What needs a permit, and what it costs
Little Rock's Building Codes Division runs plumbing and gas inspections from its own section (Planning and Development divisions, read 26 October 2026), under the 2018 Arkansas Plumbing Code and 2018 Fuel Gas Code (Enforced Construction Codes). The fee ordinance lists the work it prices for "Repair/ Alterations/ Addition to Existing Construction" (Ordinance 22,204, § 8-31(c) III):
| Plumbing item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Each fixture outlet or appliance (toilet, sink, tub, shower, washer, sill cock, floor drain, sump pump and similar) | $6 |
| Water heater | $17 |
| Water service / water house piping | $30 each |
| Gas house piping | $30 |
| Backflow prevention device | $30 |
| Renew soil line / renew gas vent | $8 each |
| Floor, wall or unit furnace | $17 |
| Swimming pool | $14 |
| New one- or two-family home | $0.10 per square foot under roof |
| Inspection / re-inspection | $25 / $45 |
| Minimum fee | $50 |
| Data processing fee (all residential permits) | $25 |
| Work done without a permit | 3 × the permit fee |
Worked through: a bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower is 3 × $6 = $18 and a water heater swap is $17, so both are billed at the $50 minimum plus the $25 data fee, $75. Re-piping a house's water lines with a new water service is $30 + $30 = $60. A revision on the Board's 16 December 2025 agenda, written to take effect 1 January 2026, raises the item fees about 3% (water heater to $17.51) and keeps the $50 plumbing minimum. The City's Building Codes page still links Ordinance 22,204, so check the invoice. Work outside the city limits carries a 50% surcharge.
Who can pull it
The City's Documents Required sheet, linked from the Building Codes page, asks the permit desk for:
| Document | Note |
|---|---|
| Arkansas contractor's license | State law requires it for work over $2,000 |
| City contractor's (business, "privilege") license | Reciprocity for contractors with no Little Rock office |
| $10,000 surety bond to the City of Little Rock | From any bond or insurance company |
| Master plumbing license | "For special trades" |
The City's pages describe no homeowner plumbing permit. If you plan to do your own plumbing, ask the permit desk first: (501) 371-4832, Permits@littlerock.gov, 723 West Markham Street.
How to apply and get inspected
- Apply through the City's Interactive Building-Construction Permit Program or at the permit desk.
- Inspections. The ordinance names three: slab, rough and final. The City's inspection codes are 310 water service, 320 slab, 330 rough-in, 340 gas house piping and 350 final. A replacement water heater usually needs only the final; a remodel that opens walls needs the rough before anything is covered.
- Schedule on 501-588-7493, by texting "SCHEDULE" to 855-949-5403, or at inspections.littlerock.gov.
- Permit life. A year from issue; invalid if work has not started within six months or stops for six.
What 3,948 Little Rock plumbing permits show
| Measure | Little Rock plumbing |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, May 2023 to April 2026 | 3,948 |
| Firms | 255 |
| Firms with a permit from May 2025 to April 2026 | 178 |
| Firms with one permit only | 45 (17.6%) |
| Closed (permits a year or more old) | 88.5% |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 75.4% / 96.6% |
| Firms with 10+ permits closing under 70% | 4 of 79 |
| Share held by the five busiest firms | 23.0% |
| Busiest / quietest month | October (120) / January (86) |
Plumbing closes better than electrical (81.6%) or HVAC (62.6%) in our Little Rock file: 88.5% of older permits closed, and even the 10th-percentile busy firm closed 75.4%. Only 4 of 79 firms with ten or more permits fell under 70%, so a plumber with several open permits stands out here. Filing peaks in October. The City records no job value on plumbing permits; national prices are in plumbing labor cost and water heater replacement cost. Counts by year: Little Rock permit statistics.
See every Little Rock plumber by permits closed →
Before you hire
Compare firms on the Little Rock plumber list, and see how to check a contractor's license in Arkansas. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for plumbing repairs, water heaters and gas lines; what to ask in hiring a plumber.
What this does not tell you
Little Rock's file shows whether a permit closed but not when, so there are no days to final, and it ends in April 2026. Plumbing permits carry no job value. We have not matched plumbers to state license records.
How we know this
Fees, inspections and the no-permit penalty are quoted from Little Rock Ordinance 22,204 (§ 8-31(c)), linked from the City's Building Codes page; the 2026 revision from the Board's 16 December 2025 agenda; contractor documents from the City's Documents Required sheet; inspection codes from its scheduling instructions; all read 26 October 2026. Examples are our arithmetic. Permit counts are City of Little Rock plumbing permits on homes, May 2023 to April 2026; "closed" is the share of permits a year or more old the City recorded as closed.
Numbers come from City of Little Rock Planning and Development permits on single-family, duplex and manufactured homes (the City's periodic permit download, the edition that runs to April 30, 2026), data through April 24, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How much is a plumbing permit in Little Rock?
Ordinance 22,204 charges $6 per fixture or appliance outlet, $17 for a water heater, $30 each for water service, water house piping, gas house piping or a backflow preventer, with a $50 minimum and a $25 data processing fee. A new house is $0.10 per square foot under roof.
- Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Little Rock?
The fee ordinance lists 'Water heater' at $17 under plumbing permits for repairs and alterations, so a replacement is priced as permit work. At $17 it falls under the $50 minimum, so expect $50 plus the $25 data fee.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit in Little Rock?
The City's pages do not describe a homeowner plumbing permit. Its permit desk asks for a master plumbing license, an Arkansas contractor's license, a City business license and a $10,000 surety bond. Ask the permit desk on (501) 371-4832 before doing your own plumbing.
- Does gas line work need a plumbing permit in Little Rock?
Gas house piping is a $30 line on the plumbing fee schedule, and gas piping has its own inspection code (340) on the plumbing side. Little Rock enforces the 2018 Fuel Gas Code.
- What inspections does a Little Rock plumbing permit need?
Slab, rough and final, per the fee ordinance. The City's codes are 310 water service, 320 slab, 330 rough-in, 340 gas house piping and 350 final; book them on 501-588-7493 or by text to 855-949-5403.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Arlington, VA? The like-for-like rule, gas, and timing
- Austin building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Austin? What is exempt, who can pull it, and the fees
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Bellevue, WA? Fixtures, showers, water heaters and the homeowner rule
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Orlando? The per-fixture fee, water heaters, gas and inspections
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Raleigh? Water heaters, new services and the trade permit fee
For one city
- Ordinance No. 22,204, permit fee schedules, § 8-31(c) (passed 6 December 2022) — City of Little Rock (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Proposed ordinance revising § 8-31(c) permit fees, Board of Directors agenda of 16 December 2025 — City of Little Rock (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Planning and Development Divisions (Building Codes) — City of Little Rock (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Documents Required to Obtain a Building Permit — City of Little Rock Building Codes (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Enforced Construction Codes (7 January 2023) — City of Little Rock (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Inspection Scheduling Instructions — City of Little Rock (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Interactive Building-Construction Permit Program (Dynamic Portal) — City of Little Rock (accessed 2026-10-26)