In unincorporated Mineral County, the Planning Commission office issues building permits for homes, farm buildings and commercial work, and since September 2019 every application has been handled at the Mineral County Health Department in Keyser. The fee depends on the construction value: a house costing $150,001 to $250,000 pays $300.
What requires a permit in Mineral County?
The county requires a building permit for every residential, recreation or vacation, agricultural and commercial improvement that is erected, enlarged, moved, altered or remodeled. Its list includes:
Permit required
- Site-built and manufactured homes and commercial buildings
- Additions to homes and commercial property
- Assembled kit buildings
- Sheds, decks, pools, barns and garages
- Demolition or removal of any improvement
Before the permit
- Septic approval from the Mineral County Health Department, or proof of public sewer service, for new and existing homes and commercial buildings
- Written authorization from the Planning Commission office for anything in the regulatory floodplain
Inside Keyser, Piedmont, Ridgeley, Carpendale and Elk Garden, the county directs owners to the town’s own building permit instead.
Who issues building permits in Mineral County?
The Planning Commission office issues county building permits and enforces the Subdivision and Floodplain Ordinances, the Building Safety Ordinance and the county’s limited zoning rules. Philip Shepp II is the County Planner and Floodplain Coordinator. The county’s posted ordinances do not include a building code adoption, and its permit is issued on septic or sewer and floodplain clearance.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Area | Who issues permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Mineral County | Planning Commission office at the Mineral County Health Department, 541 Harley O Staggers Drive, Suite 1, Keyser, WV 26726; 304-788-1321; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Keyser | City of Keyser Taxes & Building Permit Department, City Hall, 111 North Davis Street; 304-788-1511, ext. 2 |
| Piedmont | City building permit (the county directs owners to City Hall); City Hall, 52 Second Street; clerk 304-355-2621 |
| Ridgeley | Town building permit (the county directs owners to town hall); clerk 304-738-9400 |
| Carpendale | Town building permit (the county directs owners to town hall); clerk 304-738-1612, weekdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Elk Garden | The county directs owners to town hall; the published sources give no town permit details or phone |
| Septic systems and wells | Mineral County Health Department, same building; 304-788-1321 |
Mineral County permit types
- Building permit: one application for new construction, additions, moved buildings, alterations and remodels, applied for in person at the Health Department building.
- Demolition permit: free of charge. In most cases an asbestos survey is required before it is issued, and removing a building takes its value off the tax records.
- Floodplain development review: work in the regulatory floodplain may or may not be approved under FEMA rules, and nothing may start without the office’s written authorization.
- Subdivision approval: new lots go through the Planning Commission under the 2024 Subdivision Ordinance.
- Zoning letter: a business outside the towns that needs a state liquor licence can get a letter confirming that the county has no general zoning.
Mineral County permit costs and fees
The county’s Building Permit Fee Schedule took effect in July 2023. Fees are charged per structure, by construction value.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Construction value | Fee |
|---|---|
| $0 – $500 | $10 |
| $501 – $2,500 | $25 |
| $2,501 – $10,000 | $50 |
| $10,001 – $30,000 | $75 |
| $30,001 – $50,000 | $100 |
| $50,001 – $75,000 | $125 |
| $75,001 – $100,000 | $150 |
| $100,001 – $150,000 | $200 |
| $150,001 – $250,000 | $300 |
| $250,001 – $500,000 | $400 |
| $500,001 – $1,000,000 | $500 |
| $1,000,000 and above | $1 per thousand |
| Construction value | Fee |
|---|---|
| $0 – $500 | $25 |
| $501 – $2,500 | $75 |
| $2,501 – $10,000 | $100 |
| $10,001 – $30,000 | $125 |
| $30,001 – $50,000 | $150 |
| $50,001 – $75,000 | $200 |
| $75,001 – $100,000 | $250 |
| $100,001 – $150,000 | $400 |
| $150,001 – $250,000 | $500 |
| $250,001 – $500,000 | $750 |
| $500,001 – $1,000,000 | $1,000 |
| $1,000,000 and above | $2 per thousand |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →For example, a new house valued at $200,000 falls in the $150,001 to $250,000 band and pays $300, and a detached garage built with it is a second structure with its own fee. A commercial building at the same value pays $500. Demolition permits cost nothing.
