Basic Information-

Please see the basic outlines of what the inspector will be looking for during inspections of the instances listed below. The inspection may not be limited to the points listed.

Fence: Survey pins should be visible, Set Back, Material and Height Information will be required, Residential fence may be 6 ft. on the side and back of property and may not exceed 4 ft. in the front of the residence

Swimming Pool: Location, Set back, Pool Material, Electrical-ground fault plug in, Above-ground and In-Ground wired pools will require a separate electric permit, Minimum fence height of 4 ft. is required with a pool, and the inspector can inspect both pool and fence in a single inspection

Demolition: Utilities are properly disconnected

Storage Building/ Portable Detached Construction: Setbacks, Building location pinned, Excess detached construction may not exceed more than 720 sq. ft. The combined total of all accessory buildings may not exceed 40 % of the primary residence and must be a minimum of 5ft from the property line

Commercial Buildings: 2 sets of site and building plans must be furnished for review, consisting of a floor plan and wall section views. Plans at minimum will require a floor plan and wall section view.  The wall section view shall show such items as roofing, floor joist, footing, foundations and balcony construction.

Residential Structures:

Building permit fees required for remodeling, repairing or alteration of any existing structure will be $15 per inspection.  Building permit fees for all new construction or other construction which is on a square foot basis shall be calculated according to the following schedule:

• 75 sq. ft. or less                                 $15

• 76-999 sq. ft.                     $15 + $.20 cost per square foot

• 1000-1999 sq. ft.              $200.00 + $.17 cost per square foot

• 2000-greater                      $370.00 + $.15 cost per square foot

• Maximum for any project $3000.00

Permits will need to be on prominent display during construction.  You may find building permit applications at City Hall and on our website at www.gentryarkansas.us . After an application has been completed and approved by the inspector and mayor, payment will be required and a permit will be issued.

Thank you for building in Gentry.  These are City of Gentry requirements stricter than state codes. We would like to let you know of these before you start building 

Building

Footings:  Footings shall be no less than 16” deep and 18” wide from the undisturbed soil.

In the event heating and air-conditioning or other equipment is located in the attic, stair access (by pull down or permanent stairs) shall be provided

Electrical: 

All wire shall be 12 gage or larger.       

Aluminum wire shall not be allowed beyond the load side of the meter of service entrance junction box. Aluminum wire shall be terminated outside the building. No aluminum wire shall be used in the interior of any building.

The minimum meter loop and panel size that shall be allowed on new single-family swellings shall be 100 amps with a minimum number of spaces in the entrance panel being 20; a minimum of a one-inch trade size conduit shall be installed from the entrance panel into the attic area for future wiring installation.

Plumbing:

Plumbing Code is hereby amended to provide that commencing three (3) feet outside of the building, any sewer line must be no less than four inches (4") in diameter and constructed of schedule 40 or stronger material

HVAC:

All ducts, both supply and return, shall be of light gauge galvanized sheet metal of thickness required by the Arkansas Mechanical Code (the sole exception being certain sheetrock line portions of the building structure as approved by the designated City Building Official.

• Installation of flexible non-metallic duct and flexible metallic duct material is prohibited, with the following exception

When a suspended ceiling is to be installed, the final connections, not to exceed six (6) feet in length, may be flexible duct material as long as there is a hard elbow turning down into the ceiling. 

• Ducts shall be suspended at least twelve (12) inches above all ceilings to be insulated.

If you have any questions regarding building permits, fees or building code requirements, please call City Hall at 479-736-2555 or our Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer Mark Smithson at 479-212-0632.