Beckley, West Virginia Building Permit Guide

The City of Beckley Code Enforcement Department (232 Industrial Drive, 304-256-1738) issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sign, demolition and floodplain permits inside city limits, starting from a Building Permit Pre-Application in the City’s online portal. The permit fee is 0.5% of the total cost of labor and materials, and plan review is free. Land outside the city is covered by the Raleigh County Building Code Office.

What requires a permit in Beckley?

The City requires a building permit before anyone constructs, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a building, changes its occupancy, or installs, alters or replaces an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system regulated by code. The City’s portal lists these permit applications:

Sheds and storage buildings in residential districts must sit in a side or rear yard, at least 10 ft from the house and 5 ft from every property line, eaves included. Under 201 sq ft they need only site plan approval; from 201 to 600 sq ft they need site plan approval and a permit and must be anchored, though not on frost-protected footings; over 600 sq ft they need plans, plan review, a permit and approved footings. Any storage building with electricity or plumbing needs a permit whatever its size.

Who issues building permits in Beckley?

The city code creates the Code Enforcement Department and makes its chief the building official and code official, responsible for the State Building Code and the city’s building, health, streets and zoning chapters. The department also houses zoning and is the contact for the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and Historic Landmark Commission.

Outside city limits, including the land around Beckley, building permits come from the Raleigh County Building Code Office, 203 South Eisenhower Drive, Beckley (304-255-9388), and county floodplain, planning and zoning matters from 116 North Heber Street (304-255-9173).

Beckley permit applications and contractor registration

Start with the Building Permit Pre-Application in the City’s Citizen Portal, then fill in the specific permit application. Have any uploads ready before you begin; the forms marked for site plans need the City’s Site Plan Form, and completed forms can be emailed to codeenforcement@beckley.org. An application is treated as abandoned 180 days after it was first filed.

Contractor registration. Every contractor must be registered with Code Enforcement before obtaining a permit. Registration is free and needs the West Virginia contractor licence, state tax business registration certificate, workers’ compensation account and general liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate, plus any electrician, plumber or HVAC licences. Letting the documents lapse costs $25 to reinstate.

Floodplain development permit. A separate City application for work in a flood hazard area, giving the contractor’s WV and City licence numbers, the documented cost of the improvement and one copy of the plans.

Commercial certificate of occupancy. Every business with a physical location in Beckley needs a certificate of occupancy from Code Enforcement before the City will issue its $15 municipal licence.

Building permit fees in Beckley

Fees are set in Chapter 4 of the Code of the City of Beckley and must be paid before the permit is issued.

For example, a $200,000 house built by a contractor pays a building permit fee of $1,000. If the finished cost is higher than the estimate, the extra fee is due before the certificate of occupancy; if it is lower, part of the fee can be refunded with documentation. The City may also require a bond of 2% of the estimated cost, and the floodplain administrator may ask for a deposit of up to $500 toward engineering or surveying review.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Beckley

Code Enforcement issues separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits through the same portal, under the 2020 National Electrical Code and the 2018 plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas codes. Electricians and plumbers must be registered with the department, and those working for a registered contractor are exempt from the liability insurance requirement. For a new or changed electrical service, AEP must first issue a work order number, which goes on the permit application; the City will not inspect without it.

Commercial permits must also be approved by the City of Beckley Fire Marshal before they are issued. The Fire Department’s fire prevention office reviews construction plans against the State Fire Code and NFPA codes and inspects during construction.

Application documents and plan review

Plan review is done in-house at no charge on scheduled review days, so allow for the next review day when planning a start date. Deck plans are checked against the American Wood Council’s prescriptive deck construction guide.

How to apply: 6-step Beckley process

Beckley building inspections

Work under a permit must stay exposed until the building official approves it. Inspections need 24 hours’ notice; call 304-256-1738. The City lists these required inspections:

• Footings and foundations
• Concrete slab and under-floor
• Lowest floor elevation, in flood hazard areas
• Framing
• Gypsum board that is part of a fire-rated or shear assembly
• Energy efficiency (insulation)
• Plumbing, mechanical and electrical
• Final inspection, for the certificate of occupancy or to close the permit

House numbers at least 4 inches high must be posted where they are clearly visible. In flood hazard areas, the building may not be occupied or permanently connected to utilities until the floodplain administrator issues a certificate of compliance.

Local details that matter in Beckley

Courthouse Square historic zone: no structure in the B-3 Zone may be reconstructed, restored or altered, including murals and painted graphics on the outside, without a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Landmark Commission; interior remodeling above the ground floor is exempt. Applications go to Code Enforcement, and the commission meets on the second Thursday of the month when it has applications.

Planning Commission and zoning appeals: the Planning Commission approves all site plans and zoning changes; items needing a public hearing require a legal ad 15 days before its meeting on the first Tuesday. The Board of Zoning Appeals hears appeals and conditional use applications under Chapter 15.

Zoning sign-off: the city zoning chapter calls the zoning officer’s approval an improvement location permit, which may also be known as a building permit, so zoning compliance is checked as part of the same application.

Floodplain: the West Virginia Flood Tool shows whether a property is in or near a floodplain; floodplain fees go into a separate City floodplain development fund.

West Virginia building code

West Virginia lets each county and city adopt the State Building Code or no building code at all; no other building code may be adopted, and floodplain, sewage and fire rules can apply either way. West Virginia rules

Official Beckley permitting resources

• City of Beckley Building Permits & Inspections
• City of Beckley Citizen Portal: pre-application and permit forms
• Beckley utility and storage building requirements
• Beckley Floodplain Development Permit Application
• Beckley Planning and Zoning, Historic Landmark Commission
• Beckley new business steps, incl. certificate of occupancy
• Code of the City of Beckley (Municode), Chapters 4 and 15
• Raleigh County Building Code Office (outside city limits)
• WV Flood Tool
• West Virginia State Building Code statute
• West Virginia State Building Code rule, 87 CSR 4 (State Fire Marshal)

Beckley building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Beckley?

0.5% of the total cost of labor and materials, so $1,000 for a $200,000 house. Plan review is free, and starting without a permit doubles the fee.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Beckley?

Yes. The owner of a single-family home is exempt from the permit fee for work up to $7,500 that they do themselves or with a relative living in the home. Misusing the exemption, for example by hiring a contractor, carries a fine of $250 to $1,000.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Beckley?

A shed under 201 sq ft needs site plan approval; 201 to 600 sq ft needs a permit and site plan approval; over 600 sq ft needs plans and full review. Any shed with electricity or plumbing needs a permit.

Do I need a permit for a new roof or siding?

Yes. The City’s portal has a remodeling permit for siding, roofing, windows and similar work.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call Code Enforcement at 304-256-1738 at least 24 hours ahead.

Who issues permits just outside Beckley?

The Raleigh County Building Code Office, 203 South Eisenhower Drive, Beckley, 304-255-9388.

What codes does Beckley enforce?

The West Virginia State Building Code: the 2018 building, residential, existing building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, property maintenance and pool codes, the 2015 energy code for homes, ASHRAE 90.1-2013 for commercial buildings and the 2020 National Electrical Code.

Simplify Beckley permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in West Virginia. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Beckley permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.