ADU rules in Charleston, WV — also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances — cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
West Virginia has no statewide ADU mandate, and unincorporated Kanawha County has no zoning districts, so a second dwelling is limited mainly by the county building permit, the State Building Code, and Kanawha-Charleston Health Department septic capacity rather than a zoning cap.
Adding an accessory dwelling in unincorporated Kanawha County is governed by the county building permit and the adopted West Virginia State Building Code, not by a zoning ordinance. The county lists a planning function but has no countywide zoning districts or setback schedule, so there is no zoning cap on a second unit. A habitable unit needs egress, ceiling height, and approved water and wastewater service. Properties on septic must satisfy the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, which calls for about 10,000 square feet of lot area per individual septic system. In the 100-year floodplain the lowest floor must sit two feet above base flood elevation. Charleston and other cities apply their own zoning to ADUs.
Building or occupying an unpermitted dwelling brings county code-enforcement action and doubled or tripled permit fees. Overloading a septic system triggers Kanawha-Charleston Health Department correction.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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