Quick answer: Ark. Code § 28-48-108(a) caps compensation at 10% of the first $1,000, 5% of the next $4,000, and 3% of the balance of the personal property fully administered by the personal representative. Real estate isn't part of this calculation at all — it's compensated separately, if at all, under a different subsection. A $500,000 estate of personal property produces a $15,150 maximum. Get an illustrative estimate with the Arkansas executor fee calculator.
A steep, declining ceiling — on personal property alone
Ark. Code § 28-48-108(a): "this compensation is not to exceed ten percent (10%) of the first one thousand dollars ($1,000), five percent (5%) of the next four thousand dollars ($4,000), and three percent (3%) of the balance of the value of the personal property passing through the hands of the personal representative, provided that compensation shall be allowed only on the value of such property as shall have been fully administered." The opening 10% and 5% brackets are unusually high compared to many states, but they only cover the first $5,000 — the effective rate on any real-sized estate converges quickly toward 3%.
Real estate lives in its own subsection
§ 28-48-108(b): "When the personal representative has performed substantial duties with respect to or on account of real property of the decedent, the court, in addition to other compensation provided by the Probate Code, may allow a reasonable compensation for such services." This isn't a bigger bracket on the same table — it's a genuinely separate, court-justified allowance, triggered only when the personal representative actually did substantial real-property work.
Self-administered, with real teeth behind it
§ 28-48-108(f)(1)-(2): a personal representative may fix their own fee (and the fees of attorneys, accountants, auditors, or investment advisors) without prior court approval — but the reasonableness of that compensation can be reviewed later, on petition of an interested person, on the personal representative's own petition, or on the court's own motion. Anyone who received excessive compensation "may be ordered to make appropriate refunds."
The attorney's fee runs on its own scale
§ 28-48-108(d): 5% of the first $5,000, 4% of the next $20,000, 3% of the next $75,000, 2.75% of the next $300,000, 2.5% of the next $600,000, and 2% of the balance — a genuinely different bracket structure from the personal representative's own 10%/5%/3% schedule, adjustable by the court if it proves excessive or insufficient.
Worked examples
| Personal property administered | § 28-48-108(a) ceiling |
|---|---|
| $100,000 | $3,150 |
| $500,000 | $15,150 |
| $1,000,000 | $30,150 |
Each figure is the tier-by-tier maximum under § 28-48-108(a) - the court can and does award less. Model your own estate in the calculator.
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