You sketched a small cabin and now you wonder if the lot even allows it. Minimum build size on rural land in Arkansas is set by the subdivision's Bill of Assurance, not by the county. On my own parcels in Izard County it is anywhere from 550 to 1,100 square feet. The land is cheap. The minimum build rule is what really decides the budget.
What is the minimum build size on rural land in Arkansas?
There is no single statewide number. Arkansas does not set one minimum build size for all rural land. The number that matters lives in the subdivision's Bill of Assurance, a set of recorded restrictions that runs with the land.
A Bill of Assurance, or BOA, is a deed document filed with the county. It sets the rules for every lot in a subdivision: how small a house can be, how far it has to sit from each line, whether a mobile home is allowed, and more. It is recorded, so it binds you whether you read it or not.
On the parcels I own, the minimum runs from 550 square feet of floor space up to 1,100 square feet total. That is a wide spread. A 550 square foot cabin and an 1,100 square foot house are very different projects, and very different budgets.
If you are shopping cheap rural land and you only compare price per acre, you are skipping the number that actually controls what you can build. Two lots at the same price can carry minimums that differ by a factor of two.
Who sets the minimum build size, the county or the subdivision?
Most buyers assume the county writes the rules. In rural Arkansas, the county's role is usually lighter than people expect. There is often no zoning at all in unincorporated areas. What controls the lot is the Bill of Assurance from whoever platted the subdivision decades ago.
That cuts both ways. Good, because you are not fighting a heavy permit office. Bad, because the real rulebook is an old recorded document that the seller may never mention.
The BOA can set a minimum square footage, a setback from each property line, a rule that only a single-family home is allowed, and a requirement that you install your own septic. All of my Izard County lots are single-family only. None of them let you skip the minimum and drop a shed.
So the answer is this: the subdivision sets the build size through the BOA, and the county records and enforces it. You check both, but the BOA is where the number lives.
What does Arkansas law say about a Bill of Assurance?
Two things, and both matter to a buyer. First, Arkansas Code 18-12-103 treats a restriction in a bill of assurance as a restrictive covenant, and says it is "not effective to restrict the use or development of real property unless" the instrument is executed by the owners and recorded in the office of the recorder of the county where the property is located. An unrecorded rule sheet a seller hands you is not the rulebook. The recorded one is.
Second, recording makes it binding on you. Under Arkansas Code 14-15-404, a recorded instrument affecting title is "constructive notice to all persons from the time the instrument is filed for record." In plain terms: once the BOA is on file with the county, the law treats you as knowing what it says, whether you read it or not.
That is why the recorded copy is the one to read. The rest of the pre-purchase checks are in my guide to buying land in Arkansas.
How do you find the minimum build size before you buy?
You do not need to guess. Here is the order I use before I buy any parcel:
- Ask the seller for the Bill of Assurance by name. If they do not have it, that already tells you something.
- Pull the recorded BOA from the county clerk or recorder. It is a public document tied to the subdivision, not to the single lot.
- Read the paragraph on minimum dwelling size. It is usually one clear sentence with a square-foot number.
- Read the setbacks in the same document. A big minimum on a small lot with deep setbacks can leave you almost no room to build.
- Confirm the use. Single-family only is common. If you wanted two units or a commercial use, the BOA may kill it.
This is the same work that belongs in any rural land due diligence checklist. Build size sits right next to road access, flood zone, and water. Skip it and you can close on a lot where you cannot build the thing you pictured.
What minimum build sizes did I find on my Izard County parcels?
Three different numbers in one town. I own several parcels in Izard County, Arkansas, all in and around Horseshoe Bend. The minimum build size is different on almost every one, and it comes straight from each subdivision's BOA.
My Lot 192 in the North Shore Addition carries the biggest minimum: 1,100 square feet total, with at least 950 square feet of heated space on the first floor. A carport counts toward the total. That is a real house, not a cabin. I list that lot at $2,499 cash.
