Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Cabell County, West Virginia

Yes. Cabell County requires a building permit for all new development and substantial improvements of existing structures, including mobile homes¹. Cell-tower modifications, co-location work and solar-panel installations also require county building permits and supporting plans¹. Applications need a site plan and plans for the structure at submission, and are submitted through the county's Building Permit Application Portal¹. West Virginia's owner exemption lets a property owner or occupant personally perform construction without a contractor's license, but it does not waive an applicable building permit, building code, inspection or certificate-of-occupancy requirement⁶. Buildings used primarily for agricultural purposes are exempt from the State Building Code and an adopted county or municipal building code, so a farm structure may be treated differently from a house¹⁰.

The Cabell County Planning & Permits Office handles building-permit applications; call 304-526-9704 or email cnelson@cabellcounty.org with questions¹. Applications and supporting documents can be submitted through the county's online Building Permit Application Portal¹. Before applying, determine how the site will handle sewage: Cabell County requires either septic-system approval from the Cabell-Huntington Health Department or proof of a sewer tap when sewer service is available¹. The county material does not identify the adopted building code, inspection schedule, permit fees or any county certificate-of-occupancy rule, so ask the Planning & Permits Office about those items for your project¹. The State Fire Marshal's general fire-and-life-safety inspection mandate excludes one- and two-family dwellings¹¹.

Cabell County appears to have no countywide zoning ordinance, while the City of Huntington has adopted a zoning ordinance that regulates land use inside city limits^2,5. In Huntington, most types of development need planning and zoning review, and some uses also need conditional-use review by the Board of Zoning Appeals⁵. Septic permits and well permits in the city still come from the Cabell-Huntington Health Department, not the city's planning office⁴. West Virginia allows a county zoning ordinance to cover all or only part of a county, and municipal zoning is separate from county zoning¹². The available county information does not confirm parcel-specific rules for residential RV use, tiny-home occupancy, setbacks, minimum dwelling size or minimum lot size. Ask the Cabell County Planning & Permits Office which rules apply to an unincorporated parcel, and check with the relevant city if the property is inside municipal limits¹. For a proposed split or development, also ask whether a local subdivision and land-development ordinance applies because West Virginia law leaves the actual approval process to local ordinances and planning commissions¹³.

On-site sewage systems in Cabell County go through the Cabell-Huntington Health Department⁴. A certified installer performs a percolation test and site evaluation, and the property owner or installer submits the application⁴. The health department evaluates the proposed site and issues the construction permit after approval⁴. After construction or repair is complete, the installer must contact the health department for a final inspection before covering the system; the sanitarian checks the work against the approved construction plan⁴. Soils make early evaluation worthwhile: only about 3% of Cabell County soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, and about 18% of county land has a slope of 15% or less⁹. If sewer service is available instead, the building-permit file needs proof of a sewer tap¹. A private well requires a permit from the local health department before drilling, modifying or abandoning it, and the well must be drilled by a licensed well driller⁴. The health department states there is no fee for its services in Cabell County, though its lab charges $15 per water sample plus a $5 handling fee⁴.

Cabell County has no countywide zoning ordinance, but that does not answer whether long-term RV living or tiny-home occupancy is allowed on a particular parcel². The available county information does not confirm residential RV, temporary-camping or tiny-home occupancy rules, so ask the Planning & Permits Office how it classifies the proposed unit and use¹. A mobile home counts as a new structure under the county's permit rule and therefore requires a building permit¹. Any building-permit site also needs health-department septic approval or proof of an available sewer tap¹. Do not assume that a small footprint, wheels or the absence of countywide zoning removes those permit and sanitation steps.

1. Contact the Cabell County Planning & Permits Office at 304-526-9704 and confirm the documents, fees and inspections for the project¹.
2. Determine whether sewer is available; the permit site needs proof of a sewer tap when service is available, or health-department approval for septic¹.
3. For septic, choose a certified installer for the percolation test and obtain the Cabell-Huntington Health Department construction permit after site approval⁴.
4. If a driveway will connect to a state highway, obtain a free Division of Highways encroachment permit before construction⁷.
5. Obtain WVDEP stormwater authorization if the project disturbs one acre or more, including a smaller site within a larger common development plan¹⁴.
6. Submit the county building-permit application with a site plan and plans for the structure¹.
7. After septic construction or repair, arrange the required health-department final inspection before the system is covered⁴.

Make septic feasibility a purchase contingency: only about 3% of Cabell County soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁹. Confirm whether public sewer is available, because the later building-permit file must show either an available sewer tap or health-department septic approval¹. If the property already has septic and a lender requests a home-loan sewage evaluation, the health department requires the home to have been occupied for the last 30 consecutive days and the tank not pumped within the last 30 days; the tank must be pumped if that has not occurred within the last three years⁴. Verify whether the parcel is within Huntington or another municipality before relying on the countywide zoning answer^2,12. Check mapped floodplain status and ask the local floodplain permit officer about development approval before grading, filling, excavation or a stream crossing⁸. Typical property tax is about 0.6% of value, with a median annual bill near $989⁹.