Pool Permit in Little Rock, Arkansas
Permit required
Yes, a permit is required
Before installing a swimming pool or spa, including its bonding and pump wiring.
Issued byCity of Little Rock Planning and Development Department, Building Codes Division
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Little Rock lists swimming pools as their own building permit item with a $51.50 minimum fee, adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and inspects pools at slab and final. A pool's bonding, pump and lighting are electrical work, which always needs a City electrical permit. The City publishes no exemption for small or above-ground pools.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
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When a permit is usually needed
Before installing a swimming pool or spa, including its bonding and pump wiring.
What a pool permit costs in Little Rock
How to apply in Little Rock
In Little Rock, a residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect.
What most pool permit applications include:
- Pool and spa design and construction fall under the residential code chapter that folds in the swimming pool and spa code, and permit review checks plans against that chapter (IRC R326).
- For Little Rock, the site plan must show pool equipment such as pumps, filters, and heaters set back at least 36 inches from the outside of the required barrier (ISPSC 305.2.9).
- For an in-ground pool, engineered structural plans covering the shell and reinforcing steel, with the responsible structural engineer's license information, are a standard part of the submittal (per official pool submittal checklists).
- For Little Rock, a barrier plan identifying the fence, pool structure, or dwelling wall that will enclose the pool must be submitted and must comply with the code's barrier chapter (ISPSC 305).
- Electrical plans must show the pool's equipotential bonding design, since the shell, perimeter surfaces, and metal fittings within 5 feet of the water must all tie into a common bonding grid (NEC 680.26).
- For Little Rock, the electrical plan must also show a disconnecting means for the pool equipment that is readily accessible and within sight of the equipment (NEC 680.13).
General submittal guidance from 2021 IRC R326 (adopting the ISPSC), ISPSC 2021 Section 305, and NEC 2020 Article 680. Source. City of Little Rock Planning and Development Department, Building Codes Division sets the exact checklist for Little Rock.
Where to apply in Little Rock:
City of Little Rock Planning and Development Department, Building Codes Division
- 723 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72201
- Phone: (501) 371-4832
- Email: Permits@littlerock.gov
Inspections and closing out your permit
In Little Rock, pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
- In Little Rock: before gunite or shotcrete is sprayed, the inspector checks the rebar against the engineered plans and confirms the equipotential bonding wire is stubbed out and tied into the steel, since it will be buried in concrete afterward (NEC 680.26).
- In Little Rock: a bonding inspection separately confirms coping, decking, ladders, handrail cups, and any other metal within 5 feet of the water are tied to the bonding grid, and it must pass before coping is installed (NEC 680.26).
- In Little Rock: a temporary barrier at least 4 feet high must enclose the site from the moment excavation starts until the permanent barrier is finished, and inspectors check for it throughout construction (ISPSC 305.1.1).
- In Little Rock: a pre-plaster inspection confirms the circulation equipment's electrical work is installed and all bonding is complete before the pool's interior finish goes on (NEC 680.26).
- In Little Rock: at final inspection the permanent barrier is checked against the code's requirements and the equipment and cover-mechanism bonding must be complete before the pool can be filled and used (ISPSC 305, NEC 680.26).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Little Rock permit portal or by phone at (501) 371-4832.
Inspection sequence from NEC 2020 Article 680.26 (equipotential bonding) and ISPSC 2021 Section 305 (barriers). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Pool Permit checklist for Little Rock
- Confirm the requirement. Yes, a permit is required. Usually needed: Before installing a swimming pool or spa, including its bonding and pump wiring.
- Budget the fee. "Swimming pools. Fees assessed per subsection 8-31(c)(l)a., but minimum fee shall be fee of fifty-one and 50/100 dollars ($51.50)." Electrical items: "Pool bonding" $18.54, "Pool pump (each)" $12.36, "Hot tub or spa" $14.42; plumbing "Swimming pool" $14.42. Little Rock Code Sec. 8-31(c), as amended through Ord. No. 22,703 (December 16, 2025), read on Municode. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. In Little Rock, a residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect. Start at the Little Rock permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. City of Little Rock Planning and Development Department, Building Codes Division. Phone: (501) 371-4832. Address: 723 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72201.
