ADU Pass
Franklin
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Franklin, Izard County, Arkansas navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 2 ZIP codes.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: allowed
ADUs are allowed by-right under Act 313. Practical permitting for Franklin parcels uses (a) Izard County Judge for road frontage/driveway, (b) ADH for septic/well, (c) third-party state-licensed inspector for IRC 2018 compliance. Closer to White River bottomlands, FEMA SFHA may apply on lots near Sandy Bayou or Mill Creek.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 250 | $250 | $46,250 | $46,500 |
| 600 | 600 | $250 | $111,000 | $111,250 |
| midpoint | 600 | $250 | $111,000 | $111,250 |
| maximum | 1,000 | $250 | $185,000 | $185,250 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Confirm parcel inside Town of Franklin vs unincorporated Izard County (~5d)
Franklin has narrow corporate limits along State Highway 56. Most surrounding parcels are unincorporated Izard County. Confirm via Izard County Assessor parcel viewer; permitting paths differ. - FEMA FIRM check for White River / Sandy Bayou / Mill Creek SFHA (~10d)
Many low-lying Franklin parcels are in 100-year floodplain. NFIP-participating Izard County requires elevation certificate and (if in SFHA) finished-floor 1 ft above BFE. Run before site design. - ADH Designated Representative soil/perc evaluation (~30d)
Arkansas Department of Health licensed Designated Representative performs soil/perc evaluation, submits Form ENV-2 'Application for Permit to Construct an On-Site Wastewater System'. Karst geology on the Ozark fringe can complicate soil findings. - Well permit (if no shared rural water) (~21d)
Many Franklin parcels rely on private well; some served by Izard County Rural Water Authority. Driller files Notice of Well Construction with ADH. - Izard County Judge driveway / road frontage approval (~14d)
Driveway onto County Road or State Highway 56 (latter requires AR Department of Transportation access permit). Izard County Judge office (80 East Main Street, Melbourne, +1-870-368-4328) issues county approval. - Town of Franklin mayor signature (inside corporate limits) or third-party inspector engagement (unincorporated) (~21d)
Franklin Town Board / Mayor signs setback affidavit for in-town parcels. For unincorporated parcels, owner contracts an Arkansas-licensed building inspector. Act 313 caps fee at $250. - Construction inspections (foundation incl. flood-elevation if SFHA, framing, MEP rough, final)
Five standard inspection points. SFHA parcels add elevation certificate at foundation pour. AR has no residential sprinkler mandate (R313 amended out). - ADH septic Permit to Operate + final building inspection + occupancy (~14d)
Final building inspection plus ADH 'Permit to Operate' for septic. ADU occupiable once both clear. Post-construction elevation certificate filed with NFIP coordinator if in SFHA.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental allowed; Franklin's 191-resident population means demand mostly for retirees and seasonal residents from Horseshoe Bend (5 mi north).
- Short-term rental: yes (No Town of Franklin or Izard County STR ordinance) STR demand strong for trout-fishing / Ozarks tourism: White River, Calico Rock (10 mi northeast), Norfork Lake (20 mi north), Buffalo National River (35 mi northwest). Mountain View / Blanchard Springs Caverns 20-30 mi southwest. 2% AR state tourism tax applies.
- Office rental: no ADU is residential under Act 313.
- Home office: yes Home occupation by-right under Act 313.
- Studio / workshop: yes Artist / writer / craft studio common Ozarks use case.
- Agriculture: yes Cattle, timber, hay, and small livestock common on most parcels. AR Right-to-Farm protections apply.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly allowed under Act 313. Common pattern for retirees moving back to family land.
Incentives
- USDA Rural Development Section 504 Repair Loan/Grant — Up to $40,000 loan / $10,000 grant for elderly low-income owners (Income-qualified rural homeowners)
- White River / Ozarks Tourism Branding — Franklin sits in the White River trout-fishing corridor; STR positioning for fishing-cabin / Calico Rock / Mountain View tourism is a real revenue lever even though Franklin itself is small.
