Fairmont, West Virginia Building Permit Guide

In Fairmont, the City’s Department of Building Inspection and Rental Registration issues building permits and Planning & Development issues zoning permits for smaller exterior work, both from Room 305 at 200 Jackson Street. Building permits cost $20 for each $1,000 of job cost, with a $60 minimum, and work must start within 180 days of issue.

Building permit or zoning permit in Fairmont?

Every improvement to a property in Fairmont, from a new building to a fence or driveway, needs approval, and the City sorts projects into two permits. A project needs one or the other, never both: if it needs a building permit, no separate zoning permit is required.

Electrical and HVAC work can be applied for on the same building permit application.

Who issues building permits in Fairmont?

The City’s Department of Building Inspection and Rental Registration issues building permits, enforces the building codes City Council has adopted, and runs the rental registration program. Scott Jolliff is the Building Inspector and also the interim Director of Planning & Development, the department that reviews zoning permits, site plans and subdivisions. Both offices share Room 305.

City permits stop at the city limits; land outside them falls under Marion County’s rules.

Fairmont applications

• Building & Zoning Permit Application: one online form for building, zoning, electrical and HVAC permits.
• Site Plan Review Application: for new buildings and outdoor uses that need Development Review Committee approval, changes of use, new parking lots of 10 or more spaces, conversions of homes to non-residential use and buildings vacant for a year or more.
• Sign, demolition, dumpster, stormwater and grading, clearing or filling permits, each on its own online form.
• Certificate of Appropriateness for historic preservation review, and Board of Zoning Appeals variance and conditional use applications.
• Certificate of Use & Occupancy application and rental registration for rental units.

Building permit fees in Fairmont

Fees are set in Section 1709.02 of the City code, adopted by Ordinance 1951 in May 2022 and in force since July 1, 2022. The basic rate is $20 for each $1,000 of job cost or part of $1,000, which the City’s notice describes as 2% of the total job cost.

For example, a $25,000 addition pays 25 × $20 = $500. Work started before the permit is issued pays triple the fee. The fee article also lists fences in the $20-per-$1,000 band, while the City’s permit guide places fences under a zoning permit, so ask which applies to your fence.

Site plan review costs $75 for the first $100,000 of project value plus $5 for each additional $100,000. Planning fees include $85 for a variance or conditional use, $300 for a rezoning or zoning text amendment, and $40 for a minor subdivision.

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and air conditioning permits come from the same Building Inspection office and are priced at $20 per $1,000 of work, with a $100 minimum for electrical and $60 for the others. HVAC and electrical improvements can be filed on the Building & Zoning Permit Application. The City publishes diagrams of minimum service-drop clearances and typical grounding details for electrical work.

Residential plan review requirements

For a house or residential addition, submit two sets of scaled plans; one stays with Planning and Building and one goes to the Engineering Department, and an approved set must stay on the job site:

• Plot plan with every existing and proposed building and the distances to lot lines, other buildings and street setbacks
• Foundation plan, each floor plan and a cross section, showing dimensions, doors, windows, partitions, girders and joist size and direction
• Elevations of every side of the building, including architectural features and landscaping

The permit is issued only after Planning/Building, Sewer/Water and the Street Department approve, and every site is checked against the flood maps. Site plans for Development Review Committee review need eight copies of the sealed site plan, floor plans, elevations and landscape plan, filed at least six business days before the weekly meeting.

How to get a Fairmont building permit

Inspections in Fairmont

Call Building Inspection at 304-366-6211 ext. 303 to arrange inspections. A failed inspection that has to be repeated costs $30, and an inspection of an existing building done at the owner’s request costs $60 per hour. The office will not schedule a final use and occupancy inspection until the City’s Business and Occupation Tax Manager has the contractor’s final General Contractor/Subcontractor report.

A permit becomes invalid if work has not started within 180 days of issue; the Building Inspector can grant written extensions of up to 180 days at a time when justified. The City’s page also says every building permit is deemed invalid 180 days after the date of filing unless a Building Inspector has granted an extension, so on a longer job ask for one in writing.

Local details that matter in Fairmont

Code editions: Fairmont enforces the State Building Code with the 2018 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Property Maintenance codes, the 2020 National Electrical Code and the 2015 residential energy code, in force since August 1, 2022.

Contractors: every general contractor and subcontractor needs a City business license ($90 per fiscal year, July 1 to June 30) and pays Business and Occupation tax of 2% of the contract amount.

Sign rules: City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2104 on 14 July 2026, replacing the sign standards in Section 5.3 of the Planning and Zoning Code.

Early advice: the Development Review Committee holds study meetings on proposed projects, and the first one is free.

Rentals and vacant buildings: rental units must be registered, and owners of buildings unoccupied for 180 days or more must register them within 30 days of a City notice; vacant property registration currently has no fee.

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 Fairmont permitting resources

Official City of Fairmont pages, forms and code used for permits.

• Fairmont Building Inspection & Rental Registration
• Fairmont building inspection and permits
• West Virginia Code §15A-11-5, State Building Code adoption
• WV Flood Tool flood maps
• West Virginia State Fire Marshal
• Fairmont Building & Zoning Permit Application (online)
• Fairmont residential plan review requirements
• Fairmont requirements for contractors
• Fairmont Planning & Development
• Fairmont planning applications and fees
• Fairmont Development Review Guidebook
• Fairmont Building and Housing Code (Article 1709, permit fees)

Fairmont building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Fairmont?

$20 for each $1,000 of job cost or part of $1,000, with a $60 minimum, or 2% of the job. Electrical permits have a $100 minimum.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Yes. The City’s permit guide puts fences, and sheds or other accessory buildings of 200 square feet or less, under a zoning permit, though the building fee article still lists fences at $20 per $1,000; accessory buildings over 200 square feet need a building permit.

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

Yes. Roofs, siding, windows and doors are on the City’s building permit list.

Can I apply online?

Yes, through the Building & Zoning Permit Application on the City’s online forms site.

How long is a Fairmont building permit valid?

It becomes invalid if work does not start within 180 days of issue, and the City deems every permit invalid 180 days after the date of filing, unless a Building Inspector grants a written extension.

Where is the building department?

Room 305 on the 3rd floor of 200 Jackson Street (304-366-6211 ext. 303), open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Simplify Fairmont 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 Fairmont permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.