5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Construction that disturbs one acre or more needs WV DEP stormwater permit coverage before work starts. Charleston runs a regulated MS4, and source-water protection carries real weight here after the 2014 Elk River spill.
West Virginia ties erosion control to its construction stormwater program. A site disturbing one acre or more must keep sediment on-site under a WV DEP stormwater pollution prevention plan, and steep valley slopes make that harder.
Kanawha County is landlocked, so no coastal law applies. Building near the Kanawha or Elk River instead triggers floodplain permitting, steep-slope and landslide review, and federal Army Corps of Engineers permits.
Flash flooding is West Virginia's defining hazard. Kanawha County enforces FEMA floodplain standards, and a floodplain development permit is required before building or filling in a mapped special flood hazard area.
W. Va. Code §7-1-3u
To protect people and property from floods, counties and municipalities are hereby empowered to rechannel and dredge streams; remove accumulated debris, snags, sandbars, rocks and any other kinds of obstructions from streams; straighten stream channels; and carry out erosion and sedimentation control measures and programs.
West Virginia has no single statewide grading permit. Earthwork disturbing one acre or more triggers WV DEP stormwater coverage, and steep Appalachian slopes make landslide and drainage control the real concern.
1 cities in Kanawha County have their own environmental rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Kanawha County Ordinance Hub →