Do I Need an Engineer to Build a Metal Building in Arkansas?

Arkansas jurisdictions — Little Rock, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Springdale — require an engineer-sealed plan set for commercial and industrial metal buildings, and the PE seal is the standard requirement for the foundation and site-specific structural sheets. The seal must show the engineer's name, Arkansas PE number, and date, with the engineer in responsible charge. The manufacturer supplies PE-sealed drawings for the building itself — the rigid frames, purlins, and girts — but the foundations, site-specific load verification, and the permit set are designed and sealed by the Arkansas engineer of record. Owner-builders don't escape the requirement: the building department asks for the seal regardless of who drew the plans, and the engineer must verify the building for New Madrid seismic risk and expansive clays.

The engineer designs the foundations for footings on expansive clays for seismic column reactions — the engineer sizes piers for soil swell plus New Madrid earthquake overturning, and verifies the rigid frames for rigid frames with seismic bracing for the New Madrid zone — eastern Arkansas frames get lateral systems engineered for earthquake forces. Purlins, girts, eave struts, and rod bracing go on the sealed plan set — member sizing for gravity and lateral loads, bracing layouts, and the anchor-bolt detailing that ties the building to foundations designed for New Madrid seismic risk and expansive clays. Bring the manufacturer's anchor-bolt plan and column reactions, a geotechnical report for the lot, and the building dimensions and eave height. Eastern Arkansas frames get lateral systems engineered for earthquake forces — seismic bracing for the New Madrid zone.

Use this checklist before engaging an engineer for your metal building: • Engineer of record holds an active Arkansas PE license, verifiable on the state roster • Foundations designed for the manufacturer's anchor-bolt reactions against New Madrid seismic risk and expansive clays • Rigid frames, purlins, and girts verified for New Madrid seismic risk and expansive clays per ASCE 7 • Rod bracing or portal-frame lateral system detailed on the sealed set • Anchor bolts, base plates, and hairpin ties detailed for uplift and overturning • Eave height, clear span, and bay spacing called out and checked • Geotechnical report reviewed before foundation design • Engineer confirms they'll respond to plan-check corrections on sealed sheets