Bolthole Index

Pleasants County, West Virginia

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in St. Marys, West Virginia

Anyone building inside St. Marys, West Virginia city limits needs a city building permit first1, and the city has its own zoning code with districts2. Septic tanks, privies and cesspools are prohibited inside the city except where the sewer article allows them3. Outside city limits in Pleasants County, the rules differ; see the Pleasants County page.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the city before building, altering or adding to a building1
Zoning
City zoning code with districts2
Septic
Septic tanks and privies prohibited in the city, subject to exceptions; public sewer connection required where a sewer abuts the property34
Wells
Well permit required statewide, obtained jointly by driller and owner5
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption for owners; it does not waive building permits6

Who to call

Building permits

City of St. Marys Building/Permitting (City Manager)

City building permit applications, reviewed by the City Manager

(304) 684-2401

Septic permits

Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, Pleasants County Office

Onsite sewage (septic) permits and inspections for Pleasants County

304-684-2461

605 Cherry Street, St. Marys, WV 26170

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in St. Marys means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in St. Marys, WV?

Yes. St. Marys city code says no one may construct, alter or add to any building without first getting a permit from the city1. The City of St. Marys says anyone looking to build within the city limits must first apply for a building permit7.

The fee is $20.00 for the first $10,000 of the project plus $1.00 for every $1,000 over that7. The application is reviewed by the City Manager, and work must wait until the permit is approved7. Call the City Manager at (304) 684-2401 with questions7.

Who issues building permits in St. Marys, and what stays with Pleasants County?

Inside St. Marys, the city issues building permits1. The Pleasants County floodplain office is separate: floodplain development permits run through the local county, town or city floodplain permit officer, so a lot near water may need a second approval8.

For land outside the city, use the Pleasants County page; the city's rules do not apply there. West Virginia has no statewide building code requirement, and a community that adopts a building code must use the State Building Code9. Whether St. Marys has adopted it, and who inspects, we could not confirm; ask City Hall.

Does St. Marys have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

St. Marys has a Planning and Zoning Code with a chapter on zoning regulations and an article on districts2. A West Virginia municipality's zoning ordinance covers its entire jurisdiction10.

We could not confirm the district rules for lot size, setbacks, minimum dwelling size, RV or tiny-home occupancy, or manufactured homes. Ask City Hall which district a parcel is in before you buy. West Virginia law allows at least one accessory dwelling unit by right on a lot with a single-family dwelling inside a municipality, subject to the statutory definition11; confirm with the city how that applies to a given lot.

How do septic permits work inside St. Marys?

Inside city limits, no one may build or maintain a privy, privy vault, septic tank or cesspool for human waste, except as Article 935 of the city code allows3. Owners of occupied buildings that abut a street or right of way with a public sanitary sewer must connect at their own expense within 30 days after official notice4. A property annexed into the city without a sewer connection is exempt unless the City Manager finds it a nuisance or hazard4.

In Pleasants County generally, septic permits come from the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, which serves six counties12, and the state requires a written permit before any sewage system is installed13. Who issues septic permits for an unsewered lot inside the city we could not confirm; call the health department's Pleasants County office at 304-684-246114.

Building a home in St. Marys: the steps, in order

  1. Ask City Hall for the zoning district of the parcel and whether your use is allowed there2.
  2. Check whether the lot touches a public sewer; if so, plan to connect4.
  3. If the lot is near water, ask about floodplain development approval8.
  4. Apply to the City Manager for the building permit and pay the fee7.
  5. If you will drill a water well, a permit is required, obtained jointly by the driller and owner, with an application at least 15 days before drilling5.
  6. A new driveway onto a state highway needs a state permit, free from any Division of Highways office15.

What to check before you buy in St. Marys

Owners who personally do construction on their own structure are exempt from contractor licensing, but the exemption does not waive building permit or code requirements6. Contractors working in the city also need a city business license7.

A subdivision of land inside the city requires Planning Commission approval before recording16. Pleasants County's effective property tax rate is 0.6%17, and the median property tax bill is $752 a year18. These figures are county-level.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the zoning district rules (lot size, setbacks, RV and tiny-home occupancy), so ask St. Marys City Hall at (304) 684-2401 before buying7.
  • We could not confirm who issues septic permits for unsewered lots inside city limits; the city prohibits septic tanks except as its sewer article allows3.
  • Building-code adoption and certificates of occupancy inside the city were not confirmed; ask the City Manager7.

