South Charleston, West Virginia Building Permit Guide

Inside South Charleston, building permits come from the City’s Building Permits & Inspections office on 4th Avenue, and you apply online through the City’s OpenGov portal. Staff review the application, email payment instructions once it is approved, and the permit then prints from the portal; a permit lasts six months and can be extended twice for $10 each time.

What requires a permit in South Charleston?

Section 1713.01 of the City code requires a permit, taken out by the owner or the contractor, to build, repair, add to, alter, remove or demolish a building or structure, or to install equipment for a building, including all plumbing, electrical and mechanical work. The City’s 2026 application lists the kinds of work it handles:

Paid work by a contractor or any worker is never covered by the homeowner exemption.

Who issues building permits in South Charleston?

The City’s Building Inspector receives applications, issues permits, inspects the work and enforces the building code inside city limits, and can issue citations for starting work without a permit or ignoring a stop-work order. City Engineer Steve DeBarr, P.E., is listed on the Building Permits & Inspections page and is also the City’s Floodplain Administrator.

The permits page also gives two email addresses for sending applications. Unincorporated land around the city is permitted by Kanawha County’s Planning and Development Department at 407 Virginia Street East in Charleston (304-357-0570), not by the City.

Applying online and the City contractor license

On the portal, open Building Permits and Inspections, choose Building Permit and click Apply Online. You sign in with the same Permitting & Licensing account used for the City Contractor Business License, confirm your contact details, find the property address, fill in the application, sign it electronically and upload the documents. If the portal cannot find the address, call 304-720-5985 to have it added.

The City’s current paper application (posted in August 2026) asks who will do the work: a licensed contractor or electrician, a handyman or the homeowner. It also asks who prepared the construction documents, and copies of them must come with the application. A separate subcontractor page lists each subcontractor’s West Virginia license number, South Charleston PIDN and contract amount.

Contractors working in the city also hold a City contractor license from the Department of Finance and Administration. It costs $15 new or on renewal, with the same $15 for an electrical-only license, and the application must include copies of insurance, the state contractor license, workers’ compensation and any electrical license.

South Charleston permit fees

Building permit fees follow Schedule A of Ordinance 1927 (1997), as amended. The City applies the schedule during review and emails payment instructions once the application is approved; ask Building Permits & Inspections (304-720-5985) for the figure before you apply. Plumbing and HVAC permits are charged on the same schedule as building permits.

No permit is issued until the applicant has paid the permit fees and any outstanding service fees owed to the City.

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits in South Charleston

Plumbing: a homeowner may do new plumbing work in their own home with a plumbing permit, detailed plans and an affidavit that they have completed one plumbing job of equal size; replacement and repair work at their own residence needs none of that. Businesses doing plumbing for pay need the permit, plans and a City plumbing contractor license, which is granted on proof of a plumber’s license from Charleston, St. Albans or another accepted city plus a state plumbing contractor license.

Heating and air conditioning: installing, adding to or altering any air-moving equipment needs a permit from the Building Inspector, with a complete layout and load calculations. The system is inspected on completion and the license holder gets written approval or a written list of defects to correct.

Electrical: drawings and descriptions are filed for electrical repairs and alterations, and all new wiring, apparatus and appliances must be inspected and approved by the Building Inspector before they are used.

The City has adopted the State Building Code effective August 1, 2022, including the 2018 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code, with the 2021 NFPA Life Safety Code used wherever the codes refer to the International Fire Code.

Drawings the City asks for

The Building Permits & Inspections page lists the drawings for a house or similar building:

For floodplain sites, signed contracts and addenda go to the City Engineer for review within 14 business days of signing; if no licensed contractor is involved, or the job costs less than $10,000 in materials and labor, a short written description and estimated value is enough. The City Engineer has up to 90 days to review a floodplain permit application.

How to get a South Charleston building permit: 6 steps

Inspections in South Charleston

Inspections under the building code are made by the Building Inspector or an appointed assistant, who may also accept written reports from recognized inspection services. Call 304-720-5985 to arrange them. New electrical installations may not be used until inspected and approved, and HVAC installations are inspected when they are finished.

Work must begin within 90 days of the permit being issued, and every permit expires six months after issue. The Building Inspector can extend it twice, six months at a time, on a written request explaining why ($10 each); beyond that, the permit holder must apply for a special permit through the Planning Commission, with notice to surrounding owners. If the contract price or the scope of work goes up, the permit must be updated.

Local South Charleston details that matter

Floodplain: the City Engineer is the Floodplain Administrator. New construction, substantial improvement, repair of substantial damage and placing any structure, including a manufactured home, in South Charleston need a floodplain permit and site plan, and the plot plan for every building permit must say whether the site is in the 100-year floodplain.

Demolition: before a demolition permit is issued, the owner must give the Building Inspector written proof that every utility has been disconnected, including a sewer disconnection permit from the South Charleston Sanitary Board.

Street and sidewalk cuts: cutting a street, curb or sidewalk needs a miscellaneous work permit and a City agreement. Notify the City Engineer, Police and Fire 24 hours ahead, and restore roadway cuts within 10 working days and other cuts within 30.

Historic Landmarks Commission: $2 from every building permit goes to the South Charleston Historic Landmarks Commission.

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 South Charleston permitting resources

City of South Charleston pages, forms and code sections:

• Building Permits & Inspections: address and drawing checklist
• OpenGov portal: Building Permit application
• Application for Building Permit (August 2026)
• Building permit subcontractor page (August 2026)
• Application for Contractor License / Electrical License
• Forms & Documents
• City directory
• City code Article 1713, permits and fees
• City code Article 1709, State Building Code adoption
• City code Article 1725, floodplain ordinance
• Kanawha County Planning and Development (outside city limits)
• West Virginia Flood Tool
• West Virginia Code 15A-11-5, State Building Code
• State Building Code rule, 87 CSR 4
• West Virginia State Fire Marshal

South Charleston permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in South Charleston, WV?

The City Building Inspector, through Building Permits & Inspections at 238 4th Avenue (304-720-5985). Applications are filed on the City’s OpenGov portal.

How much is a building permit in South Charleston?

The fee comes from Schedule A of Ordinance 1927, which the City applies during review; you receive payment instructions by email after approval. Plumbing and HVAC permits use the same schedule, and each permit extension costs $10.

How long is a South Charleston permit good for?

Work must start within 90 days and the permit expires six months after issue, with up to two six-month extensions on written request.

Can a homeowner do their own plumbing?

Yes, in their own home, with a plumbing permit, detailed plans and an affidavit of having done one plumbing job of similar size. Repairs and adjustments to plumbing and heating fixtures in a home the owner lives in need no permit.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

For work under $22,500 the City assesses a $100 fine; above $22,500 the fine is double the permit fee, and the Building Inspector can also issue a citation.

Do contractors need a City license?

Yes. The City contractor license costs $15 new or on renewal, and the same online account is used to apply for building permits.

Who issues permits just outside South Charleston?

Kanawha County Planning and Development, 407 Virginia Street East in Charleston (304-357-0570), for unincorporated land.

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