Wayne County, West Virginia Building Permit Guide

Wayne County’s Building Permit Officer, who is also the county Floodplain Administrator, issues the county building permit from the courthouse in Wayne (304-272-6350). A residential permit costs $30 for the first $100,000 of project cost plus $1 for each further $1,000, the permit is a development and floodplain permit rather than a code plan review, and Ceredo, Kenova and Huntington run their own building permits.

What requires a permit in Wayne County?

The county’s Building Permit and Floodplain Ordinance, in force since July 15, 2019, makes it unlawful to carry out development, new construction, substantial improvement, repair of substantial damage or other repairs, or to place or move any structure, including a manufactured home, without a permit from the Floodplain Administrator. The county application lists the projects it covers:

The county ordinance and application set no building-code plan review; they deal with siting, flood risk, addressing and records for the Assessor.

Who issues building permits in Wayne County?

The Wayne County Commission’s Building Permit Officer, who doubles as the Floodplain Coordinator, issues county permits, reviews floodplain plans, can stop work and inspects sites. Copies of every permit go to the County Assessor, and permits for new structures go to the E-911 addressing coordinator.

The towns are a separate question:

The state list of floodplain managers dated October 24, 2025 puts Fort Gay and the town of Wayne under the county Floodplain Administrator through a county support agreement; Ceredo and Kenova each name their own floodplain manager.

Wayne County application and forms

Applications are available at the courthouse, by phone from the Building Permit Office or as a fillable form on the county’s Building Permits page, and the completed form can be mailed to the Building Permit Office. The application asks for the owner and contractor, the physical address, tax district, map and parcel, the type of improvement, its dimensions, whether it is in a special flood hazard area, the estimated cost, the sewage and water arrangements and the AEP work order number.

A contractor must show a valid West Virginia contractor license number; anyone doing the work themselves signs the affidavit at the back of the form explaining why no license is needed, such as an owner building on their own property. The estimated cost must be filled in before a permit can be issued, and any change to the information given means a new application.

Wayne County building permit fees

The county’s current fee schedule, printed on the application and the Building Permits page, depends on whether the project is residential or commercial:

For example, a $250,000 house costs $30 plus $150 ($1 for each of the 150 thousands above $100,000), a $180 permit. Pay by check or cash, with checks made out to the Wayne County Commission. The same web page still carries an older line saying residential permits are $15; the $30 schedule is the one printed on the current application.

The ordinance also makes the applicant repay the county for any engineering or surveying it needs to review or inspect the project, and the Floodplain Administrator may ask for a deposit toward that cost. Work started before the permit is issued pays double the fee, and triple for each later occurrence by the same person.

The Health Department’s septic and other environmental permit fees are separate, and the County Commission approved an increase in them on April 21, 2026, after the department said the change would raise its fees by about 31%.

Electrical, plumbing and utility connections

The county ordinance and application include no electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit. What they do control is the utility hook-up: anywhere in Wayne County, no utility may be connected to a new or rebuilt building until the Floodplain Administrator has issued a Certificate of Compliance for the development. The application asks for the AEP work order number, and the county notes that AEP and the telephone company will not connect service until the property has an address from the Addressing Coordinator.

Inside Kenova, the City’s permit application covers building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work and requires contractors to hold both a state license and a City of Kenova license. Ceredo’s application lists electric, plumbing and HVAC work as part of the building permit.

Documents for a Wayne County permit

Renovations and demolitions also need an asbestos inspection by a licensed inspector before work starts. The ordinance gives the Floodplain Administrator up to 90 days to review a permit application.

How to get a Wayne County permit: 6 steps

Inspections and the Certificate of Compliance

Signing the application lets the Building Permit Officer enter the property to inspect it, and during construction the Floodplain Administrator or other county, state or federal officials may check that the work matches the permit. Work found without a permit, or not following it, gets a stop work order.

In the special flood hazard area, a building may not be occupied until the Floodplain Administrator issues a Certificate of Compliance, and across the county no utility may be connected until that certificate is issued. Violations are misdemeanors carrying a fine of $50 to $500 plus court costs, with each day counted as a separate offense; the county web page’s older line about fines of up to $50 a day predates the 2019 ordinance.

The permit placard must stay on display while work is under way. Work must begin within 180 days of issue (the application describes this as six months) and be finished within 18 months, unless the Floodplain Administrator grants a written extension.

Local Wayne County details that matter

Floodplain rules: new and substantially improved buildings in the special flood hazard area must have the lowest floor, ductwork and utilities at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, and fill may not be placed in the regulatory floodway. Anyone can object to a floodplain permit application, and the Floodplain Administrator may hold a public meeting before deciding.

Ceredo: every Town building permit includes a $20 application fee. The fee table in Section 1701.03(a) of the Town code charges by the cost of labor and materials, starting at $20 for work of $500 to $1,100 and reaching $433 at $100,000, plus $2.50 per $1,000 above that. Ceredo permits are valid for six months.

Kenova: the City’s permit packet lists the inspections it requires under the residential and building codes, from footings and foundations through framing, rough-ins and final, and the permit holder schedules them by phone. City Hall at 1008 Oak Street is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closes from noon to 1 p.m.

Annexed land: where a town annexes county land, the county floodplain ordinance keeps applying until the town adopts its own.

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 Wayne County permitting resources

County and town pages and documents:

• Wayne County Building Permits page
• Wayne County Building Permit Application (revised July 2022)
• Wayne County Building Permit and Floodplain Ordinance (2019)
• Wayne County Commission minutes
• Wayne County Commission
• Wayne County Health Department
• Town of Ceredo building permits
• Town of Ceredo building permit fee table
• City of Kenova forms, including the building permit application
• City of Kenova contact information
• Town of Fort Gay officials and contacts
• City of Huntington building permits
• West Virginia Flood Tool
• West Virginia State Building Code, 87 CSR 4
• WV Flood Tool floodplain managers list (October 2025)
• West Virginia Code 15A-11-5, State Building Code

Wayne County permit FAQs

Do I need a building permit in Wayne County, WV?

Yes, for a new home, a mobile or modular home, an addition, fill, culverts, power drops and other development. The county permit is issued by the Building Permit Officer at the courthouse in Wayne (304-272-6350).

How much is a Wayne County building permit?

$30 for the first $100,000 of a residential project plus $1 for each additional $1,000, so $180 for a $250,000 house. Commercial projects pay $100 for the first $50,000 plus $1 per additional $1,000.

Does the county inspect electrical and plumbing work?

The county permit has no electrical or plumbing component, but utilities may not be connected until the Floodplain Administrator issues a Certificate of Compliance. In Kenova, the City issues electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits.

Who issues septic permits in Wayne County?

The Wayne County Health Department at 217 Kenova Avenue in Wayne (304-272-6761). The county building permit application asks for its permit number.

How long is a Wayne County permit valid?

Work must start within 180 days and be completed within 18 months, unless the Floodplain Administrator extends it in writing.

Do Ceredo and Kenova use the county permit?

They issue their own building permits: Ceredo through its City Clerk, using the Town’s own fee table, and Kenova through its code enforcement office on Pine Street.

What happens if I build without a permit?

The permit fee is doubled (tripled for a repeat offense by the same person), the county issues a stop work order, and a conviction carries a fine of $50 to $500 plus costs for each day the violation continues.

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