Hardy County, West Virginia Building Permit Guide

The Hardy County Planning Office issues Improvement Location Permits, including floodplain development permits, for all land outside the Towns of Moorefield and Wardensville. A permit for a new single-family home costs $100 and is reviewed within 14 business days, but the county states that it enforces no building codes, so it makes no building inspections and issues no occupancy permits.

What requires a permit in Hardy County?

The Improvement Location Permit (ILP) covers new construction and additions in unincorporated Hardy County. The county’s fee schedule lists the kinds of work it applies to:

Even an improvement under $500 and under 100 sq ft needs a permit, though no fee is charged. A change in how a property is used needs a separate Change of Use/Zoning Compliance Verification Application.

Who issues permits in Hardy County?

The Planning Office administers the county’s land use rules: zoning, subdivision regulation, floodplain management and the ILP, under the direction of the Hardy County Planning Commission and the County Commission. Melissa Scott is the Hardy County Planner and Floodplain Manager. Call ahead for an appointment with the planner.

Hardy County permits and forms

• Improvement Location Permit application packet: the application guide, application sheet, sketch sheet and, for a personal, residential or farm garage, a garage affidavit. Pick it up at the office, ask for it by mail, or download it.
• Floodplain development permit: handled through the same application; if the site meets the floodplain ordinance’s standards, the application is processed under that ordinance and signed by a floodplain administrator.
• Change of Use/Zoning Compliance Verification Application.
• Board of Zoning Appeals application: for variances, conditional use permits, expansion of a nonconforming use or an appeal of the planner’s decision.
• Planning Commission public hearing application: for rezoning or zoning text amendments.
• Subdivision application under the 2009 Subdivision Ordinance.

Hardy County permit costs and fees

Fees come from Article VII of the Improvement Location Permit Ordinance approved by the County Commission on April 17, 2012. They are paid in full with the completed application, by cash, check or money order to the Sheriff of Hardy County, and are non-refundable.

Homes, cabins, manufactured homes and most small residential structures get two extensions at no fee. Extensions for multi-family units, condominiums, commercial buildings and commercial residential projects cost $50 a year, seasonal homes and parking lots $25 a year, and a third extension of any permit means paying the full application fee again. The County Planner can waive fees for proven hardship, and government bodies and nonprofit groups pay none. Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission hearings cost $100.

Application documents

No permit is issued while there are Health Department violations or before the Health Department has approved the project.

How to apply: 6-step Hardy County process

Zoning inspection and private building inspections

Once construction starts, Planning Office staff inspect the site for compliance with the Hardy County Zoning Ordinance. Work that complies receives a letter of zoning compliance; work that does not receives a stop work order, served by the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office.

The county does not enforce building codes, require building inspections or issue occupancy permits. Its forms page advises owners who want the work checked against the state building code to write that requirement into the contract and hire a private building inspection company for inspections during each phase of construction.

Extensions are requested by letter giving the applicant’s name and address, the permit number, the expiry date and the location, with any fee; the office replies within 7 business days.

Moorefield, Wardensville and zoning details

Moorefield: the Town requires an Exterior Improvement Permit for most exterior work, from porches, fences, new roofs and siding to any new structure, plus a zoning check under Chapter 20 of the Town code. Fees run from $15 for remodeling an accessory structure to $100 for a new single-family house and $150 for new commercial or multi-family buildings ($25 per unit after 4 units). Approval takes up to 10 days, or up to 30 days in the Historic Landmark District, where work visible from a public street also needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Landmark Commission (first Wednesday of the month, 6 p.m.). All contractors need a Town business licence, new residential and commercial structures must have sidewalks, and starting work without a permit doubles the fee.

Wardensville: the county’s jurisdiction stops at the town boundary. The town has its own planning commission, board of zoning appeals and zoning code; the published sources do not say how it handles building permits, so ask the town office. The state’s floodplain manager list (October 2025) names the mayor as Wardensville’s floodplain manager, at 304-874-3950.

County zoning: Hardy County’s 2005 Zoning Ordinance and zoning map cover all property in the county outside the incorporated towns; the ordinance was amended for agritourism (2017), slaughter operations (2019) and renewable energy in industrial zones (2024). Restrictive covenants that are stricter than county zoning take precedence. A manufactured home built before July 1976 may not be placed as new construction.

Penalties: violations of the ILP Ordinance can bring fines of $50 to $500 per day, referred by the County Planner to the Prosecuting Attorney.

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 Hardy County permitting resources

• West Virginia Flood Tool
• WV State Building Code statute
• Improvement Location Permit Ordinance and fee schedule (2012)
• Hardy County ordinances
• State Fire Marshal code and rules
• Hardy County Planning Commission and Planning Office
• Hardy County ordinances and application forms
• ILP application procedures (September 2024)
• ILP application form
• Hardy County Floodplain Ordinance (2020)
• Hardy County Health Department (state listing)
• Town of Moorefield building and zoning permits
• Town of Moorefield Exterior Improvement Permit application
• WV Flood Tool floodplain managers list (October 2025)

Hardy County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Hardy County?

The Hardy County Planning Office issues Improvement Location Permits for all land outside Moorefield and Wardensville. Moorefield issues its own Exterior Improvement Permits.

How much is a permit for a new house in Hardy County?

$100 for a single-family unit, double-wide, modular or sectional home, and $50 for a single-wide manufactured home, under the 2012 fee schedule.

Does Hardy County inspect new homes?

No. The county does not enforce building codes, require building inspections or issue occupancy permits. Planning staff check only zoning compliance after construction starts.

How long does a Hardy County permit take?

The Planning Office has 14 business days to approve, deny or ask for more information. An approved permit is valid for 1 year.

Do I need a septic permit first?

Yes, when the project adds new bathrooms, kitchens or bedrooms; bring a copy of the Hardy County Sanitarian’s permit, or proof of Moorefield or Wardensville sewer service.

Do I need a permit for a deck or shed?

Yes. Decks, porches, carports, garages and residential outbuildings each cost $25, and even very small improvements need a permit, without a fee.

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