How storm shelter installation works in Jonesboro

Request my free quote

Most of the time goes into the steps before install day: picking the shelter, getting quotes, the city permit and, for anything in the ground, the utility locate. A prefab steel room bolted to a garage slab can go in within a few hours once that's done.

1. Pick the type and size

Start with where it can go. An above-ground unit needs a sound concrete slab, usually the garage. An in-ground unit needs room to dig and a site that drains. Size it for everyone in the house: NSSA's residential rule is at least 3 square feet per person, and the shelter should be within 150 feet of an exterior door of the home (NSSA, residential tornado shelters). The shelter types page and safe room sizes help narrow it down.

2. Check the ground

Water is the main risk for anything below grade. HomeAdvisor warns that in-ground units are prone to flooding and suggests above-ground units where the water table is high (HomeAdvisor tornado shelter cost guide). NSSA doesn't recommend putting a below-ground shelter below the design flood elevation (NSSA, residential tornado shelters). Inside city limits, Jonesboro's Engineering department checks floodplain and stormwater issues during plan review (City of Jonesboro, Plan Review). Ask each installer how they'd handle water on your lot.

3. Get quotes for the same thing

Ask two or three installers to price the same type and size so you can compare line by line: delivery, any slab or digging, anchoring, the permit and cleanup. The price guide has national ranges and an estimator to check the numbers against.

4. The city permit

Inside Jonesboro city limits a storm shelter needs a permit. The fee schedule lists it at $50 (City of Jonesboro, Inspections and Planning fee schedule), and the city says residential plan review takes about 3 to 5 days (City of Jonesboro, Plan Review). Many installers pull it, so ask whether it's in the price. Outside city limits, check with Craighead County.

5. Call Arkansas 811 before anyone digs

Arkansas 811 says anyone who disturbs the ground has to notify it first, and the call is free. Utilities have 2 working days to mark their lines, after which digging can start. A ticket is good for 20 working days, and the work has to start within 10. Utilities don't mark private lines past the meter, such as a line to a shop or a yard light, so point those out to the installer. Call 811 or 1-800-482-8998 (Arkansas 811 FAQ). Ask whether your installer places the ticket; if they do the digging, it's their job.

6. Install day

HomeGuide says a prefab steel safe room takes about 2 to 5 hours to install (HomeGuide, safe room cost guide). An in-ground shelter takes longer because of the excavation, setting the unit and backfill. If the shelter is anchored into an existing slab, FEMA notes the 2021 International Residential Code calls for a special inspection of those anchors (FEMA Building Science FAQ).

7. Paperwork and the registry

Keep the installer's invoice, the model's test or certification documents and the warranty together. Then add the shelter to the Jonesboro E-911 Storm Shelter Registry, a free form that tells responders where to look after a tornado (Jonesboro E-911 Storm Shelter Registry).

Quick answers

Do I need to call 811 before a storm shelter goes in?

Yes, if anyone is digging. Arkansas 811 says anyone who disturbs the ground has to notify it first. The call is free, utilities have 2 working days to mark their lines, and a ticket is good for 20 working days. Private lines past the meter aren't marked.

How long does storm shelter installation take?

HomeGuide says a prefab steel safe room takes about 2 to 5 hours to install. Add the time for quotes, the city's 3 to 5 day plan review inside Jonesboro, and the 811 wait if there's digging.

This page is a plain summary, not engineering or legal advice. Your installer and the city's building office have the final word.

Sources: NSSA, residential tornado shelters; HomeAdvisor tornado shelter cost guide; City of Jonesboro, Plan Review; City of Jonesboro, Inspections and Planning fee schedule; Arkansas 811 FAQ; HomeGuide, safe room cost guide; FEMA Building Science FAQ; Jonesboro E-911 Storm Shelter Registry.