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.
The WV Department of Environmental Protection administers construction stormwater under a statewide NPDES general permit. Any project disturbing one acre or more, or a smaller lot inside a larger common plan reaching an acre, must register and follow a stormwater pollution prevention plan before breaking ground. Charleston operates a regulated municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). Source-water protection is not abstract in the Kanawha Valley: after the 2014 Freedom Industries chemical spill on the Elk River contaminated Charleston-area drinking water, WV DEP source-water protection plans guard the intakes that serve the region. Steep valley slopes drain fast toward the Kanawha and Elk Rivers.
Disturbing an acre without WV DEP permit coverage draws state enforcement, civil penalties, and stop-work orders. Illicit discharges to storm drains bring additional fines.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Kanawha County, WV
Kanawha County does not regulate holiday lights, inflatables, or yard displays on private property, and West Virginia has no state holiday-display law. No co...
Kanawha County, WV
Temporary garage-sale signs are generally fine on your own property. Unincorporated Kanawha County barely regulates them; cities apply their zoning sign code...
Kanawha County, WV
Political signs are allowed on private property across Kanawha County. Unincorporated areas have little sign regulation; Charleston's zoning code governs sig...
Kanawha County, WV
West Virginia has no statewide rental license, and unincorporated Kanawha County runs no rental registry. Programs are municipal: West Virginia Code §8-12-16...
Kanawha County, WV
West Virginia has no just-cause eviction law, and Kanawha County cannot add one. A landlord ends a month-to-month tenancy with a full period's notice under §...
Kanawha County, WV
Neither Kanawha County nor Charleston can impose rent control. West Virginia is a Dillon's Rule state, and the Legislature has never granted local government...
See how Kanawha County's stormwater management rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.