Unincorporated Stone County, Arkansas has no confirmed county residential building-permit process, so ask the County Judge's Office before starting work12. Inside Mountain View, the city requires building permits and administers zoning; throughout Stone County, the Arkansas Department of Health or its Authorized Agent handles septic construction and operation permits345. Arkansas building-code minimums still apply statewide6.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Unconfirmed in unincorporated Stone County; required inside Mountain View123
- Building code
- Arkansas building-code minimums apply even where permits or inspections are not required6
- Zoning
- Unconfirmed in unincorporated Stone County; city zoning applies inside Mountain View724
- Septic permits
- State septic construction and operation permits are required, with inspection before use58
- RV living
- A single RV on private land is unconfirmed; paid parks with 3 or more spaces fall under state health rules9
- Tiny home
- County occupancy rules are unconfirmed; qualifying paid parks fall under state health rules10
- Owner-builder
- State contractor licensing exempts a person building their own residence if they build no more than 1 residence that year; local rules still apply11
- Private well permit
- A separate Stone County permit for a private domestic well could not be confirmed12
Who to call
Also useful
County administration, county roads and ordinances; the starting point for parcel-specific questions when no building or planning office is confirmed
107 W. Main St, Suite C, Mountain View, AR 72560
Septic permits
Arkansas Department of Health, Onsite Wastewater Program
Onsite wastewater policy and permit-application review in cooperation with the local Environmental Health Specialist
4815 W. Markham Street, Slot 46 Little Rock, AR 72205
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 7, 2026.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Stone County means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
- Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
- Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
- Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
- Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.
These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Do you need a building permit in Stone County, Arkansas?
A general residential building-permit requirement for unincorporated Stone County could not be confirmed, and Arkansas does not impose one universal building-permit process for every rural location113. Ask the Stone County Judge's Office for a parcel-specific answer before starting work because that office administers county ordinances2. Inside Mountain View, the city requires a building permit to erect, move, add to or structurally alter a building or other structure; septic construction and operation permits still come through the Arkansas Department of Health or its Authorized Agent35. Arkansas building-code minimums apply statewide even where building permits or inspections are not required6. An owner building their own residence is exempt from state contractor licensing unless they build more than 1 residence during the calendar year, but that exemption does not waive building permits, septic permits, inspections, zoning approval or building-code requirements11.
Who issues building permits in Stone County, Arkansas?
Stone County has no confirmed county building or planning department, so begin with the Stone County Judge's Office at 107 W. Main St, Suite C, Mountain View, AR 72560; the phone is (870) 269-3351 and the email is sc_judge@yelcot.net172. The County Judge administers Quorum Court ordinances and operates the county-road system2. Ask whether the parcel is unincorporated and whether a county building permit, building inspection, floodplain review or driveway approval applies2. Inside Mountain View, the city issues building permits and requires a duplicate scaled plan showing lot dimensions, building size and placement; septic permits remain with the Arkansas Department of Health or its Authorized Agent throughout Stone County145. A driveway entering a state highway needs an Arkansas Department of Transportation driveway permit before work begins in the right-of-way15.
Does Stone County, Arkansas have zoning?
County zoning in unincorporated Stone County could not be confirmed from a current authoritative source7. Ask the Stone County Judge's Office whether zoning approval, floodplain review or other land-use rules apply to the parcel because that office administers Quorum Court ordinances2. Mountain View administers city zoning throughout its corporate limits, with published districts and an official zoning map available for inspection; septic permits remain a state health responsibility4165. Mountain View's R-1 district requires at least 8,000 square feet for a single-family lot and 10,000 square feet for a two-family lot, and its residential setbacks vary by district1718. In R-1, the front setback is the greater of 25 feet from the property line or 55 feet from the road centerline, and the interior side and rear setbacks are 10 feet18.
How do septic permits work in Stone County, Arkansas?
Stone County onsite wastewater systems require a Permit for Construction and a Permit for Operation through the Arkansas Department of Health or its Authorized Agent5. A completed septic application and detailed plans must be approved before construction of a building or residence19. The installation must be inspected and approved before the Permit for Operation is issued, and the septic system cannot be used before then8. Construction must begin within 1 year or the permit must be revalidated20. Individual residential application-review fees range from $30 for structures up to 1,500 square feet to $150 for structures over 4,000 square feet21. Only 9.2% of Stone County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation an early contingency22. If an available sanitary sewer is within 300 feet of the building's sewer exit and connection does not cross another person's property, sewer connection is required and neither septic nor a privy may be used there23.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Stone County, Arkansas?
