Charleston, WV
Charleston, WV Electrical Permit Cost
Charleston electrical permits are priced from the Electrical Permit application's own two fee columns
not from the building schedule — which says explicitly that it does not apply to electrical work. A final inspection fee of $15.00 is added to every electrical permit. A residential permit prices each scope flat: $20.00 for a service upgrade, $25.00 for a temporary service pole or an emergency power system, $30.00 for remodeling, new construction or a security system, $20.00 for a burglar alarm or low-voltage work, and $5.00 per opening; a new service is $30.00 up to 99 amps, $40.00 to 200 amps and $50.00 above. A commercial permit prices the trade from job cost — $15.00 to $1,500, stepping to $25.00, $40.00 and $50.00 and then $60.00 plus $1.00 per $1,000 over $10,000 — with its own amperage, fire-alarm and low-voltage rows.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial job cost $5,001–$10,000 ($50.00)Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $5,000 and Project valuation up to $10,000 | — |
| Commercial job cost above $10,000 ($60.00 + $1.00 per $1,000 over $10,000)Permit fee | $60.00 + $1.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $10,000, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $10,000 | — |
| Commercial job cost to $1,500 ($15.00)Permit fee | $15.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation up to $1,500 | — |
| Commercial job cost $1,501–$2,500 ($25.00)Permit fee | $25.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $1,500 and Project valuation up to $2,500 | — |
| Commercial job cost $2,501–$5,000 ($40.00)Permit fee | $40.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and Project valuation over $2,500 and Project valuation up to $5,000 | — |
| Emergency power system ($25.00)Permit fee | $25.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and emergency power is true | — |
| Fire alarm system up to 3 floors ($20.00)Permit fee | $20.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and fire alarm floors at least 1 and fire alarm floors up to 3 | — |
| Fire alarm system 4 floors and up ($40.00)Permit fee | $40.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and fire alarm floors at least 4 | — |
| Low voltage ($30.00)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and low voltage is true | — |
| Openings, commercial ($0.50 each)Permit fee | $0.50 per opening | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and openings at least 1 | — |
| Security alarm ($30.00)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and security system is true | — |
| New service, 1–99 A ($55.00)Permit fee | $55.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and amperage at least 1 and amperage up to 99 | — |
| New service, 100–399 A ($65.00)Permit fee | $65.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and amperage at least 100 and amperage up to 399 | — |
| New service, 1200–1599 A ($100.00)Permit fee | $100.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and amperage at least 1200 and amperage up to 1599 | — |
| New service, 1600and up ($110.00)Permit fee | $110.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and amperage at least 1600 and amperage up to 9007199254740991 | — |
| New service, 400–799 A ($75.00)Permit fee | $75.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and amperage at least 400 and amperage up to 799 | — |
| New service, 800–1199 A ($85.00)Permit fee | $85.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and amperage at least 800 and amperage up to 1199 | — |
| Temporary service pole ($30.00)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | Occupancy is one of commercial, industrial, mixed and temporary service is true | — |
| Final inspection fee ($15.00, added to all electrical permits)Inspection fee | $15.00 flat fee | Every permit of this type | — |
| Burglar alarm ($20.00)Permit fee | $20.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and burglar alarm is true | — |
| Emergency power system ($25.00)Permit fee | $25.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and emergency power is true | — |
| Low voltage ($20.00)Permit fee | $20.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and low voltage is true | — |
| New construction ($30.00)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and new construction is true | — |
| Openings, residential ($5.00 each)Permit fee | $5.00 per opening | Occupancy is residential and openings at least 1 | — |
| Remodeling ($30.00)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and remodeling is true | — |
| Security system ($30.00)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and security system is true | — |
| Service upgrade ($20.00)Permit fee | $20.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and service upgrade is true | — |
| New service, 1–99 A ($30.00)Permit fee | $30.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and amperage at least 1 and amperage up to 99 | — |
| New service, 100–200 A ($40.00)Permit fee | $40.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and amperage at least 100 and amperage up to 200 | — |
| New service, 201and up ($50.00)Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and amperage at least 201 and amperage up to 9007199254740991 | — |
| Temporary service pole ($25.00)Permit fee | $25.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and temporary service is true | — |
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 Charleston commercial tenant fit-out: $20,000 of electrical job cost, six openings and a low-voltage run.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $20,000 |
| Occupancy class | Commercial |
| Type of work | Alteration |
| Number of openings | 6 |
| Low voltage | Yes |
Example total
$118.00
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 4Rules considered 31
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Commercial job cost above $10,000 ($60.00 + $1.00 per $1,000 over $10,000)Permit feeElectrical Permit form, Commercial column: 'COST $10,000.00 AND UP (ADD $1 PER $1,000 OVER $10,000)', read as the $60.00 base plus $1.00 for each $1,000 of cost above $10,000.Show the working
| $60.00 + $1.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $10,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $70.00 |
Low voltage ($30.00)Permit feeElectrical Permit form, Commercial column: Low Voltage, $30.00.Show the working
| $30.00 flat fee | $30.00 |
Openings, commercial ($0.50 each)Permit feeElectrical Permit form, Commercial column: 'OPENINGS (EACH CONNECTION TO BOX OR FIXTURE)', $0.50 per opening.Show the working
| $0.50 per opening | $3.00 |
Final inspection fee ($15.00, added to all electrical permits)Inspection feeElectrical Permit form: 'A FINAL INSPECTION FEE OF $15.00 SHALL BE ADDED TO ALL ELECTRICAL PERMITS.'Show the working
| $15.00 flat fee | $15.00 |
| Total | $118.00 |
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.