Septic, wells and trade work
The county issues no separate electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits. The approval it does insist on is sewage: a permit for a new or existing home or commercial building will not be issued without septic approval from the Mineral County Health Department or proof of public sewer service. The Health Department, which shares the building with the planning office, also handles well permits.
Inside Keyser, the City’s permit also covers replacing sewer or water lines, and work that enters a city street needs an excavation permit before it begins.
What to bring to the Health Department building
- The Building and Demolition Permit Application, completed in the office
- The construction value of each structure, which sets the fee
- Septic approval from the Mineral County Health Department, or proof of public sewer service
- For demolition, an asbestos survey in most cases
- For sites in the regulatory floodplain, the information the office needs to apply FEMA construction rules
Owners who have already started building must come to the Health Department immediately and apply; the county reports property owners who do not comply to the Prosecuting Attorney.
How to apply: 5-step Mineral County process
Keyser, Piedmont, Ridgeley, Carpendale and Elk Garden handle their own permits.
Apply to the Mineral County Health Department, or gather proof of public sewer service.
If the site is in the regulatory floodplain, get the office’s written authorization before any work.
Visit the Health Department at 541 Harley O Staggers Drive, Keyser, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and pay the fee for each structure.
A free demolition permit is how a removed building comes off the county tax records.
Rather not deal with the Mineral County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections and enforcement
None of the ordinances Mineral County posts adopts a building code, and its permit pages describe septic and floodplain checks, not building code inspections. Floodplain work is checked against FEMA requirements before approval. Unsafe property is handled separately under the Building Safety Ordinance: complaint forms come from the Planning Commission office and go to the Mineral County Building Safety Agency, 150 Armstrong Street, Keyser.
Keyser, the towns and other local details
Keyser: any construction inside city limits needs a City building permit from the Municipal Building Permit Officer under Chapter 8, Article 6 of the City code, amended January 12, 2022. Routine maintenance with no structural change is exempt. A contractor must fill out the application and hold a City of Keyser business licence; owners doing their own work write “self” as the contractor. The application asks for a site plan, the estimated cost and proof of the City licence, and sites in the flood zone need an extra form from City Hall. The fee is set from a chart by project price, and completed forms can be emailed to the City tax department.
Planning Commission: meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Health Department’s Assembly Room. Business items must reach the office by the Thursday before.
No county zoning: apart from rules on where exotic entertainment businesses may locate, Mineral County has no general zoning regulations.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Mineral County permitting resources
- State Fire Marshal licensing
- State building-code adoption statute
- Mineral County floodplain ordinance
- Mineral County ordinances
- Planning Commission: floodplain, building safety and zoning
- Mineral County Planning Commission
- Mineral County building permits and July 2023 fee schedule
- Mineral County Health Department (state listing)
- City of Keyser building permit information
- City of Keyser building permit ordinance (2022)
- City of Piedmont clerk contact
- Town of Ridgeley contacts
- Town of Carpendale clerk contact
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Mineral County permit FAQs
Where do I get a building permit in Mineral County?
At the Mineral County Health Department, 541 Harley O Staggers Drive in Keyser, where the Planning Commission office has handled permits since September 2019. The phone number is 304-788-1321.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Mineral County?
It depends on the value. A house valued between $150,001 and $250,000 pays $300, and one between $250,001 and $500,000 pays $400, per structure.
Do I need a permit for a shed or a pool?
Yes. The county lists sheds, decks, pools, barns and garages among the projects that need a building permit.
Is a demolition permit free?
Yes, Mineral County issues demolition permits at no cost, but an asbestos survey is usually required first.
Can I get a permit without septic approval?
No. Home and commercial permits need septic approval from the Mineral County Health Department or proof of public sewer service.
I live in Keyser. Do I use the county permit?
No. Construction inside Keyser city limits needs a City building permit from City Hall, 111 North Davis Street (304-788-1511).
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More West Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Mineral County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.