My four Spring Addition lots, numbers 29 through 32 in Horseshoe Bend, sit at 1,000 square feet minimum each. Those are 0.26 to 0.31 acre lots, priced at $1,995 cash each. Still a full small home, just under the North Shore number.
My two Tract D lots in Horseshoe Bend Estates, at 1205 Pavilion Lane and 1312 Ranchview Road, are the friendliest to a small build: 550 square feet of floor space, single-family. They also carry setbacks of 35 feet front, 30 feet rear, and a side setback of 10 percent of the lot width, with a 20 foot minimum where the lot borders a road. Septic is on the buyer. I list those at $2,250 cash (here is the 0.25-acre lot at 1205 Pavilion Ln). On all of these, owner financing is $149 at signing ($49 down plus a $100 document fee), then $105 a month for 48 months.
Here is the same information side by side.
| Subdivision (my parcels) | Minimum build size | What it means for building |
|---|---|---|
| North Shore Addition, Lot 192 | 1,100 sq ft total, 950 sq ft heated | A full small house; the carport counts toward the total |
| Spring Addition, Lots 29-32 | 1,000 sq ft | A small home or large cabin, single-family |
| Tract D, Horseshoe Bend Estates | 550 sq ft floor space | A tiny house or compact cabin, single-family |
Same county. Same town. Three different minimums. If you only looked at the price, you would never see it.
Why does minimum build size change what cheap land really costs?
Because it sets a floor on your spend. Raw land is the small number. The build is the big one. A minimum build size is really a minimum spend, because it sets the floor on the house you are forced to put up if you build at all.
Take the spread on my own lots. A 550 square foot cabin can cost far less to frame, roof, and finish than an 1,100 square foot house with 950 heated square feet. If your plan is a weekend cabin or a first small place, the 550 minimum gives you room to build cheap and stay legal. If the lot forces 1,100, your smallest legal build just got a lot more expensive.
This is why I read the BOA before I fall in love with a photo. The land is affordable on almost any of these lots. The real question is whether the required build fits your budget and your plan. That is also why build size belongs in the same conversation as buying cheap rural land the smart way and what it takes to build a camp or put an RV on your land.
None of this is a reason to avoid cheap land. It is a reason to read one more document before you buy. The buyers who get burned are the ones who assumed a small lot meant a small required build. Sometimes it is the opposite.
This is not financial or legal advice. Do your own research and read the recorded documents before buying any property.
FAQ
What is the minimum build size on rural land in Arkansas?
There is no single statewide minimum. The number is set by the subdivision's Bill of Assurance, a recorded document filed with the county. On my Izard County parcels it ranges from 550 square feet of floor space to 1,100 square feet total.
Who sets the minimum build size on rural land?
The subdivision sets it through the Bill of Assurance, and the county records and enforces it. Many rural Arkansas areas have no zoning, so the Bill of Assurance, not a zoning office, is the real rulebook for how small you can build.
Where do I find the minimum build size for a specific parcel?
Ask the seller for the Bill of Assurance, then pull the recorded copy from the county clerk. It applies to the whole subdivision. Read the paragraph on minimum dwelling size and the setbacks, which affect how much of the lot you can actually use.
Can I put a tiny house or cabin on rural Arkansas land?
It depends on the minimum in that subdivision. Some lots allow 550 square feet, which fits a small cabin or tiny house. Others require 1,000 or 1,100 square feet, which rules out a very small build. Check the Bill of Assurance before you buy.
Does a smaller minimum build size make land cheaper to build on?
Often yes. A lower minimum lets you put up a smaller, cheaper structure and stay within the rules. A high minimum forces a larger build, so your lowest legal cost to build goes up even when the land itself is cheap.
Have a parcel in mind and want to know the minimum build size before you commit? Tell me the subdivision or the APN in the comments and I will point you to where the number is recorded.
Sources
- Ark. Code 18-12-103, Restrictive covenants
- Ark. Code 14-15-404, Recorded instruments as constructive notice
- Recorded Bills of Assurance (North Shore Addition, Spring Addition, Tract D) and current YAI LLC terms as published on each parcel page (2026)