3200 (Crittenden County Judge Woody Wheeless); 870-732-7520 (West Memphis Planning & Development/Building Inspections); 870-732-7521 (Planning & Development Director Mardis Jones)
Ask the counter to confirm current charges before submitting a project with multiple trades or a change of use.
Financial exposure
Plan for building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, energy, zoning, septic, right-of-way, or other reviews that the project scope triggers. The lowest initial permit fee is not always the lowest project cost.
Enforcement exposure
When work begins without authorization, the agency may halt the site, require corrective plans, impose additional fees, withhold inspection release, or require concealed work to be exposed for review.
Closeout exposure
A missing final inspection or certificate can complicate occupancy, refinancing, sale, insurance, and utility connection. Preserve the approved plans and signed inspection record through closeout.
Professional field note
Even when a cosmetic or minor project does not require a building permit, zoning, floodplain, shoreline, historic, utility, fire, or right-of-way controls may still apply. Confirm the full jurisdictional picture before work starts.
Source trail
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 870-739-3200 (Crittenden County Judge Woody Wheeless); 870-732-7520 (West Memphis Planning & Development/Building Inspections); 870-732-7521 (Planning & Development Director Mardis Jones).
N/A. West Memphis requires the Building Official to inspect a property within a reasonable time after a completed application for a Certificate of Occupancy, but the reviewed permit pages do not publish a general building-plan review timeline.
West Memphis Building Inspections conducts inspections, issues permits, reviews plans, and validates licenses and insurance. The iWorQ portal supports permit searches, document uploads, and inspection requests; contact Planning & Development/Building Inspections at 870-732-7520 for the required inspection sequence and timing. Floodplain lots require a Flood Plain Development Application and Footing/Foundation Permit as additional submittals.
West Memphis’s current Building Inspections page lists the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Volumes I (Fire), II (Building), and III (Residential); 2023 National Electrical Code; 2021 Arkansas Mechanical Code; 2018 Arkansas Plumbing and Gas Codes; 2014 Arkansas Energy Code; and 2012 Property Maintenance Code. The city is in Seismic Zone 3. N/A. West Memphis’s reviewed official building pages do not publish a general minor/cosmetic exemption list. The current residential application covers single-family, two-family, footing-only, new, and addition work and requires site, erosion-control, grading, floor, and framing information as applicable; confirm maintenance exemptions with Planning & Development before work begins.
Why permit costs vary
Building departments commonly calculate charges from valuation, occupancy, floor area, project type, plan review effort, trade scope, state surcharges, and inspection activity. A remodel that appears small on paper may still trigger structural, energy, fire, or utility review. Ask the permit counter which disciplines apply before you finalize the construction budget.
The same discipline applies to enforcement. Correcting unpermitted work after finishes are installed can require demolition, revised plans, additional inspections, and schedule disruption. Authorization is usually the less expensive project-management decision.