- Commercial job cost $5,001–$10,000 ($50.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial job cost to $1,500 ($15.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial job cost $1,501–$2,500 ($25.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial job cost $2,501–$5,000 ($40.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Emergency power system ($25.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided. (2 rules with the same outcome)
- Fire alarm system up to 3 floors ($20.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Fire alarm system 4 floors and up ($40.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Security alarm ($30.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New service, 1–99 A ($55.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New service, 100–399 A ($65.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New service, 1200–1599 A ($100.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New service, 1600and up ($110.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New service, 400–799 A ($75.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New service, 800–1199 A ($85.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Temporary service pole ($30.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Burglar alarm ($20.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Low voltage ($20.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New construction ($30.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Openings, residential ($5.00 each) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Remodeling ($30.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Security system ($30.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Service upgrade ($20.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New service, 1–99 A ($30.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New service, 100–200 A ($40.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- New service, 201and up ($50.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Temporary service pole ($25.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 4 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Job-cost row above $10,000: $60.00 + $1.00 × 10 (the ten whole $1,000 bands over the threshold) = $70.00. Openings: 6 × $0.50 = $3.00. Low voltage: $30.00. Final inspection: $15.00. Total: $118.00.
What is different in Charleston
The form's residential and commercial columns answer different questions, so the first input is whether the job is a dwelling or a commercial occupancy. Commercial permits also price openings at $0.50 each rather than $5.00, and a fire alarm is $20.00 up to three floors and $40.00 at four or more. The form is the office's own application (revised 01-30-2015), and the final-inspection fee is printed on it as an instruction rather than a row.
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 electrical permit fee and its final-inspection fee only. It excludes:
- Building, plumbing and HVAC permits for the same project.
- Zoning approval from the Municipal Planning Commission where the work changes a use.
- Appalachian Power or Mon Power service connection and metering charges.
- State electrical licensing fees and contractor registration with the City.
- Plan review where the electrical work is part of a commercial project's construction plans.
What you need before applying
- Copy of the executed contract above $10,000Required
The Electrical Permit form states that projects exceeding $10,000.00 will require a copy of an executed contract.
Common questions
How much is a residential electrical service upgrade in Charleston?
A service upgrade is a flat $20.00 on the residential column, plus the $15.00 final inspection fee that every electrical permit carries — $35.00 in all.
City of Charleston Electrical Permit application
How is a commercial electrical permit priced in Charleston?
From the job cost, on the form's commercial column: $15.00 to $1,500, $25.00 to $2,500, $40.00 to $5,000, $50.00 to $10,000, and $60.00 plus $1.00 for each $1,000 over $10,000 — plus the $15.00 final inspection fee.
City of Charleston Electrical Permit application
How much does a new electrical service cost in Charleston?
On a residence it is $30.00 up to 99 amps, $40.00 from 100 to 200 amps and $50.00 above 200 amps. Commercial services run $55.00 at 99 amps or less and rise in bands to $110.00 at 1,600 amps and above, with the $15.00 final inspection added.
City of Charleston Electrical Permit application
What does an electrical opening cost in Charleston?
Each connection to a box or fixture is $5.00 on the residential column and $0.50 on the commercial column, on top of whatever scope rows the job uses.
City of Charleston Electrical Permit application
Is there a final inspection fee on every Charleston electrical permit?
Yes. The form prints 'A FINAL INSPECTION FEE OF $15.00 SHALL BE ADDED TO ALL ELECTRICAL PERMITS', and it is charged here on every electrical calculation.
City of Charleston Electrical Permit application
How much is a fire alarm system permit in Charleston?
On the commercial column a fire alarm system is $20.00 for up to three floors and $40.00 for four floors and above, with the $15.00 final inspection fee added.
City of Charleston Electrical Permit application
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 — Electrical Permit application, REVISED 01-30-2015
Scanned form whose two fee columns (Residential / Commercial) are the City's only published electrical figures. Read cell by cell with OCR over the 300-dpi render. The commercial new-service row's boundary between the $65.00 and $75.00 bands is the one reading the scan left ambiguous; the amounts themselves are certain. Carries the note 'A FINAL INSPECTION FEE OF $15.00 SHALL BE ADDED TO ALL ELECTRICAL PERMITS'.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.