Hampshire County, West Virginia Building Permit Guide

Hampshire County is one of the West Virginia counties that has adopted the State Building Code: its Planning Office issues building permits, reviews plans, inspects the work and issues the Certificate of Occupancy. The permit fee is $25 for work valued up to $12,500 and $2 per thousand for work valued over $12,500, paid with a separate check for inspection fees.

What requires a permit in Hampshire County?

The county’s packet says building permits are required for all improvements made on a property, and lists:

Under Ordinance PC 25-02 the building code does not apply to buildings used mainly for agriculture, including agritourism, and permit fees are waived for exempt agricultural and church buildings. When the Planning Office cannot tell whether a building qualifies, the owner asks the West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture for a ruling.

Who issues building permits in Hampshire County?

All permit documents and fees, including the inspection packet, go to the Hampshire County Planning Office. Jarrett Hott is the county’s Code and Compliance Official and Floodplain Administrator, and the Town of Romney’s ordinance describes county inspections as done by a certified inspector employed by the County. The office also handles floodplain permits, and the Planning Commission meets on the third Wednesday of each month.

The County Commission adopted the Hampshire County Unified Building Permit Ordinance on February 10, 2026; at its first reading the Planning Office described it as setting down the permit process the office already used. The building code itself is adopted by Ordinance PC 25-02.

Hampshire County permit packages

The Planning Office publishes a separate application packet for each kind of job:

• Residential building (new homes)
• Residential additions
• Deck, porch or attached carport
• Mobile, modular or manufactured building
• Outbuildings
• Roofs
• Electric

Each packet holds the Hampshire County Building Permit Application, a site plan sheet that is required for every application, and an Affidavit of Exemption for owners doing their own work or contractors without employees. The new-home packet adds a Single Family Dwelling Construction Detail Form that answers the plan reviewer’s questions about footings, framing, stairs, egress windows, smoke alarms and wiring.

Hampshire County permit costs and fees

The permit application fee is based on the current market value of the construction.

Inspection fees are separate: the application form has its own inspection fee line, and the packet asks for two checks, one for the permit and one for inspections, both payable to the Hampshire County Sheriff. All application fees are non-refundable.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work

The county applies the trade codes adopted with the State Building Code in Ordinance PC 25-02: the 2018 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code, with the 2018 International Residential Code for homes. Plumbing and electrical work is inspected under the county building permit (plumbing under the slab, rough-ins at framing, and the final), and the office publishes a separate Electric Building Application Packet. For energy, homes follow the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code and commercial buildings ASHRAE 90.1-2013.

Hampshire County application documents

The septic permit is not needed for additions without bedrooms or bathrooms, chicken houses or non-residential barns and outbuildings, and the well permit is waived for wells that existed before July 1, 1986. Where a septic or well permit is needed, it must be in hand before you apply, even if the system is not yet installed.

How to apply: 6-step Hampshire County process

Hampshire County inspections

The permit applicant or an authorized agent schedules every inspection through the Planning Office (304-822-7018), and the county asks you not to book one until the work is ready. The permit must be posted where it can be seen from the road, and the approved plans, stamped “Subject to Field Approval”, must be on site for each visit.

• Footing: after forming, before concrete is placed.
• Foundation: French drain and waterproofing before backfill, and the seal plate before framing.
• Plumbing under slab: before the floor is poured; it can be combined with the foundation inspection.
• Framing: before insulation, after heating, plumbing and wiring rough-ins are in and plumbing is pressure tested.
• Wallboard: where fire-rated construction is required.
• Final: building, plumbing and electrical, before occupancy.

The Certificate of Occupancy is issued once every inspection has passed. If a permit expires, a new application must be approved before work can resume.

Romney, Capon Bridge and floodplain rules

Romney: under the Town’s Unified Building Permit Ordinance (No. 2025.10.20, amended November 10, 2025), building permits are issued through the Town, which collects fees on the county Planning Office schedule and passes all inspection fees to the county. The Town reviews applications within 10 business days, and county inspectors carry out inspections within 10 business days of a request. Exempt projects that add a structure still need a notice of work and an exemption placard, and permits lapse if work does not start within 180 days. Applications can be emailed to the Town office with supporting documents.

Capon Bridge: any construction inside town limits needs a Building Application under Town Ordinances 15 and 17, presented to Town Council with a drawing and a description of materials. Remodels and structural changes are inspected by the Town’s code inspector, Middle Department Inspection Agency. Council meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. The state’s floodplain manager list (October 2025) shows Capon Bridge’s floodplain management handled by the county Planning Office (304-822-7018).

Floodplain: the county’s adopted floodplain ordinance dates from 1987 and was amended through 2008. A building site in the 100-year floodplain must comply with that ordinance before the permit is issued: the structure is elevated on a foundation designed and certified by a professional engineer, or properly vented.

Appeals: Ordinance PC 25-02, including its five-member Board of Appeals for building code decisions, runs until August 1, 2027 unless the County Commission amends it.

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 Hampshire County permitting resources

• West Virginia Flood Tool
• WV State Building Code statute
• Hampshire County on the WV.gov local government directory
• Hampshire County building permit policy (older version)
• State Fire Marshal code and rules
• Hampshire County Planning Office
• Hampshire County building permit packages
• Residential Building Application Packet
• Ordinance PC 25-02, State Building Code adoption (2025)
• Hampshire County ordinances
• Hampshire County Health Department (state listing)
• Town of Romney Unified Building Permit Ordinance
• Town of Romney forms and applications
• Town of Capon Bridge resident notice on building applications
• Hampshire County Commission 2026 minutes (Unified Building Permit Ordinance, February 10)
• County Commission agenda, October 13, 2026
• Draft Hampshire County Floodplain Ordinance 2026
• WV Flood Tool floodplain managers list (October 2025)

Hampshire County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Hampshire County?

The Hampshire County Planning Office in Romney, for land outside the towns. Romney issues its own permits with county inspections, and Capon Bridge reviews building applications at Town Council.

How much is a building permit in Hampshire County?

$25 for construction valued up to $12,500 and $2 per thousand when the value is over $12,500, plus a separate inspection fee. Both are paid by check to the Hampshire County Sheriff.

Which building code does Hampshire County use?

The West Virginia State Building Code adopted by Ordinance PC 25-02 in June 2025, including the 2018 International Residential Code and the 2020 National Electrical Code.

Do I need a permit to put a metal roof on my house?

Yes, when you change roofing material, for example from shingles to metal. The county has a separate roof permit packet.

Do I need a septic permit before applying?

For a new home or a bedroom addition, yes: the septic permit from the Hampshire County Health Department must be in hand when you apply, even if the system is not yet built.

Who schedules inspections?

The permit applicant or an authorized agent, through the Planning Office at 304-822-7018, once the work is ready.

Are farm buildings exempt?

Buildings used mainly for agriculture, including agritourism, are exempt from the building code under Ordinance PC 25-02, and their permit fees are waived.

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