Stone County rules for living in a single RV or tiny home on private land could not be confirmed, so ask the County Judge's Office about parcel-specific land-use restrictions and the Onsite Wastewater Program about sanitation72. Off-grid sanitation does not bypass septic rules: where an available sanitary sewer is within 300 feet and connection does not cross another person's property, the premises must connect and cannot use a privy or onsite wastewater system; elsewhere, onsite wastewater still requires construction and operation permits plus inspection2458. Arkansas regulates a parcel as a mobile-home or recreational-vehicle park when 3 or more spaces are occupied or intended for RVs, tiny houses on wheels or mobile homes and placement or maintenance services are provided for a fee9. Within those qualifying parks, a tiny house on wheels is treated as a mobile home if plumbed and inspected under the Arkansas Plumbing Code, and as an RV if it is not25.
What are the steps to build a home in Stone County, Arkansas?
- Confirm whether the parcel is inside Mountain View or unincorporated Stone County; for rural parcels, ask the County Judge's Office which building-permit, zoning-approval, floodplain-review and driveway-approval rules apply217.
- For a Mountain View parcel, submit the city's building-permit application with a duplicate scaled site plan and verify the zoning district's lot and setback rules31418.
- Determine whether an available sanitary sewer is within 300 feet of the building's sewer exit and reachable without crossing another person's property, because those conditions require connection and bar septic or privy use23.
- If septic is needed anywhere in Stone County, obtain the state Permit for Construction before installation, then pass inspection and receive the Permit for Operation before use58.
- Design to Arkansas building-code minimums even if no local building permit or inspection is required6.
What should you check before buying land in Stone County?
Put septic feasibility near the top of the contract contingencies: only 9.2% of Stone County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field22. Terrain and clearing also deserve a site visit because 53% of county land has a slope of 15% or less and 80.1% is forested2728. Ask the County Judge's Office about county-road access, applicable ordinances and the correct floodplain contact before closing2. A private domestic-well permit requirement for Stone County could not be confirmed; the state approval claim available here covers public and semi-public wells rather than establishing a rule for every private well12. Stone County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.4%, with a median annual bill near $528, but verify the parcel's assessment and exemptions with the county before relying on an estimate2930.
Watch-outs
- Unincorporated Stone County's residential permit, inspection and certificate-of-occupancy requirements remain unconfirmed, but Mountain View requires a building permit and a Certificate of Occupancy1326.
- Unincorporated Stone County zoning and dimensional rules remain unconfirmed, while Mountain View has city zoning with district-specific lot sizes, setbacks and coverage limits74171831.
- A septic system anywhere in Stone County needs construction and operation permits and cannot be used until it has passed inspection58.
Sources
- 2014 Arkansas Energy Code for New Building Construction Supplements and Amendments (2026 county census)
- Stone County Judge's Office (stonecountyar.gov)
- Mountain View Zoning Code, quoted and re-checked
- Mountain View Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024), quoted and re-checked
- Home Improvement Specialty New Application, quoted and re-checked
- (2026 county census)
- Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024), quoted and re-checked
- 20 CAR § 138-102. Compliance (Arkansas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- 20 CAR § 138-102. Compliance (Arkansas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Arkansas Residential Contractors Rules, quoted and re-checked
- 17 CAR § 11-607. Public and semi-public wells (Arkansas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Home Improvement Contractor License Application (Arkansas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Mountain View Zoning Code, quoted and re-checked
- Regulations: Rules for Access Driveways to State Highways (Arkansas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Mountain View Zoning Code, quoted and re-checked
- Mountain View Zoning Code, quoted and re-checked
- Mountain View Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024), quoted and re-checked
- Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024), quoted and re-checked
- Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024), quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
- Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024), quoted and re-checked
- Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024), quoted and re-checked
- 20 CAR § 138-101. Definitions (Arkansas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Mountain View Zoning Code, quoted and re-checked
- Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
- Wooded share of land: Bolthole Index county data
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
- Mountain View Zoning Code, quoted and re-checked
Written October 7, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.