Charleston, WV
Charleston, WV Building Permit Cost
A Charleston building permit is assessed on total job cost from the Building Department's Schedule of Permit Fees.
The fee is waived entirely where the job cost is $2,500.00 or less. Above that, the printed ladder runs in $1,000 bands: $18.50 at $1,501–$2,500, then $4.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction, reaching $130.50 at $30,000. From there the schedule's own note adds $5.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction — $280.50 at $60,000, $980.50 at $200,000, $4,980.50 at $1,000,000. Commercial construction of $50,000.00 or more also pays an environmental-style plan review of 0.075% ( .00075) of the job cost, which the schedule illustrates as $37.50 at $50,000 and $75.00 at $100,000.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Above $30,000 ($130.50 + $5.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction)Permit fee | $130.50 + $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $30,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $30,000 and not (Work type is demolition and Project valuation up to $5,000) | — |
| Demolition, structure value up to $5,000 ($30.00 flat)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | Work type is demolition and Project valuation up to $5,000 | — |
| Valuation ladder to $30,000 ($18.50 + $4.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction)Permit fee | $18.50 + $4.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $2,500, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $2,500 and Project valuation up to $30,000 and not (Work type is demolition and Project valuation up to $5,000) | — |
| Commercial plan review ($0.00075 of construction, $50,000 and above)Plan review | 0.075% of project valuation | Project valuation at least $50,000 and Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed | — |
| Job cost up to $2,500 — building permit fee waived ($0.00)Permit fee | $0.00 flat fee | Project valuation up to $2,500 and not (Work type is demolition) | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A commercial alteration in Charleston with a total estimated job cost of $60,000, priced on the building schedule.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $60,000 |
| Project area | 3,000 sq ft |
| Occupancy class | Commercial |
| Type of work | Alteration |
Example total
$325.50
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 2Rules considered 5
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Above $30,000 ($130.50 + $5.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction)Permit feeSchedule of Permit Fees, printed note: 'Add $5.00 per $1000.00 after $30,000.00', measured from the $130.50 the ladder reaches at $30,000. The schedule's own checkpoints verify it: $60,000 → $280.50, $100,000 → $480.50, $500,000 → $2,480.50, $1,000,000 → $4,980.50.Show the working
| $130.50 + $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $30,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $280.50 |
Commercial plan review ($0.00075 of construction, $50,000 and above)Plan reviewSchedule of Permit Fees, Plan Review Fee: '.00075 of all Commercial Construction $50,000.00 and above', with the schedule's own examples: $50,000.00 → $37.50 and $100,000.00 → $75.00. Modelled as the exact fraction 3/4000 of valuation, which is what '.00075' means ($0.75 per $1,000).Show the working
| 0.075% of project valuation | $45.00 |
| Total | $325.50 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Demolition, structure value up to $5,000 ($30.00 flat) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Valuation ladder to $30,000 ($18.50 + $4.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Job cost up to $2,500 — building permit fee waived ($0.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Fee: $280.50, which is the schedule's own printed checkpoint — $130.50 at $30,000.00 plus 30 × $5.00 for the thirty $1,000 bands above it. Plan review is charged separately at 0.075% of the job cost, because a commercial job of $50,000.00 or more pays it: $45.00 here.
What is different in Charleston
The Building Commission at 915 Quarrier Street administers the schedule and performs the inspections. Applications carry two sets of plans and two site plans along with zoning, flood-plain and stormwater information, and any job over $10,000 needs a copy of the executed contract. West Virginia's State Building Code governs; the City's zoning permit from the Municipal Planning Commission comes first. Building work without a permit is penalised at a minimum $100 or twice the normal fee, whichever is greater.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate covers the City of Charleston building permit fee and the commercial plan-review fee only. It excludes:
- Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits, which the schedule says it does not cover.
- The zoning permit issued by the Municipal Planning Commission.
- Land-disturbance approval and stormwater review for sites disturbing more than 5,000 square feet or adding 1,000 square feet of impervious area.
- Demolition and landscaping permits beyond the $30.00 demolition line.
- Penalties for unpermitted work.
What you need before applying
- Two sets of plans and two site plansRequired
The Residential Building Permit lists what accompanies an application: two sets of construction plans; two site plans showing the proposed structure's location, distances to lot lines, existing structures, parking, the sanitary sewer tap and the stormwater plan; the Kanawha County tax map and parcel number; a zoning permit from the Municipal Planning Commission; a determination of floodway/flood plain designation; and a list of all contractors and subcontractors.
- Copy of the executed contract at $10,000 or moreRequired
The Schedule of Permit Fees states that jobs exceeding $10,000.00 require a copy of an executed contract, and the residential form repeats the requirement for all projects valued at $10,000.00 or more.
- West Virginia contractor licence and Charleston registrationRequired
The residential building permit asks for the contractor's West Virginia contractor's licence number and Charleston registration number.
Common questions
How is a Charleston building permit fee calculated?
From total job cost on the City's Schedule of Permit Fees. Job costs up to $2,500.00 are waived. Above that the printed ladder charges $18.50 in the $1,501–$2,500 band and $4.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction to $30,000.00, then $5.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction.
City of Charleston Schedule of Permit Fees
Is there a minimum building permit fee in Charleston?
No — the opposite. The schedule waives building permit fees entirely where the total job cost is $2,500.00 or less, so most small repairs and replacements pay nothing. The first charged band begins at $2,501.00.
City of Charleston Schedule of Permit Fees
When does plan review apply, and how much is it?
Plan review is charged on all commercial construction of $50,000.00 and above, at .00075 of the construction figure — three-quarters of a dollar per $1,000. The schedule's own examples are $37.50 at $50,000.00 and $75.00 at $100,000.00. Residential work pays no separate plan-review fee.
City of Charleston Schedule of Permit Fees
How much is a demolition permit in Charleston?
A flat $30.00 for any structure valued up to $5,000.00. Above $5,000.00 the demolition is priced 'by schedule of fees' — the same valuation ladder that prices a construction permit.
City of Charleston Schedule of Permit Fees
What paperwork goes with a Charleston building permit application?
Two sets of construction plans and two site plans, the Kanawha County tax map and parcel number, a zoning permit from the Municipal Planning Commission, a floodway/flood-plain determination, and a list of all contractors and subcontractors. Jobs over $10,000.00 need a copy of the executed contract.
City of Charleston Residential Building Permit (RBP-1)
What happens if work starts without a Charleston building permit?
The permits page states that work done without a permit pays a minimum $100 fee or twice the normal permit fee, whichever is greater, and can lead to licence suspension.
City of Charleston Building Commission — Permits
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
City of Charleston Building Department — Schedule of Permit Fees
EFFECTIVE: APRIL 14, 2008. Image scan with no text layer: read by OCR over a 300-dpi render and reconciled row by row against the printed checkpoints ($60,000 → $280.50, $1,000,000 → $4,980.50). Carries the closing note 'BUILDING PERMIT FEES WILL BE WAIVED FOR TOTAL JOB COSTS UP TO $2500.00' and the plan-review rate. Says in its own text that it does not apply to electrical, HVAC or plumbing permits.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
City of Charleston — Residential Building Permit (RBP-1)
Has a text layer. Confirms the building fee is entered from the schedule against 'Total Estimated Cost (all labor & materials)' and that a copy of the executed contract is required for all projects valued at $10,000.00 or more; the form prints no fee table of its own.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.