Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Follansbee, West Virginia

Follansbee’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work on buildings inside Follansbee city

  • Construction cannot begin until all requirements and permits are approved.
  • Required county, state and federal permits must be submitted before city approval.
  • Projects under $15,000: city manager or designee signs; over $15,000: city council approval.
  • New construction needs stamped plans by a WV engineer or architect.

  “when is a building permit required: any improvements, repair, construction, demolition, remodeling, erection or otherwise perform any work on an existing building.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Follansbee city; the city's permit page states the state-adopted ICC applies

  • Page attributes the requirement to state law; specific ICC edition not stated on the page.

  “the state of west virginia has passed the icc, and you are required by state law to be in compliance with the icc and all of its construction standards.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Follansbee city limits (Brooke County)

  • Only the title of the city's Part Thirteen Planning and Zoning Code was readable; the linked PDF returned no extractable text, so district rules were not verified.

  “part eleven health and sanitation code part thirteen - planning and zoning code part fifteen - fire prevention code”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Construction with access onto a state roadway inside Follansbee city

  • Only where access is onto a state road; city driveway rules not verified.

  “wvdot access permit if access onto a state roadway.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Residential building permits inside Follansbee city

  • Commercial and industrial: $50 for $0-$4,999, plus $5 per $1,000 over $5,000.
  • Fee schedule not dated on the page.

  residential permit fee, $0-$999 project: 25 USD · residential permit fee above $999: $25 plus $5 per $1,000 over $1,000

  “residential cost of project building permit cost $0 to $999.00 $25.00 above $999.00 $25.00 plus $5.00 per $1,000 over $1,000”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications inside Follansbee city

  • Incomplete applications are not processed.
  • Site plan with dimensions required unless replacing existing same size and location.
  • Contractors need a city and state business license.
  • Multifamily, commercial or industrial projects must contact the state fire marshal.

  council approval threshold: > 15000 USD (under $15,000 city manager or designee signs)

  “less than $15,000 - city manager or designated agent signature required. over $15,000 - city council approval required”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Follansbee or Brooke County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Follansbee city
• Inspections — Inspections inside Follansbee city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Follansbee city
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Follansbee city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Follansbee city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.