ADU Pass
Springfield
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Springfield, Conway County, Arkansas navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 1 ZIP code.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: unclear
Arkansas leaves ADU regulation to local municipalities under home-rule or Dillon-rule authority. Springfield permits ADUs subject to local conditions per its zoning ordinance.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $1,100 | $29,250 | $30,350 |
| 600 | 600 | $1,100 | $117,000 | $118,100 |
| midpoint | 525 | $1,100 | $102,375 | $103,475 |
| maximum | 900 | $1,100 | $175,500 | $176,600 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Confirm parcel jurisdiction (Conway County, no city zoning) (~2d)
Springfield is an unincorporated census-designated place (2020 pop. 223) in Union Township, Conway County. There is no City of Springfield government, no municipal zoning ordinance, and no city building department. Conway County itself does not enforce a county-wide residential zoning ordinance over unincorporated land - parcels in the Springfield CDP are governed by Arkansas state law and county-level health/septic/floodplain controls only. Verify the parcel is in unincorporated Conway County (not within Morrilton, Plumerville, Oppelo, or Menifee city limits) using the Conway County Assessor parcel viewer. - Apply Act 313 (2025) baseline by right
Arkansas Act 313 of 2025 (effective 2026-01-01) preempts local prohibitions and grants a by-right ADU on every residential lot statewide. In an unincorporated CDP with no city ordinance, Act 313 plus state building code amendments are the controlling framework - no zoning clearance is issued because no zoning authority claims jurisdiction. - Septic / on-site wastewater permit (Arkansas DOH) (~21d)
Most Springfield CDP parcels are unsewered. Designated Representative (DR) percolation/site evaluation submitted to Arkansas Department of Health Onsite Wastewater section. ADH issues the Construction Permit before footings are poured. - Floodplain development permit (county floodplain administrator) (~14d)
Cadron Creek and Point Remove Creek tributaries cross the Springfield area; Conway County Floodplain Administrator issues elevation/no-rise certificates for parcels in FEMA Zone A/AE. - Electrical permit (Arkansas Department of Labor & Licensing) (~7d)
Outside any city limits in Arkansas, electrical permits are issued by the state, not local government. Application filed with Arkansas DLL Electrical Inspection Section; rough and final inspections by state electrical inspector. - Construction (no county building inspection)
Conway County does not perform residential building inspections in unincorporated areas. Owner / GC self-certifies compliance with Arkansas Fire Prevention Code (IRC 2021 with Arkansas amendments). Lender draw inspections may substitute. - Final ADH septic inspection and assessor reassessment (~7d)
ADH performs final septic inspection before backfill cover. Owner notifies Conway County Assessor of new improvement; reassessment effective the following January 1.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU generally permitted; landlord-tenant law and any city rental-registration ordinance apply.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Springfield regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
- Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.
Contacts
Staff: Conway County Judge's Office (county executive, courthouse Morrilton) (Conway County government - addresses unincorporated parcel matters), Conway County Assessor (Parcel valuation and improvement reassessment), Arkansas Department of Health - Onsite Wastewater (Septic Construction Permit issuance for unsewered parcels), Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing - Electrical Inspection (Electrical permits and inspections outside city limits)
Utilities
- Water: Springfield Water Utility · 30d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Springfield Sewer / Wastewater · 30d connect · $5,500
- Electric: Springfield Electric Utility · 21d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Springfield Gas Utility · 30d connect · $1,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 10mo · worst 16mo
Financing
State ADU loans:
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
Arkansas has no HOA-ADU preemption; HOA covenants restricting ADUs are enforceable.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: City of Springfield Municipal Code — Accessory Dwelling Units, adopted 2020-01-01, last amended 2024-04-01
- 2024-01-01 — City of Springfield ADU code refresh (city-ordinance)
Conforming local-code amendments aligning with current Arkansas accessory-dwelling framework.
Effect: Codified permissive ADU standards consistent with state law and local zoning.
Arkansas state — ADU law and programs
State ADU law
Arkansas enacted statewide ADU preemption through HB 1503, signed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders on 2025-03-18 as Act 313 of 2025. The act takes effect 2026-01-01. From that date forward, every Arkansas municipality must permit at least one accessory dwelling unit by-right on every single-family-zoned residential parcel; ADUs may not exceed the lesser of 75% of the primary dwelling's floor area or 1,000 square feet; application fees are capped at $250; cities may not require a special-use permit, public hearing, or restrictive covenant as a condition of ADU approval. Existing local ADU regulations that conflict with the act become invalid on the effective date. Cities are free to adopt MORE permissive ADU rules but may not adopt stricter ones after 2026-01-01. Arkansas became the eighth US state to enact statewide ADU preemption.
State financing programs
Arkansas does not operate an ADU-specific statewide loan, grant, or forgivable-loan program. The Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA) is the state's housing finance agency and administers first-time-homebuyer mortgages, down-payment assistance, and the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit allocation. None target ADU construction directly, though an ADU-bearing primary residence can qualify for the underlying mortgage when other eligibility criteria are met. Statewide ADU programs may emerge under the Act 313 implementation framework after the 2026-01-01 effective date, but no ADU-specific ADFA program has been announced as of 2026-04-26.
State housing programs
Arkansas's state-level ADU programs operate primarily through the Act 313 preemption framework (effective 2026-01-01) rather than a separate pre-approved-plan catalog or fee-waiver statute. Act 313 itself functions as an effective fee cap (the $250 application-fee ceiling) and prohibits special-use permits or public hearings as approval conditions, which together act as a state-level streamlined-review mandate. Arkansas does not operate a statewide ADU plan library; municipal pre-approved-plan programs may emerge during 2026 implementation.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Code
- 72157
Post Office
- 765 Stagecoach Rd, 72157