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

For an ordinary home on unincorporated land, Monroe County is reported as not requiring a general building permit¹. West Virginia has no statewide building-code requirement; a community that adopts and enforces a building code must use the State Building Code, but the available materials do not confirm whether Monroe County adopted it². A county floodplain permit and site plan are required before covered development, construction, substantial improvement, substantial-damage repair, or structure placement in a Special Flood Hazard Area³. State fire and life-safety inspections apply to many occupancies but exclude one- and two-family dwellings, so this is not a state residential inspection program⁹. State Fire Code certificate-of-occupancy rules likewise cover specified buildings but exclude dwelling houses for no more than two families¹⁰. Inside Alderson, municipal zoning and project permits apply⁵.

Monroe County does not identify a general residential building department for ordinary construction on unincorporated land¹. For a parcel in a Special Flood Hazard Area, contact the Monroe County Floodplain Manager through the 911 Office at (304) 772-3912; the county courthouse mailing address is PO Box 350, 350 Main Street, Union, West Virginia 24983¹¹. For septic and well work, contact Monroe County Health Department Environmental Health at 304-772-3064, PO Box 590, 200 Health Center Drive, Union, WV 24983¹². Projects inside Alderson follow the town process, not the unincorporated-county answer: the Town of Alderson Zoning Office can be reached at 304-445-2916 or zoning@aldersonwv.org¹³. For ordinary construction outside a flood hazard area, ask the County Commission to confirm any improvement-location or building-code requirement before work begins because local adoption could not be confirmed.

Monroe County is reported as having no county zoning ordinance for unincorporated land¹. That does not erase floodplain controls, private deed restrictions, septic siting requirements, or municipal rules. Monroe County's floodplain ordinance requires a setback from the tops of watercourse banks equal to twice the channel width or 50 feet, with only the minimum necessary waiver when development would otherwise be impossible³. Ordinary minimum dwelling size, lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and building-height standards could not be confirmed, so ask the County Commission about the parcel. Alderson has a zoning officer and a zoning map, and the town requires a permit for building projects, renovations, new construction, fences, HVAC projects, propane tanks, landscaping, demolition and accessory buildings; septic and well permits for Alderson addresses still come from the Monroe County Health Department^4,5. Beginning in 2027, West Virginia municipalities generally must allow at least one accessory dwelling unit by right on a parcel with a single-family dwelling, but that statute does not establish an accessory-dwelling rule for unincorporated Monroe County¹⁴. Ask Peterstown, Union or another municipality about its own rules before purchase.

Monroe County Health Department handles local onsite wastewater permitting under West Virginia's environmental-health program⁴. The state program supplies rule interpretation and technical help, while site-specific approvals and inspections may involve the local health department⁴. A final inspection verifies that the system is in the permitted area, respects well separation, and uses approved construction and materials; the absorption component cannot be covered before written approval⁶. Soil is a major constraint: only 7.4% of Monroe County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so arrange the site evaluation before fixing the house location¹⁵. When soil is extremely poor or a conventional system cannot be repaired, an alternative system may be considered for new construction only on a lot of 2 acres or more⁴. A surface-discharging residential system follows a narrower route and must qualify for a state discharge permit when its flow is 600 gallons per day or less⁴.

Monroe County's general rules for long-term RV living, temporary camping and tiny-home occupancy on private land could not be confirmed; ask the County Commission and Health Department before relying on an RV or tiny home as a residence^1,4. A confirmed floodplain rule applies inside any Special Flood Hazard Area: an RV must either remain on site for fewer than 180 consecutive days while fully licensed and highway-ready, or be installed under the ordinance's manufactured-home placement and flood-reduction standards³. A manufactured home in that area must be installed by a West Virginia-licensed installer on a qualifying engineered foundation, with its lowest floor, ductwork and utilities elevated 3 feet above the Base Flood Elevation³. Inside Alderson, construction and placement questions also go through the town's zoning office^5,13. A lack of a confirmed countywide tiny-home rule is not permission to skip septic, well, floodplain or municipal approvals.

1. Confirm whether the parcel is inside an incorporated town; Alderson has its own zoning and project-permit process⁵.

1. Ask the County Commission to confirm current requirements for ordinary construction on unincorporated land; Monroe County is reported as not requiring a general home-building permit¹.

1. Check the flood map and submit the required application and site plan before covered work in a Special Flood Hazard Area^3,11.

1. Arrange a septic site evaluation and permit with Monroe County Health Department, then leave the absorption component uncovered until written approval^4,6.

1. Apply jointly with the well contractor for a well permit at least 15 calendar days before drilling, altering or abandoning the well unless emergency procedures apply⁸.

1. If land disturbance reaches 1 acre or is part of a larger common plan reaching that threshold, check WVDEP construction-stormwater coverage before grading¹⁶.

1. Obtain a free state encroachment permit before connecting a driveway to a state highway¹⁷.

Start with septic feasibility, slope and flood exposure. Only 7.4% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, and just 23.1% of the land has a slope of 15% or less¹⁵. Monroe County is 72.8% wooded, so driveway, clearing and building-pad costs can matter as much as the purchase price¹⁵. Check the flood map before closing because county permits and special siting rules attach to development in a Special Flood Hazard Area³. A subdivision in that area must provide a buildable portion outside the hazard area, site new structures there and provide streets meeting the flood-elevation standard³. Confirm legal road access; a connection to a state highway needs a state encroachment permit¹⁷. For budgeting context, the typical home value is about $199,418, the effective property-tax rate is about 0.5%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $698¹⁵.