Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Eleanor, West Virginia

Town of Eleanor’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, reconstruction, enlargement, alteration, relocation, or demolition of dwellings and structures inside Eleanor town limits.

  • Routine maintenance and upkeep of existing dwellings or structures is excepted when no structural changes or modifications are involved.
  • The approved permit must be obtained from the Municipal Building Inspector and signed by the Mayor.

  “unless an approved building permit has been obtained”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings regulated inside Eleanor town limits.

  • The municipal code contains Article 1711, titled West Virginia Building Code, with an adoption section.

  “There is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as if set out at length herein [...] that certain code known as the State Building Code”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Eleanor town limits.

  • Article 1309 establishes and regulates residential/business and business/highway districts.

  “ARTICLE 1309 Residential and Business Districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Eleanor town limits.

  • The published zoning article identifies Residential/Business District and Business/Highway District provisions.

  “Residential/Business District; permitted buildings and uses. [...] Business/Highway District; permitted buildings and uses.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential/Business District inside Eleanor town limits.

  • Corner lots require a side yard of at least 20 feet on the side abutting the street.

  front yard depth: >= 20 feet · front yard width: >= 50 feet · side yard width: >= 10 feet (Corner lot side abutting street: at least 20 feet.) · rear yard depth: >= 10 feet · rear yard width: >= 50 feet

  “The side yards shall not be less than ten feet wide.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential/Business District inside Eleanor town limits.

  • Structures associated with other permissive or excepted uses may reach three stories or 40 feet.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (Two and one-half stories; other permissive or excepted uses may not exceed three stories or 40 feet.)

  “Building height shall be a maximum of two and one- half stories or thirty five feet. Structures associated with other permissive or excepted uses shall not exceed three stories or forty feet in height.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits for dwellings and structures inside Eleanor town limits.

  • Application changes after issuance require the Building Inspector's written consent or approval.
  • The issued permit must be displayed on the premises while construction is in progress.

  “shall be displayed on the premises during the time construction is in progress.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Eleanor or Putnam County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Eleanor town limits.
• Inspections — Building work inside Eleanor town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Eleanor town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings in Eleanor's Residential/Business District.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Eleanor town limits.

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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