Putnam County lies between Charleston and Huntington on the Kanawha River, and its development concentrates in the Teays Valley corridor between them. The county-level permitting office is the Office of Planning & Infrastructure in Room 226 at 12093 Winfield Road in Winfield, which issues development permits for construction in the unincorporated area, administers floodplain regulation, subdivision and zoning in the Teays Valley planning districts. Floodplain regulation applies whether or not a jurisdiction has adopted the State Building Code.
So on a rural Putnam County parcel the county development permit is required for a new house, manufactured home, addition, accessory building, commercial or industrial building, or fill and grading, while a project inside Hurricane, Winfield or Nitro faces whatever that municipality has adopted. The county does not appear on the State Fire Marshal’s 2017 list of jurisdictions that adopted the State Building Code, so confirm with the office what review its permit involves. On-site sewage approval through the health department applies to unserved parcels regardless, and the State Fire Marshal retains fire and life safety jurisdiction throughout.
This guide covers Putnam County. Hurricane, Winfield, Nitro, Buffalo and Eleanor run their own arrangements and should be confirmed individually.
The floodplain permit is the one that always exists. Floodplain permitting runs through its own administrator under federal and state requirements, independently of building code adoption. In a West Virginia county that has not adopted the code, the floodplain permit may be the only permit a project needs — and it is emphatically not optional on land within the mapped floodplain.
What requires a building permit in Putnam County?
So Putnam County either enforces the state code or has no general building code at all, and the practical questions are which it is, what discretionary provisions and appendices it has completed, and the floodplain requirements and the adoption position.
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- Floodplain permitting for any development within the mapped floodplain, regardless of building code adoption
- Where a jurisdiction has adopted: construction, alteration, repair, demolition and change of occupancy
- On-site sewage approval through the health department where the parcel is unserved
- New buildings, additions and structural work on an existing building, where the code has been adopted
- Alterations, repairs and renovations, and any change of occupancy
- Decks, accessory structures above the adopted threshold, retaining walls and swimming pools
Often exempt
- Buildings used for agricultural purposes, under the rule's own exemption
- General building permitting, in a jurisdiction that has not adopted the code
- Ordinary repairs that do not alter structure, egress or systems
- Buildings used for agricultural purposes, exempted under the rule's own provision
- Appendices the local jurisdiction has not adopted, which are not enforceable
Adoption, certification and what the state still holds
Locally, what stands out is the floodplain permitting that applies regardless, and the municipalities' separate positions.
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
Who handles permitting in Putnam County?
The county Office of Planning & Infrastructure issues development permits, administers floodplain permitting, subdivision and zoning in the planning districts for the unincorporated county. Hurricane, Winfield, Nitro and the other municipalities run their own arrangements, the health department handles on-site sewage, the Division of Labor licenses contractors, and the State Fire Marshal retains fire jurisdiction.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| County office | Putnam County Office of Planning & Infrastructure, 12093 Winfield Road, Room 226, Winfield, WV 25213 |
| Phone | (304) 586-0237 — development permits, floodplain and zoning; office hours are not published |
| Floodplain | Applies regardless of building code adoption |
| Municipalities | Hurricane, Winfield, Nitro, Buffalo and Eleanor run their own |
| Adoption | County not on the State Fire Marshal’s 2017 adoption list; confirm what review the county permit involves |
| Contractor licensing | Division of Labor, statewide |
Permit types
Residential permits
A Putnam County house project establishes the floodplain position first, since that permit applies whatever else does. Then whether the holding authority enforces a building code, and on-site sewage approval where the parcel is unserved. On the Kanawha valley floor the floodplain requirement is frequently the binding constraint on siting and finished floor level.
Commercial permits
Commercial work in Putnam County — the Teays Valley retail corridor, the interstate development and the industry along the Kanawha — faces the floodplain requirements on low ground and whatever building code the municipality holding the site has adopted, with the State Fire Marshal reviewing fire and life safety regardless.
Establishing whether the code applies at all
In Putnam County the Kanawha River floodplain governs much of the developed valley land, floodplain permitting applies regardless of building code adoption, and most development sits along the Teays Valley corridor between Charleston and Huntington.
