Putnam County, West Virginia Building Permit Guide

For the unincorporated area, Putnam County’s Office of Planning & Infrastructure issues the development permit, which the county says is also known as the building permit or Improvement Location Permit. It is required before any permanent structure is built or a manufactured home is placed, and every project pays at least the $40 floodplain determination fee.

The permit checks a project against the county’s comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance (in the zoned planning districts), subdivision regulations and floodplain ordinance, under an Improvement Location Permit Ordinance first adopted on May 21, 1992 and last amended on December 13, 2022. The county posts no building code among its ordinances, and the owner is responsible for every other approval, from the Putnam County Health Department, the Division of Highways, the Department of Environmental Protection and the water or sewer provider.

The county permit covers the unincorporated area, including the zoned districts around Teays Valley. Hurricane, Winfield, Nitro, Poca and Eleanor issue their own permits, while Buffalo’s and Bancroft’s permit forms are handled by the county office; see the municipality table under Who handles permitting.

What requires a building permit in Putnam County?

The county requires a development permit for any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, which its FAQ defines to include buildings and other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, drilling and the storage of equipment or materials.

Dirt work and the floodplain

Any development, dirt work included, on land in the 100-year floodplain needs a permit, and no fill is allowed in the floodway. In the zoned areas, dirt work outside the floodplain may still need engineering data, so the county asks owners to contact the office before starting.

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

Putnam County building department: who handles permitting

The Office of Planning & Infrastructure handles development permits, floodplain management, subdivision review, zoning in the zoned districts, and the county’s dilapidated and abandoned buildings program. Its director is also the county Floodplain Administrator. Septic systems need a Putnam County Health Department permit, and the county application asks for a copy of it.

Who issues permits in each municipality

Hurricane charges nothing for work under $250, $20 for $250 to $1,499 and $4 for each additional $1,000, and usually turns a permit around the same day unless plan review is needed; plan review takes 7 to 10 business days. Eleanor posted an opening for a town building inspector on July 27, 2026.

Permit types

Residential permits

A house or manufactured home uses the development permit for zoned or non-zoned areas. The form asks for the structure and property owners, the contractor’s WV licence number (and the WV Manufactured Housing Board number for a manufactured home), the tax map and parcel, the water and sewer providers, and the size, foundation, roof and siding of the home. Where the Town of Winfield provides sewer, the town signs off on the form, and a septic system needs a copy of the approved health department permit.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit filing, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

In the zoned areas, commercial, industrial, multi-family, lease community and manufactured home park applications need a site plan at one inch to 50 feet or larger, three engineer-sealed copies of the stormwater analysis, drainage plan and drainage calculations, a state sediment and erosion control plan, a Division of Highways encroachment permit, water and sewer approvals, and lighting, landscaping, signage and parking plans. In the non-zoned areas the list is shorter: a site plan, an engineer-sealed drainage analysis, plan and calculations, a Division of Highways access permit for a state or county road, a state NPDES stormwater permit when more than one acre is disturbed (a West Virginia Conservation Agency sediment control plan below that), and water, sewer or health department documentation. Both forms recommend a free sketch plan meeting with the office before applying.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit expediting through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

Completion deadlines and broadband conduit

Under the Improvement Location Permit Ordinance a residential project must be finished within 24 months and a commercial project within 36 months, or the owner may have to pay a new fee equal to the original. Every new structure must also have a 1¼-inch conduit from the road to the electrical panel or network area, with a working outlet within 3 feet of its end, unless the area is served only by wireless broadband.

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

The county’s permit fees are in Section 7.9 of its floodplain management ordinance, as amended on July 8, 2025. Construction cost includes labor and materials, the minimum fee is $40, and the ordinance notes that development in the zoned areas may carry higher fees, so call the office for the exact amount before paying. Checks are made out to the Putnam County Commission.

Example: a $250,000 house in a flood hazard area pays the $40 determination fee plus $250 (250 × $1), or $290, before any engineering review or zoned-area charges.

Trade permits and who may pull them

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

When the floodplain status is unclear

If county staff cannot tell whether a site is in the floodplain, the applicant must have a certified engineer or surveyor decide at the applicant’s expense, and a site in the floodplain then needs a FEMA certification. Elevation certificates must be prepared by a licensed professional land surveyor.

Inspections in Putnam County

During construction the Floodplain Administrator or another authorized official may inspect a development to confirm it matches the permit and the county ordinances, and can issue a stop work order and revoke the permit if it does not. In a flood hazard area no building may be occupied, and no permanent utility connection installed, until the certificate of compliance is issued. Inside Hurricane, inspections need 24 hours’ notice at (304) 562-5896 and cover footings and foundations, framing, insulation, plumbing, HVAC, electrical and the final inspection for the certificate of occupancy.

Putnam County permit search and official resources

• Putnam County Office of Planning & Infrastructure — services, meetings and the parcel viewer
• Planning & Infrastructure contacts — address, phone, fax and staff
• Planning & Infrastructure FAQ — development permits, floodplain and dirt work rules
• Development permit applications — zoned and non-zoned area forms
• Printable applications — zoning, sign, subdivision, Buffalo and Bancroft forms
• Putnam County planning ordinances — zoning, subdivision, floodplain and Improvement Location Permit ordinances
• Putnam County Floodplain Ordinance (fees amended July 8, 2025) — permit rules and fee schedule
• Improvement Location Permit Ordinance — the county building permit, completion deadlines and conduit rule
• Hurricane Building Department — city permits, fees, inspections and forms
• Winfield city forms — city building permit application and fee schedule
• Nitro Building Department — city permit application and fee appendix
• Poca residential building permit — town permit form
• Eleanor building permit application — town permit to construct
• 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

Does Putnam County issue building permits?

Yes, for the unincorporated area. Its building permit is the development permit, also called the Improvement Location Permit, from the Office of Planning & Infrastructure in Winfield. It checks zoning, subdivision and floodplain rules; the county posts no building code.

How much is a development permit in Putnam County?

The minimum is $40, the floodplain determination charged on every project. Grading, commercial work and development in a flood hazard area add $1 per $1,000 of construction cost, an engineering review is $500, and zoned areas may have higher fees.

Do I need a permit to move dirt or add fill?

In the 100-year floodplain, yes: any development, dirt work included, needs a permit, and no fill is allowed in the floodway. In zoned areas outside the floodplain, dirt work may need engineering data, so contact the office first.

How long do I have to finish a house?

24 months from the date the permit is issued (36 months for a commercial project), or the county can charge a new fee equal to the original.

Who issues building permits in Hurricane and Winfield?

Each city does: Hurricane’s Building Department at 3255 Teays Valley Road, (304) 562-5896, and the City of Winfield at (304) 586-2122.

Who approves a septic system?

The Putnam County Health Department, (304) 757-2541. A copy of its approved permit goes with the county development permit application.

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.

Ready to break ground in Putnam County sooner?

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

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.