Sources

  1. Article 1705 Building Permits (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  2. Saint Marys, WV Laws (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  3. codelibrary.amlegal.com (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  4. 935.01 Connection to Sanitary Sewer Required (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  5. 64CSR19 Water Well Regulations (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  6. West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of St. Marys Building/Permitting (City Manager) (stmarys.wv.gov)
  8. Floodplain Permits (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. 2023 West Virginia State Hazard Mitigation Plan (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. West Virginia Code §§8A-7-1 and 8A-7-2 (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. West Virginia Code §8-42-1. Definitions (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. movhd.com, quoted and re-checked
  13. West Virginia Code §16-1-9 (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, Pleasants County Office (movhd.com)
  15. Encroachment Permits (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. 1311.01 Approval Required Prior to Recordation (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

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.

Answers from the rulebook for St. Marys

St. Marys’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, repair, alteration, or other regulated work inside St. Marys city limits.

    • The code contains exemptions and variances in Section 1705.13; the operative exemption text located states that government applicants remain required to obtain a building permit notwithstanding project cost.
    “No person shall construct, alter or add to any building unless he shall have first obtained from the recorder of the common council a permit, the application for which provide a listing of the following:”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside St. Marys city limits.

    • The city code contains a Planning and Zoning Code with a Chapter Five titled Zoning Regulations, including an article on districts.
    “CHAPTER FIVE - Zoning Regulations [...] Art. 1325 . Districts.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Privies, privy vaults, septic tanks, cesspools, and other facilities for disposal of human wastes inside St. Marys city limits.

    • The prohibition is subject to exceptions provided elsewhere in Article 935.
    “Except as hereinafter provided in this article, no person shall construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended or used for the disposal of human wastes within the City.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes inside St. Marys city limits that abut a street, easement, or right of way containing or later containing a public sanitary sewer.

    • Connection must be made at the owner's expense within thirty days after official notice.
    • A property incorporated into the city without public-sewer connection is exempt unless the City Manager determines it is a nuisance or hazard.

    connection deadline after official notice: 30 days

    “Any owner of houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes situated within the City and abutting any street, easement or right of way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary sewer of the City is hereby required, at his expense, to install suitable toilet facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this section, within thirty days after the date of official notice to do so.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision plats inside St. Marys city limits.

    • A comprehensive plan and subdivision-control ordinance must have been adopted and a certified copy filed with the Pleasants County Commission Clerk.
    • Planning Commission approval is required before recording.
    • Additional application, hearing, fee, bond, permit, and appeal provisions are listed in Article 1311.
    “After a comprehensive plan and an ordinance, containing provisions for subdivision control and the approval of plats and replats has been adopted by Council and a certified copy of the ordinance has been filed with the clerk of the County Clerk of the Pleasants County Commission a plat of a subdivision must be approved by the Planning Commission before it can be recorded.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit applications inside St. Marys city limits.

    • The code index identifies application contents, department-head review, Building and Safety Inspector review, issuance, display, fees, exemptions, and variances; detailed filing steps and documents were not retrieved.
    “1705.08 Application; contents. 1705.09 Department head review; review by Building and Safety Inspector.”

Rules another office applies inside St. Marys

St. Marys does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Well permitRequired

    Water wells in St. Marys city limits because the West Virginia rule applies statewide.

    • The permit must be obtained jointly by the water-well contractor and property owner.
    • Application is due at least fifteen calendar days before drilling, construction, alteration, or abandonment unless emergency conditions apply.
    • A certified well driller and applicable state design standards are required.
    • The rule is effective July 1, 2026 and terminates August 1, 2028.

    advance application deadline: >= 15 calendar days (unless emergency conditions prevail)

    “A permit to drill, construct, alter, or abandon a water well shall be obtained jointly by the water well contractor and property owner.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask St. Marys or Pleasants County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside St. Marys city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside St. Marys city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside St. Marys city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside St. Marys city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside St. Marys city limits.
16 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that St. Marys publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Pleasants County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Pleasants County: county rules, score and offices