West Virginia licenses contractors at state level through the Contractor Licensing Board, run by the Division of Labor, valid statewide. West Virginia rules
Putnam County permit costs and fees
Fees follow the floodplain office's schedule and, where a code has been adopted, the adopting authority's building permit schedule.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Floodplain permit | Through the county Office of Planning & Infrastructure, as part of the development permit |
| Building permit | The adopting authority's schedule, where a code has been adopted |
| On-site sewage | Health department approval where the parcel is unserved |
| Trade permits | Where the code is enforced by the holding authority |
| Contractor licence | Contractor Licensing Board (run by the Division of Labor), for jobs of $5,000 or more residential or $25,000 or more commercial |
| Municipal permits | Hurricane, Winfield, Nitro and the others issue their own |
Elevation certificates and insurance follow the permit. A floodplain permit brings elevation documentation with it, and that documentation drives flood insurance rating for the life of the building. Getting the finished floor a foot higher than required at construction is inexpensive; discovering afterwards that the elevation certificate prices the insurance badly is not.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Permit required
- Any development in the mapped floodplain — a floodplain permit, regardless of code adoption
- Electrical — separate permit where the code is enforced, by a state-licensed electrical contractor
- Plumbing — separate permit, by a state-licensed plumbing contractor
- Mechanical — separate permit under the adopted mechanical and fuel gas codes
- Fire protection — under the State Fire Code and the State Fire Marshal's jurisdiction
Typically exempt
- Work below the statutory value threshold for contractor licensing
- Like-for-like replacement the adopted code places below the permit threshold
Rather not deal with the Putnam County building department?
Get a free quote →Trade work is permitted separately where the jurisdiction enforces the code and done by state-licensed contractors. West Virginia rules
How to apply for a Putnam County building permit
Adoption is optional; confirm with the county or municipality rather than assuming.
Appendices are not part of the code unless the jurisdiction has separately adopted them.
These can apply where no building code does, through other authorities entirely.
Contractor Licensing Board licence for jobs of $5,000 or more (residential) or $25,000 or more (commercial), valid statewide. The permit office asks for it.
Reviewed against the State Building Code as adopted and completed locally.
Footing to final, with the trades on their own permits, then the certificate of occupancy.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
Putnam County's floodplain review applies to development in the mapped floodplain regardless of building code adoption; building review depends on the holding authority. What delays a project here is treating the floodplain permit as optional.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Putnam County
Where the code is enforced, inspections follow its sequence — footing, foundation, framing, rough trades, insulation and final — requested from the local building official by permit number, with the trades inspected on their own permits. Work that passes final receives a certificate of occupancy for new buildings and changes of occupancy. Floodplain compliance is verified through the floodplain office; where a building code is enforced, inspections follow its sequence through the adopting authority's officials.
Putnam County permit search and official resources
- West Virginia State Fire Marshal — the State Building Code, adoption notifications and code official certification
- West Virginia Code 15A-11-5 — the State Building Code, local adoption and enforcement, and the priority of stricter local rules
- West Virginia Division of Labor — runs licensing for the Contractor Licensing Board, plus plumber and HVAC licences
- West Virginia State Fire Marshal — the State Building Code, adoption notifications and code official certification
- West Virginia Code 15A-11-5 — the statute on the State Building Code, local adoption and enforcement, and the priority of stricter local rules
- West Virginia Division of Labor — runs licensing for the Contractor Licensing Board, plus plumber and HVAC licences
Frequently asked questions
Is a floodplain permit required even without a building code?
Yes. Floodplain permitting runs through its own administrator under federal and state requirements, independently of whether a building code has been adopted.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does the county require a building permit?
Outside the municipalities, the county requires a development permit from its Office of Planning & Infrastructure for new buildings, manufactured homes, additions, accessory buildings and fill or grading. The county is not on the State Fire Marshal’s 2017 list of jurisdictions that adopted the State Building Code, so confirm what review that permit involves.
Do the municipalities enforce a code?
Hurricane, Winfield, Nitro and the others run their own arrangements; confirm each individually.
Why does elevation matter beyond the permit?
The elevation documentation drives flood insurance rating for the life of the building, so building above the minimum is often worth the small extra cost.
Who licenses contractors?
The West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board, run by the Division of Labor, for jobs of $5,000 or more (residential) or $25,000 or more (commercial).
Can a jurisdiction adopt a different code?
No. It adopts the West Virginia State Building Code or nothing.
Simplify Putnam County permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Putnam County the floodplain permit is the constant and the building code is the variable. We settle the elevation first, because it prices the building for its whole life.
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Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the Putnam County Office of Planning & Infrastructure and the municipalities within it, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.
More West Virginia permitting guides
More West Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Putnam County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.