Administrative overview · FIPS 54019
Fayette County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Fayette County Building Safety Department
For a project in or near Fayette County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
304-574-4320
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Fayette County Courthouse, 100 North Court Street, Suite 2, Fayetteville, WV 25840
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; closed on county holidays.
Review expectation
No general building-plan review time is published. The Floodplain Administrator must review floodplain permit applications and plans within 90 days after submission.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Fayette County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Fayette County Building Safety Department is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 304-574-4320 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
No general building-plan review time is published. The Floodplain Administrator must review floodplain permit applications and plans within 90 days after submission.
How are inspections scheduled?
Call the Building Safety Department at 304-574-4320 to arrange required building, electrical, or floodplain inspections. The county publishes no online inspection-request portal, daily cutoff, or promised arrival window. Floodplain development may be inspected during work, and occupancy in the special flood-hazard area requires a Certificate of Compliance.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Fayette County's Unified Development Code adopts and directs the Building Safety Department to enforce the current West Virginia State Building Code. For 2026 this includes the 2018 IBC, 2018 IRC, 2018 IPC, 2018 IMC, 2018 IFGC, 2018 IPMC, 2018 IEBC, 2018 ISPSC, 2015 IECC, 2020 NEC, 2017 ICC A117.1, and West Virginia amendments. The county also enforces its Unified Development Code, zoning requirements, and Floodplain Ordinance. The county does not publish a current minor/cosmetic-work exemption list. Its homeowner guide says permits are required for construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, occupancy changes, and regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing work, including reroofing. An owner working on the home in which the owner resides is exempt from contractor licensing, not from the permit; hired electrical, plumbing, or other trade work must be performed by appropriately licensed contractors. State law excludes structures on parcels used primarily for agricultural purposes from the county-adopted building code.