- Plan for inspections. In Little Rock, pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a pool permit in Little Rock?
- Little Rock lists swimming pools as their own building permit item with a $51.50 minimum fee, adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and inspects pools at slab and final. A pool's bonding, pump and lighting are electrical work, which always needs a City electrical permit. The City publishes no exemption for small or above-ground pools. Always confirm with the City of Little Rock Planning and Development Department, Building Codes Division before starting.
- How much does a pool permit cost in Little Rock?
- "Swimming pools. Fees assessed per subsection 8-31(c)(l)a., but minimum fee shall be fee of fifty-one and 50/100 dollars ($51.50)." Electrical items: "Pool bonding" $18.54, "Pool pump (each)" $12.36, "Hot tub or spa" $14.42; plumbing "Swimming pool" $14.42. Little Rock Code Sec. 8-31(c), as amended through Ord. No. 22,703 (December 16, 2025), read on Municode. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a pool permit in Little Rock?
- You can apply through the Little Rock permit portal or contact the City of Little Rock Planning and Development Department, Building Codes Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a pool permit themselves in Little Rock?
- Under Arkansas law (Ark. Code 17-25-513(1), (2); 17-38-302(1); 17-28-101(9); 17-28-102(b); 17-28-305(b)(2); 17-25-101(a)(2)): Yes. A person building his or her own residence does not need a residential building contractor license unless they build more than one residence in a calendar year, and the owner of a single family residence may act as his or her own home improvement contractor (17-25-513(1)-(2)). Plumbing work done by a property owner in a building the owner owns and occupies as his or her home is exempt from plumber licensing unless a local ordinance requires a license (17-38-302(1)). The electrical licensing law does not require an individual to hold a license to do electrical work on his or her primary residence, defined as an unattached single-family dwelling, unless other state law or a local ordinance requires it, and a city or county may require the owner to show technical competency first (17-28-102(b), 17-28-305(b)(2)). These are licensing exemptions, not permit exemptions: the owner still needs whatever local permits apply. No state owner-builder disclosure form or resale restriction was found. Confirm how Little Rock applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Little Rock
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Painting, floor coverings, cosmetic changes and fixture trap or supply-line swaps are exempt; moving plumbing, any electrical work or work over $5,000 needs permits | Building permit (if required) on the valuation schedule with a $51.50 minimum |
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...except as otherwise specified, shall be fifty-one and 50/100 dollars ($51.50)" plus... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | Repair/alteration/addition items, for example openings 1 to 20, $12.36 |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...special equipment, outdoor lighting or any circuits not already covered"... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | Height of a residential fence | ...subsection 8-3 l(c)(l)a." (the building permit valuation schedule), with a $51.50... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...for replacements, repairs, alterations and additions by total valuation: "$500.00... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | Value of the work, including material and labor | ...except as otherwise specified, shall be fifty-one and 50/100 dollars ($51.50)" plus... |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | Clearing stoppages, temporary leak clamps, replacing a fixture trap or supply lines, and like-for-like gas appliance hookups are exempt; new or altered piping needs a permit | Repair/alteration items: "Each plumbing fixture outlet or appliance" $6.18 |
| Roof Replacement Permit | No permit needed | Exempt | Not published |
| Shed Permit | It depends | Floor area of a one-story detached tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar accessory structure | ...except as otherwise specified, shall be fifty-one and 50/100 dollars ($51.50)" plus... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...assessed on the building permit valuation schedule (Sec. 8-31(c)(1)n.), $51.50... |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Any size | Plumbing permit line item "Water heater .....$17.51" (minimum plumbing permit $50.00) |
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Little Rock documents; the office above sets the local rules.
How this pool permit page for Little Rock was verified. 2 official sources: littlerock.gov, library.municode.com; fee schedule: official document. Last checked by Mario Bailey, not confirmed with City of Little Rock Planning and Development Department, Building Codes Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page