Fort Smith
City of Fort Smith Building Services Department, Building Safety Division
In short
City of Fort Smith Building Services Department, Building Safety Division issues 4 permits we publish for Fort Smith, last verified 2026-09-10. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit (Commercial) | City of Fort Smith Building Services Department, Building Safety Division | Sec. 6-30 nonresidential (multifamily, commercial, industrial, institutional) table, by cost of construction: $15.00 for $50.00-$500.00; $37.50 for $501.00-$1,000.00; $52.50 for $1,001.00-$1,500.00; $67.50 for $1,501.00-$2,000.00; $67.50 plus $4.50 per additional $1,000.00 for $2,001.00-$10,000.00; $103.50 plus $3.75 per additional $1,000.00 for $10,001.00-$50,000.00; $253.50 plus $3.00 per additional $1,000.00 for $50,001.00-$100,000.00; $403.50 plus $2.25 per additional $1,000.00 for $100,001.00-$1,000,000.00; and $2,536.50 plus $1.50 per additional $1,000.00 for $1,000,001.00 and over. A nonrefundable plan review fee equal to 20 percent of the building permit fee, not to exceed $1,500.00, is submitted with the plans in addition to the permit fee. | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-10 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Fort Smith Building Services Department, Building Safety Division | No fee | one-time, no expiration | 2026-09-10 |
| Sign Permit | City of Fort Smith Building Services Department, Building Safety Division | Section 6-30 prices sign erection and repair the same as any other nonresidential (commercial) construction: $15.00 for $50.00-$500.00 of cost of construction, $37.50 for $501.00-$1,000.00, $52.50 for $1,001.00-$1,500.00, $67.50 for $1,501.00-$2,000.00, then $67.50 plus $4.50 per additional $1,000.00 through $10,000.00, $103.50 plus $3.75 per $1,000.00 through $50,000.00, $253.50 plus $3.00 per $1,000.00 through $100,000.00, $403.50 plus $2.25 per $1,000.00 through $1,000,000.00, and $2,536.50 plus $1.50 per $1,000.00 above that. | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-10 |
| Contractor Registration — State License Registered with the City (Fort Smith)only if it applies to you | City of Fort Smith Building Services Department, Building Safety Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-10 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Building Permit (Commercial)
Submitted to the Building Safety Division at 623 Garrison Avenue, Room 405, with five copies of plans; according to the City's Apartment, Commercial & Industrial permit page, initial review usually takes 7 to 10 working days across engineering, planning, utilities, fire and building safety, and a plan review fee is required at the time of application. Many projects also require Arkansas Department of Health approval before the permit can issue. The fee is set by Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-30, which also sets a $50.00 reinspection fee, a $25.00 permit renewal fee and a $25.00 permit cancellation fee.
Certificate of Occupancy
The City's Apartment, Commercial & Industrial permit page states that after the project is complete and the final inspections are done, the inspector brings the card back to the Building Department office and completes the certificate of occupancy, which is then mailed or can be picked up, so the certificate issues as part of the building permit; the page states no separate fee for it. Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-30 sets a fee only for a temporary certificate of occupancy: $25.00 if no inspection is required and $50.00 per special or additional inspection.
Sign Permit
Both permanent and portable signs are reviewed by the Planning Division and the Building Safety Division, using the same intake form as any other building permit. The City's Sign Permits page states that the permit fee is doubled if work begins before the permit is obtained. Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-30 states: 'Sign erection and repair: Same as nonresidential fee', which points to the nonresidential cost-of-construction table quoted above.
Contractor Registration — State License Registered with the City (Fort Smith)
The City's Contractors page states that contractors are required to have an Arkansas State Contractors License (required for commercial projects costing $50,000 or more) or an Arkansas Residential Contractors State License (required for residential projects costing $2,000 or more) and to register it with the City of Fort Smith through Building Safety (479-784-2206). The page lists no separate fee for registration. Mechanical, plumbing and electrical contractors are required to have a minimum $2,000 permit and license bond.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Fort Smith
- Phone
- (479) 784-2206
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Building Permit Fee Schedule Information — linking the Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical fee schedules to Code of Ordinances §§ 6-30, 6-242, 6-355 and 6-75 on MunicodeCity of Fort Smith, Building Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Code of Ordinances, ch. 6, art. II, Sec. 6-30 (Fee schedule) — the nonresidential/commercial construction-cost fee table ($15.00 at $50-$500 up to $2,536.50 plus $1.50 per $1,000 above $1,000,001) its line stating 'Sign erection and repair: Same as nonresidential fee,' the temporary certificate of occupancy fee and the plan review feeCity of Fort Smith, via Municode · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Contractors — confirming that commercial (≥$50,000) and residential (≥$2,000) contractors register their existing Arkansas State Contractors License with the City rather than obtaining a separate city license, and the $2,000 minimum permit/license bond for mechanical, plumbing and electrical contractorsCity of Fort Smith, Building Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- How to Apply for an Apartment (5 units or more), Commercial or an Industrial Building Permit — describing the plan-review process, the Arkansas Department of Health approval step, and the certificate of occupancy being completed automatically at final inspection with no separately stated feeCity of Fort Smith, Building Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Permit Application (Building Safety Division) — the single intake form covering Single Family/Duplex/Multi-Family/Commercial/Sign/Demolition/Roof permit types, requiring a copy of the City of Fort Smith Business Registration for each contractorCity of Fort Smith, Building Services Department, Building Safety Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Sign Permits — permanent and portable sign application requirements, confirming the fee doubles if work begins before the permit issues, with no base fee amount publishedCity of Fort Smith, Building Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
Other offices serving Fort Smith
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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