Contacts
Staff: Izard County Judge (County executive; driveway / road frontage approvals; unincorporated permitting), Izard County Circuit/County Clerk (Deed and easement recording (3 W. Main, Melbourne)), Arkansas Department of Health - Izard Local Health Unit (On-site wastewater (septic) and well permits), ARDOT District 9 (Batesville) (State Highway 56 access permits)
Utilities
- Water: Izard County Rural Water Authority / Mid-Izard Public Water Authority / private well (parcel-dependent) · 21d connect · $1,700
- Sewer: Private septic (ADH-regulated) - no rural sewer in unincorporated Izard County · 45d connect · $9,200
- Electric: North Arkansas Electric Cooperative (NAEC) · 21d connect · $1,100
- Gas: Propane (most rural Izard parcels); no piped natural gas distribution · 14d connect
Property values & taxes
Market rent by ADU size
| Sq ft | Rent |
|---|---|
| 250 | $475/mo |
| 600 | $750/mo |
| 800 | $875/mo |
| 1,000 | $975/mo |
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 8mo · typical 12mo · worst 18mo
Ozark contractor bench is thin and seasonal. Many builders are also farmers; spring planting and fall hunting compress availability. Specialty trades drive 30-60 mi from Mountain Home, Batesville, or Mountain View.
Modular pathway Arkansas Manufactured Home Commission - modular plan-approval · inspectors are occasional with modular
State Highway 56 is curvy and crosses Ozark hills; module-width up to 14 ft typically OK but switchback turns and one-lane Bayou bridges constrain larger 16 ft+ widths. White River fork bridges are the main pinch.
Financing
State ADU loans:
- USDA Rural Development Section 502 Direct/Guaranteed (USDA Rural Development)
- ADFA Move-Up Choice Mortgage (Arkansas Development Finance Authority)
Insurance impact
NFIP premium is required for SFHA financing. Tornado/hail exposure pushes AR rural premiums above national average. Cabin-near-water STR adds visitor liability.
HOA prevalence & preemption
Town of Franklin is fee-simple. Surrounding rural Izard parcels are also HOA-free. Closest HOA-governed lots are inside Horseshoe Bend (a planned retirement community 5 mi north).
Regulatory overlays (3)
- flood-zone — FEMA SFHA along Sandy Bayou, Mill Creek, and White River bottomlands intersecting Franklin parcels · +14d · +8% cost
Izard County participates in NFIP. SFHA-zone parcels require FF 1ft above BFE; flood vents on enclosed below-base areas; flood insurance for federally-backed financing. (map) - tornado-zone — Izard County in north-central AR tornado corridor (lower frequency than southern AR but real) · +4% cost
ASCE 7-22 wind design speed 110 mph. Storm shelter / saferoom common voluntary add. (map) - karst-geology — Ozark karst (limestone caves, sinkholes, springs) on much of Izard County · +14d · +6% cost
Septic perc test can fail or require modified-system over fractured limestone; engineered systems add $4-8K. Sinkhole risk requires geotech screening on some parcels. (map)
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Volumes I-III — Removes residential sprinkler mandate (R313); state amendments to wildland-urban interface and tornado-resistant guidance.
Contractor market (aggregate)
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Arkansas Act 313 of 2025 (statewide ADU preemption); Town of Franklin Municipal Code (Municode) for non-zoning topics, adopted 2025-03-18, last amended 2025-03-18
- 1825-10-27 — Izard County established (other)
Izard County formed as the 13th county of the Territory of Arkansas, named for George Izard, the territory's second governor.
Effect: Pre-statehood county boundaries; Franklin among the earliest settlements. - 1875-01-01 — Melbourne becomes Izard County seat (other)
County seat moved to Melbourne; remains there today.
Effect: Established Melbourne (80 East Main Street) as administrative center for permitting in Izard County. - 1940-01-01 — Town of Franklin incorporates (other)
Franklin formally incorporates as a small town along State Highway 56.
Effect: Created the municipal corporate limits that govern the inner-Franklin parcels today. - 2017-01-01 — Arkansas Fire Prevention Code adopts IRC 2018 base (state-law)
Statewide AR Fire Prevention Code adopts IRC 2018 with state amendments.
Effect: Franklin construction governed by IRC 2018 + AR amendments; no statewide sprinkler requirement. - 2025-03-18 — Arkansas Act 313 of 2025 (HB 1503) - statewide ADU by-right (state-law)
Sponsored by Rep. Clowney and Sen. Hester; passed both chambers and signed.
Effect: ADUs now allowed by-right statewide subject to Act 313 standards. - 2026-01-01 — Act 313 effective date (state-law)
Statewide ADU floor takes effect.
Effect: Any inconsistent town policies preempted; $250 fee cap binds.
Known issues (1)
- policy-review (since 2025-03) — Ozark karst frequently produces failing perc tests on Franklin parcels; engineered Class V systems can add $4-8K to ADU project. Verify ADH soil findings before lot purchase. (source)
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 Codes
- 72512
- 72536
Post Office
- 780 Highway 56 E, 72536