The 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code is adopted statewide by the State Fire Marshal’s office and came into effect January 1, 2023. The Arkansas Fire Prevention Code is a three volume set. The Fire Code Volume I is based on the 2021 International Fire Code, Volume II is based on the 2021 International Building Code, and Volume III is based on the 2021 International Residential Code. These codes include some Arkansas specific changes.
Building Code Compliance Software for Arkansas
Plan Analyst code compliance software programs make it easy for building officials, architects and other designers to quickly perform commercial and residential building code plan reviews / code studies. Plan Analyst for the 2021 IBC and Plan Analyst for the 2021 IRC simplifies the plan review / code study process enabling compliance to specific code years.
This proven software allows modifications to accommodate local amendments, where applicable. Users have the ability to add code requirements and to add to the checklist. Changes can be made permanent by changing the data file using the setup section of Plan Analyst, or specific reports can be edited for special conditions.
Plan Analyst Calculators: Deck – Sign – Beam & Column
Plan Analyst Deck, Sign and Beam & Column Calculators are additional simple and effective design and code review software tools that will quickly become your go-to resources when working on associated tasks.
Users of Plan Analyst in Arkansas have included:
City of Benton | Canino Peckham & Associates, Inc. |
City of Greenwood | Cromwell Architects Engineers |
City of Lowell | Polk Stanley Roland Curzon Porter Architects |
City of Rogers | Robert D. Berry, Architects |
City of Van Buren | Woods Group Architects |
Building and Residential Code Resources for Arkansas
- View the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Volume II (Building) free online via ICC
- View the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Volume III (Residential) free online via ICC
- Buy the Arkansas I-Codes from ICC
- Purchase Plan Analyst for the IBC and or IRC to automate and simplify your plan reviews / code studies plananalyst.com.
- The ICC General Code website provides access to some municipal codes.
Energy Code Compliance Software for Arkansas
Visit the U.S. Department of Energy website to see the latest on energy code adoption in Arkansas, including the use of COMcheck and REScheck Energy Code compliance software.
COMcheck enables architects, builders, designers, and contractors to determine whether new commercial or high-rise residential buildings, additions, and alterations meet the requirements of the IECC and ASHRAE Standard 90.1.
REScheck product enables builders, designers, and contractors to determine whether new homes, additions, and alterations meet the requirements of the IECC or a number of state energy codes.
DOE’s EnergyPlus™ is a whole building energy simulation (BEM) program that engineers, architects, and researchers use to model both energy consumption (for heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and plug and process loads) and water use in buildings. It supports a number of public and private-sector tools and services including EP3. EP3 is a user interface for EnergyPlus™ designed to streamline workflows for building energy modelers. EP3 is well-suited for tasks like modeling ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G baselines and evaluating energy efficiency measures in new and existing buildings.
The “Building Codes Assistance Project” also provides information on Arkansas’s building energy codes.
FEMA Building Code Adoption Tracking
The FEMA Building Code Adoption Tracking program reports on the status of hazard-resistant building code adoption in each state. Arkansas is in FEMA Region 6. Read the 2024 Region 6 fact sheet showing the annual metric of the percent of communities adopting hazard-resistant building codes in Arkansas.
AIA and ICC
American Institute of Architects – AIA Arkansas represents architects in the state. There are just over 1,500 registered and reciprocal architects in Arkansas.
Arkansas has a couple of ICC Chapters.
Arkansas code adoption status on the ICC website