BigRentz Equipment Rental Service Areas in Arkansas

If you’re in the construction business in Arkansas, you’ll need to address some issues before you can get started. It’s important to research the proper permits, soil types, and other considerations that are unique to working on building projects in the Natural State. Take a look at this guide to help you determine what you need to know before you head out to a job site in Arkansas.

For construction projects in Arkansas, municipalities have the authority to issue building permits. It’s not always easy finding the place where you need to apply, though, since the divisions that issue these permits vary from city to city. For example, Little Rock has a dedicated Planning and Development Office, but the tiny town of Eureka Springs has a one-person Building and Safety Department.

When it comes to building a home or business in Arkansas, construction companies will likely need more than a basic building permit. On a massive project such as a commercial building, contractors might have to get a local permit for electrical work, plumbing, and irrigation. For certain types of permits, you have to apply with a state office. The Water Permits Branch of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality handles applications for water discharge permits. These include projects that are large or involve many buildings.

If you’re a general contractor, you don’t need a license from the state to work. But if you do specialty contract work, you’ll likely need to get a state and local license. For example, you must have a license to do electrical work on a construction site.

Once you have the necessary permits and licenses for a building project, you have to think about the type of soil you’ll encounter. Using a variety of methods, soil scientists have reviewed and classified soil types across the state. In northwestern Arkansas, you’ll find fine sandy loam, which is a soil consisting of silt, sand, and clay. Around north central Arkansas, the ground consists of silty loam with lots of chert. The chert is a flint-like rock that’s made from silica and different types of quartz. In west-central Arkansas, the soil becomes chunkier and comes from sandstone sediment. In the highland regions of eastern Arkansas, the soil is primarily silty loam. Near the Mississippi River Valley, you see soil that’s very clay-like. Across southern Arkansas, a fine loam with a sandy consistency is common because the soil comes from marine sediments. In the Arkansas Delta region, you’ll encounter dark-colored clay soil that’s derived from slack water deposits.