Kanawha County Planning and Community Development

Kanawha County Building Permit and Floodplain Permit (unincorporated areas)

A business that builds, places or relocates a structure, does earth-disturbing work, clears land, adds a ground- or pole-mounted sign, installs solar panels or fencing, or remodels by more than 50% of market value in unincorporated Kanawha County needs a county Building Permit first. The county's Building Permit Guidelines and Procedures state: "A BUILDING PERMIT SHALL BE REQUIRED IN ANY AREA OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF KANAWHA COUNTY" for those activities, and the application has commercial and residential boxes and asks for the contractor's name and license number. The fee is set by Section 7.10 of the Kanawha County Floodplain Ordinance, adopted by Commission Order 2023-418 on July 27, 2023 and effective August 1, 2023. As the ordinance itself reads, applications "shall be accompanied by a fee, payable to the Kanawha County Commission based upon the estimated cost of the proposed construction as determined by the Building Permit Officer": "Up to $30,000.00", $25.00; "For each additional $1,000.00 of the development", "$2.50 per"; "Additionally - Floodplain Permit", $300.00. The county's application form records in its office-use box whether the floodplain fee applies ("FLOODPLAIN FEE: ___ NO ___ YES (300.00)"). Under Section 7.10(A) the applicant also reimburses the Commission for added review or inspection costs, including professional engineering and surveying, and a deposit may be required. Under Section 7.10(B) the fee is doubled for the first and second offenses of starting work before a permit, and tripled after that. A structure in the 1% (100-year) floodplain needs an elevation certificate by a licensed surveyor or engineer with the lowest finished floor 2 feet above base flood elevation, and a scaled site plan. Septic or aeration system permits go to the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. Contact Planning and Community Development, 407 Virginia Street East, 2nd Floor, Charleston, (304) 357-0570.