Building permits, zoning and land rules in Boone County, West Virginia

Yes. Boone County requires a development permit for man-made changes to property, including residential construction, although exceptions may depend on the project¹. Published development-permit fees are $50 for a stick-built home, $35 for a manufactured doublewide and $25 for a manufactured singlewide; the address verification letter is included¹. The county office reviews plans for flood-zone status, and a project in a flood zone will likely need an elevation certificate¹.

Do not treat the development permit as proof that every home receives a full building-code inspection or county certificate of occupancy. Boone County's local residential code enforcement could not be confirmed, and the State Fire Marshal inspection mandate excludes one- and two-family dwellings⁷. The state certificate-of-occupancy rule covers buildings subject to the State Fire Code, but that code generally excludes dwellings for no more than two families and primarily agricultural buildings⁸. Ask Boone County Emergency Management Agency Floodplain/Permitting which reviews apply to the project.

Boone County Emergency Management Agency Floodplain/Permitting handles county development permits, flood-zone review and addressing for new structures; it does not issue septic or well permits¹. Call before development begins so the office can review the plans and determine flood-zone status¹. The office is at 1267 Smoot Ave, Danville, West Virginia, and its phone number is 304.369.7273¹.

Boone County Health Department Environmental Services is the separate contact for septic permits and water-well permits^2,3. The Health Department is at 213 Kenmore Dr, Danville, West Virginia, and its phone number is (304) 369-7967². For a home with private utilities, contact both offices early: the development permit does not replace the Health Department permits for septic or well work^2,3. The Health Department's published environmental fee schedule is labeled for fiscal year 2023–24, so confirm current charges before applying⁹.

Countywide zoning in Boone County could not be confirmed from an authoritative county source⁴. West Virginia law allows a county zoning ordinance to cover the county's entire jurisdiction or only parts of it, so statewide authority alone does not answer whether a Boone County parcel is zoned¹⁰. Ask Boone County Emergency Management Agency Floodplain/Permitting whether the parcel has a zoning classification, subdivision restrictions, setbacks or other land-use controls.

A county development permit is still required even though countywide zoning remains unconfirmed¹. Likewise, no Boone County-wide minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size or setback standard could be confirmed. West Virginia law says applicable local subdivision and land-development ordinances must include lot-size standards, but it does not create one statewide numeric minimum¹¹. Parcels inside a municipality may have municipal rules that differ from the county process, so identify the governing jurisdiction before relying on an unincorporated-county answer¹⁰.

Boone County Health Department permits new, modified and repaired onsite sewage systems². Start with a certified installer, who performs the percolation test, evaluates the site and submits the application with the owner². Construction or repair may begin only after Sanitarian site approval and issuance of the Construction Permit². The installer must request final inspection after the work is complete but before the system is covered².

Site feasibility deserves attention before purchase: only about 0.5% of mapped soils lack severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field¹². That countywide measure does not decide whether a particular lot can support a system; the site evaluation and Sanitarian approval control². The Health Department's fiscal-year 2023–24 schedule listed $185 for conventional septic, but confirm the current fee because the published schedule is dated⁹.

Boone County's rules for long-term residential RV occupancy, temporary camping and tiny-home occupancy could not be confirmed. Before purchase, ask Boone County Emergency Management Agency Floodplain/Permitting whether the proposed use is allowed on the parcel and whether the unit requires development permitting, addressing or floodplain review. Boone County treats man-made changes to property as development requiring a permit, while recognizing that exceptions may depend on the project¹.

Also ask Boone County Health Department how wastewater and water will be approved. New, modified or repaired onsite sewage systems require site approval and a Construction Permit². Installing a water well requires a Health Department permit, a certified water-well driller and a Sanitarian site visit³. Private ownership alone does not answer whether an RV or tiny home may be occupied on a parcel, so get both offices' answers before committing to the use.

1. Confirm whether the parcel is unincorporated and ask Boone County Emergency Management Agency Floodplain/Permitting about development, zoning, code-review and inspection requirements. Countywide zoning and local residential code enforcement could not be confirmed⁴.
2. Submit the development-permit materials before work begins; the office checks flood-zone status, and a flood-zone project will likely require an elevation certificate¹.
3. Hire a certified installer to perform the septic percolation test and site evaluation, then submit the onsite sewage application to the Health Department².
4. Wait for Sanitarian site approval and the septic Construction Permit before installation, then arrange final inspection before covering the system².
5. Use a certified water-well driller and obtain a Health Department permit before installing a well³.
6. If you will do the construction yourself, remember that West Virginia's owner-builder exemption concerns contractor licensing and does not waive other permits or code requirements⁶.
7. Obtain a free Division of Highways permit before building a new driveway connecting to a state highway⁵.
8. Obtain WVDEP stormwater authorization if land disturbance reaches one acre or is part of a larger common plan¹³.

Check buildability before closing, not after. Only about 4.8% of Boone County land has a slope of 15% or less, and about 0.5% of mapped soils lack severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field¹². Those countywide figures make a parcel-specific septic evaluation, driveway review and realistic grading plan especially valuable.

Ask the county permit office to check flood-zone status; a Boone County flood-zone project will likely need an elevation certificate¹. Confirm legal access and obtain a Division of Highways permit if a new driveway will connect to a state highway⁵. If public water is unavailable, well installation requires a Boone County Health Department permit and a certified water-well driller³. For carrying costs, Boone County's median property-tax bill is about $587 per year and its effective property-tax rate is about 0.7%¹².