Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Lost Creek, West Virginia

At a glance

Building permit

Required from the town, under the State Building Code¹⁵

Inspections

The town Building Inspector inspects premises with permits²

Septic

Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department permits septic systems in Harrison County³

RV or house trailer

Allowed only if it complies with all building ordinances⁶

Flood hazard land

Development permit from the Floodplain Administrator⁷

Wells

Health department permit required⁴

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Lost Creek, West Virginia?

Yes, inside the Town of Lost Creek the town adopts the State Building Code and applies it to building construction, renovation and removal throughout town limits¹. Applications go to the town's Building Inspector, who is an authorized representative of the Mayor⁵. Plans and permits must conform to the town code and every other applicable code and ordinance⁵.

The Building Inspector then examines premises with issued permits to make sure the law is followed². A permit placard stays posted during construction and shows the permit number, issue date and Permit Officer signature⁵.

What do building permits cost in Lost Creek?

The town charges a fee based on the Permit Officer's estimate of construction cost, payable to the town⁸. Work estimated at $0 to $500 costs $5, $501 to $1,000 costs $10, and $1,001 to $10,000 costs $30 plus $2 for each additional $1,000 or part of it⁸. A single-wide mobile home permit is $300⁸. Larger projects follow the same schedule in the town code, which we did not break out here.

Does Lost Creek have zoning, and what about RVs and tiny homes?

We could not confirm whether Lost Creek has adopted zoning: the town's published code covers buildings and construction, flood hazard regulations and streets, with no explicit zoning statement. Ask the Lost Creek town clerk before you rely on any use, lot size or setback assumption.

For trailers, the town code makes it unlawful to park, locate or occupy a house trailer or portable building unless it complies with all building ordinances⁶. We could not confirm a rule on tiny homes, accessory dwellings, temporary camping, lot size or setbacks inside town limits, so call the town before buying.

How do septic and well permits work in Lost Creek?

Septic systems in Harrison County are permitted through the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department Environmental Division³⁹. The health department's application form says a new system or a modification to an existing one requires a permit¹⁰. The same department permits private water wells⁴.

We could not confirm whether the town itself regulates sewage disposal beyond requiring sanitary sewage facilities, or whether public sewer connection is mandatory at a given address. Ask the town and the health department. Harrison County's soils are a factor: only 2.3% rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹¹.

Building a home in Lost Creek: the steps, in order

1. Call the town about zoning and any utility connection requirement, since we could not confirm either.
2. Check whether the lot sits in a special flood hazard area; development there needs a permit from the Floodplain Administrator, and subdividing such land needs an approved detailed site plan⁷¹².
3. If you are not on public sewer, apply to the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department for septic and well permits¹⁰⁴.
4. Apply to the town Building Inspector for the building permit⁵.
5. A driveway onto a state road needs a driveway permit from the Department of Highways¹³.

What stays with Harrison County (and what to check before you buy)

Land outside town limits follows Harrison County's rules, not the town's. Harrison County requires a building permit only in its Special Flood Hazard Areas¹⁴, and the county planning office handles zoning and land-use applications there¹⁵. Read the full answer on the Harrison County page.

County figures are county-wide: Harrison County's effective property tax rate is 0.6%, with a median bill of $872 a year¹⁶¹⁷.

Watch-outs

• Building permit applications inside Lost Creek go to the town Building Inspector⁵.
• State law exempts buildings used primarily for agriculture from the State Building Code and any local building code, so a farm outbuilding may not need a town building permit¹⁸.
• Septic and well permits come from the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department even where the town issues the building permit³⁴.

Sources

1. § 150.21 State, national and international codes adopted (Town of Lost Creek), quoted and re-checked
2. § 150.01 Building Inspector; powers and duties (Town of Lost Creek), quoted and re-checked
3. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
4. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
5. § 150.01 Building Inspector; powers and duties (Town of Lost Creek), quoted and re-checked
6. § 150.07 House trailers (Town of Lost Creek), quoted and re-checked
7. § 151.091 Development permits and site plan approvals required (Town of Lost Creek), quoted and re-checked
8. § 150.06 Building permit fees (Town of Lost Creek), quoted and re-checked
9. Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department Environmental Division (hchealthdepartment.org)
10. Location Improvement Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
11. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
12. § 151.091 Development permits and site plan approvals required (Town of Lost Creek), quoted and re-checked
13. Harrison County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
14. Harrison County Floodplain Ordinance (2026 county census)
15. Harrison County Planning Department (2026 county census)
16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
17. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
18. West Virginia Code §15A-11-5, Promulgation of rules and statewide building code (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 15, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.