Morgantown Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

The City of Morgantown Code Enforcement and Building Inspections Division handles local building permits, construction inspections, rental and property-maintenance enforcement, and certificates of occupancy inside Morgantown city limits. Monongalia County is not a substitute jurisdiction for a city address; verify whether the parcel is inside Morgantown before submitting.

Morgantown building permits and Cityworks PLL

Morgantown says most construction projects require a permit, including new buildings, additions, decks, garages, fences, pools, renovations, re-roofing, windows, electrical work, plumbing, HVAC, and remodeling. The city uses the Cityworks PLL Public Access portal for building permits, planning and zoning applications, licensing, registration, payments, and status communication. Applicants create an account, select the appropriate application type, map the project address, add contractors, upload required documents, and retain the application reference number.

The city’s published process emphasizes a project-specific site plan with dimensions, the proposed work, structures, windows, and applicable plumbing or electrical information. A complete application may be reviewed by Code Enforcement and other applicable city departments. Do not assume that a county or state filing replaces the Morgantown municipal application.

Inspections, occupancy, and code compliance

Morgantown’s Code Enforcement office issues building and demolition permits, performs property-maintenance and rental-housing inspections, and employs building inspectors and compliance officers. Electrical inspection requests must be made in writing on city forms and should be filed at least 24 hours before the inspection. Keep the work accessible and exposed until the responsible inspector approves each required phase.

The city’s building-permit fee schedule includes a Certificate of Occupancy service. Morgantown’s business guidance also says a Certificate of Occupancy is required for a business physically located within city limits before the municipal business license can be obtained. Complete building, trade, fire, and any planning conditions before relying on the certificate or opening a new use.

Zoning and State Fire Marshal roles

The Morgantown Planning Division administers zoning, sign regulation, comprehensive planning, subdivisions, lot splits, and major development-plan review. The city also provides a zoning viewer for checking whether an address is inside city limits. A planning or zoning application may be needed in addition to a building permit, particularly for land development, a change of use, a subdivision, or work affected by the zoning code.

The State Fire Marshal is separate from Morgantown’s building office. The state conducts fire and life-safety inspections for covered occupancies and performs statewide plan review for building and specialized fire-protection systems. The State Fire Marshal FAQ excludes buildings used wholly as one- or two-family dwellings from the State Fire Code. For commercial or institutional work, coordinate the city’s building and occupancy process with any required state fire submission.

Official Morgantown contact information

The Building Inspections and Code Enforcement office is at 389 Spruce Street, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, with a listed phone number of (304) 284-7401. Use the Cityworks PLL portal for municipal permit applications, permit tracking, payments, and planning/zoning submissions. Contact the city before filing if the address may be outside Morgantown city limits.