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

Yes. Greenbrier County requires a permit for construction, improvements to, or demolition of any structure¹. The county has adopted the West Virginia State Building Code, so covered work is reviewed under that code before construction begins⁷. Residential projects with more than 2,000 square feet of enclosed space need plans certified by a West Virginia registered design professional⁸.

Every building-permit application receives a floodplain determination, and a floodplain project may need an elevation certificate, site and construction plans, or other supporting documents¹.

The agricultural exception is narrow: the State Building Code does not apply to structures used primarily for agricultural or agritourism purposes, but the responsible party must submit the exemption question to the Commissioner of Agriculture⁹. Do not assume a barn label alone settles the issue; take the proposed use to Planning and Permits before starting work.

The Greenbrier County Planning and Permits Office reviews applications, issues building permits, checks the building code, and administers the county floodplain, zoning and subdivision ordinances¹. Inspections and reinspections can be scheduled through Cloudpermit or by calling the office¹.

Applications can be submitted through Cloudpermit¹⁰. Depending on the project, the county may request building and site plans, a material list, parcel and address information, utility records, septic or well permits, floodplain material, zoning information and construction documents¹⁰.

An owner or occupant may personally perform construction on property the person owns or leases without a West Virginia contractor license, but that licensing exemption does not erase Greenbrier County permits or code requirements⁶. An applicant who is not subject to contractor licensing must file an affidavit to that effect before the building permit is issued⁶.

Greenbrier County applies its zoning ordinance in mapped zoned areas, and incorporated municipalities may have their own planning commissions and ordinances¹¹. Planning and Permits makes a zoning determination with each building-permit application, and a parcel inside a county-zoned area must comply with its specific district². District schedules regulate uses, lot size, setbacks and building height¹².

The ordinance contains district-specific standards rather than one universal rural-land rule¹². The schedule states minimum setbacks of 35 feet front, 15 feet side and 30 feet rear, with a combined side setback of at least 60 feet¹². Residential, Open Space Conservation and Forest Recreation districts list a 40-foot maximum building height⁵. One cited schedule uses minimum lots of 20,000 square feet with public water and sewer, 30,000 square feet with public water but no sewer, and 43,560 square feet without either utility⁵. In the unincorporated Lewisburg and Fort Spring Tax Districts shown on the official zoning map, a single-family home must be at least 20 feet wide at the narrowest point of its first story for a depth of 20 feet, must sit on a permanent foundation, and must be owned together with its land¹². The ordinance charges no fee for zoning permits or floodplain determinations, but a Board of Zoning Appeals application costs $50¹². Ask Planning and Permits to identify the parcel's jurisdiction and district before relying on any measurement.

Greenbrier County Health Department Environmental Health approves and inspects onsite septic systems and water wells³. Submit a septic application for approval before work begins⁴. A newly created lot needs a subdivision permit before a septic-installation application can be submitted, and approval requires completed perc-test results plus a Health Department-verified observation hole³. Septic testing and installation must be done by an installer certified in West Virginia, with the additional certification required for a Class II system³.

Only about 6.7% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make approval a purchase contingency when public sewer is unavailable¹³. Greenbrier County does not treat off-grid sanitation as permit-free: private septic and well permits are required with a building application unless public water and sewer documentation applies⁸.

For a private well, apply before drilling; a West Virginia-certified driller must perform the work³.

Greenbrier County's complete rule for living in an RV on private land could not be confirmed. Ask the Planning and Permits Office whether the parcel's zoning district allows RV occupancy, temporary camping or an RV during construction, and ask Environmental Health what approved sanitation arrangement is required.

A tiny home is not automatically outside the permit system: Greenbrier County requires permits for construction or improvements to any structure, reviews zoning with each application, and requires septic approval or public-sewer documentation before issuing permits for new homes^1,2. A county rule specifically addressing tiny-home occupancy could not be confirmed, so describe the proposed structure, foundation, utilities and intended use to Planning and Permits.

A single-family dwelling may have an accessory dwelling unit where the applicable zoning district allows it, with building, utility and sanitation rules still applying⁵. Factory-built and manufactured homes are permitted by right in the Open Space Conservation District, subject to building, zoning, septic and well requirements⁵. In the Lewisburg and Fort Spring districts a mobile home is prohibited unless it meets the ordinance's standards and sits in an approved mobile-home park or a qualifying previously approved location¹². Short-term rentals are also district-specific and may require a conditional-use permit, so a permitted dwelling is not automatically cleared for vacation-rental use⁵.

1. Ask Planning and Permits for parcel-specific zoning and floodplain determinations before finalizing the site plan^1,2.

1. Confirm water and wastewater service. Where public water and sewer are accessible, obtain written service documentation from the applicable utility or municipality; otherwise start the Health Department's septic and well process⁷.

1. Complete the perc test, observation hole and septic design process before expecting septic approval³.

1. Assemble the plans, site plan, parcel and address information, utility approvals and any floodplain materials, then file through Cloudpermit¹⁰.

1. Obtain WVDEP stormwater authorization before disturbing one acre or more, including a smaller site that is part of a larger common plan¹⁴.

1. Obtain a WVDOH driveway permit for new access to a public road, then schedule county inspections through Cloudpermit or the Planning and Permits Office^1,8.

Start with buildability, not the listing description. Ask Planning and Permits to confirm the parcel's jurisdiction, zoning district, allowed use, dimensional standards, subdivision status and floodplain location^1,11,15. Land divisions may require Planning Commission review, although the ordinance provides specific exemptions¹⁵.

Make the offer contingent on wastewater feasibility when public sewer is unavailable. Only about 6.7% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, while about 29% of the county's land has a slope of 15% or less¹³. Those countywide figures are screening signals, not substitutes for the Health Department's site work.

Confirm legal and physical road access, and remember that new access to a public road requires a WVDOH driveway permit⁷. Finally, budget from parcel-specific records rather than county medians: the effective property-tax rate is about 0.5%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $640¹³.