Charleston Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

The City of Charleston Building Department is the local permit and inspection authority for construction within Charleston city limits. This guide is for city addresses, not every property in Kanawha County. Properties outside Charleston may instead be handled by another incorporated municipality or the applicable county or state authority.

Charleston building permits and plan review

Charleston requires a permit before construction begins. The city lists residential and commercial new construction, remodeling, additions, repairs, maintenance, fences, roofs, replacement windows, siding, retaining walls, driveways, accessory structures, signs, tanks and pumps, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and excavations in the city right-of-way among the work handled by its Building Department. Submit the application to the Permit Coordinator at 915 Quarrier Street, Suite 5, and confirm the current application and fee requirements before starting work.

Charleston plan review coordinates the applicable city agencies. The city’s plan-review guidance identifies the Building Department, Fire Department, City Engineer, Traffic Engineer, Sanitary Board, and Planning Department as agencies that may need to review a project. Residential, commercial, and industrial projects can have different document and review requirements, so the permit office should confirm the correct submission path for the scope and address.

Charleston inspections and certificate of occupancy

The Building Department schedules inspections through the permit office, generally with at least 24 hours’ notice. The city lists footer and foundation, rough plumbing, electrical, HVAC, framing, ADA accessibility, and final inspections among the construction checkpoints. The final inspection is tied to the Certificate of Occupancy process for applicable projects. Keep approved plans and the permit information available at the site, and do not cover work that must remain exposed for inspection.

Charleston’s plan-review guidance says required permits and inspections must be complete, fees must be paid, and subcontractors must be registered with the Building Department and City Collector before a certificate of occupancy is issued. A business opening also requires coordination with Charleston Planning/Zoning, Building, and Fire so the location satisfies zoning, building-code, and fire-safety requirements.

Zoning, floodplain, and state fire responsibilities

Charleston Planning/Zoning administers the city’s zoning process. A zoning approval or other planning review may be needed before a building permit can be issued, particularly for a change of use, site work, subdivision, historic property, or work affected by the city’s zoning ordinance. Floodplain work may also require a separate local floodplain review.

The West Virginia State Fire Marshal is a separate state authority. Its Plans Review Division reviews covered architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire-protection plans, while its Fire and Life Safety Inspections Division conducts fire and life-safety inspections for occupancies covered by state law. The State Fire Marshal FAQ says the State Fire Code does not apply to buildings used wholly as one- or two-family dwellings. A city building permit does not replace a required State Fire Marshal plan review or fire inspection for a covered commercial or institutional project.

Official Charleston contact information

The Charleston Building Department lists 915 Quarrier Street, Suite 5, Charleston, West Virginia 25301 and (304) 348-6833. Call the permit office at least 24 hours before a requested inspection and have the owner, address, contractor, permit number, and inspection type available. Use the official State Fire Marshal portal for state-level fire plan review or fire/life-safety inspection matters.