Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-07
55 of West Virginia's 55 counties — 100% — let an owner build their own home without a licensed contractor. That is the 27th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Preston County (80/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 2952 counties nationwide → West Virginia: no building codes → West Virginia: no zoning → West Virginia: no codes, no zoning → West Virginia: rv living → West Virginia: tiny homes → West Virginia: no minimum home size → Full West Virginia profile →
55 of 55 West Virginia counties · sorted by Index score
Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. Work personally performed on a structure by the owner or occupant in Monroe County and elsewhere in West Virginia; the exemption is from state contractor licensu…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. Owner-builders performing construction work personally in Webster County under West Virginia contractor-licensing law. The exemption applies to work personally p…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions. ↗A homeowner installing a standard onsite sewage disposal system for the homeowner's personal residence. The homeowner must pass an exam administered by the Nicholas County Healt…
Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems | Nicholas County Health Department ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. Work personally performed by the owner or occupant on a structure under West Virginia contractor-licensing law; this is not established as an exemption from buil…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6 ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. An individual personally performing plumbing work on a single-family dwelling in Lewis County, where the dwelling is owned or leased by that individual or by a m…
West Virginia Code | §21-14-3. License required; exemptions. ↗An owner or lessee personally performing construction work on owned or leased real property in a Mercer County floodplain-regulated project. The ordinance defines contractor to …
Floodplain Ordinance - Mercer County Commission WV ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗With no county building permit or code, owners may build their own homes; homeowners may also self-install their septic system after passing the MOVHD Homeowner's Exam.
Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department - Sewage Program ↗Statewide rule. A person personally performing construction work on real property that the person owns or leases, for commercial or residential purposes, including work relevant…
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Owner-builders performing construction personally on property they own or lease, including residential property, under the Tyler County floodplain permitting process. The person…
Tyler County Floodplain Ordinance ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or other responsible party claiming exemption from the applicable State Building Code based on agricultural or agritourism use. The State Buildi…
87CSR4 State Building Code ↗Statewide rule. A person personally performing construction work on real property the person owns or leases, including residential property, and an owner or occupant personally …
West Virginia Code §30-42-3 — Definitions ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. Contractor-licensing and building-permit application requirements for an owner or occupant personally performing work on a structure in West Virginia, including …
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. Owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure in Pleasants County, subject to West Virginia contractor-licensing law. West Virginia la…
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗Statewide rule. A person personally performing construction work on real property the person owns or leases, for purposes of the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Act. The exem…
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗Statewide rule. An owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure in Clay County, including work in unincorporated areas and municipalities, for purpos…
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Property-owner-performed work submitted for a Morgan County Improvement Location Permit. If work is performed by the property owner, the owner must sign the Legislative Rules Fo…
Morgan County Planning Commission Improvement Location Permit Requirements and Fee Schedule ↗Statewide rule. An owner or occupant personally performing construction work on real property in Greenbrier County, including residential or commercial property. The person must…
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗Statewide rule. An owner or lessee personally performing construction work on real property, or an owner or occupant personally performing work on a structure, including residen…
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗Statewide rule. Contractor-licensure exemptions for owner-builders and owner-occupants performing construction work in West Virginia, including Gilmer County. The exemption conc…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6 ↗Statewide rule. Owner-builders performing construction work personally on real property they own or lease, including residential property in Randolph County, West Virginia; the …
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗Statewide rule. An owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure in Tucker County, with respect to West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemption c…
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗Statewide rule. A person personally performing construction work on real property the person owns or leases, for commercial or residential purposes, under West Virginia contract…
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗Statewide rule. Owner- or occupant-performed construction work in Raleigh County, insofar as West Virginia contractor-licensing law applies. The exemption is from contractor lic…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. An owner or lessee personally performing construction work on real property owned or leased by that person, including residential property in McDowell County. Th…
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗A homeowner performing work on the homeowner's own residence. The homeowner must perform the work on the house they reside in. The homeowner must declare the exemption when appl…
Homeowners Guide to Building Permit Process ↗Statewide rule. Work personally performed on a structure by the owner or occupant in Logan County, under West Virginia’s contractor-licensing exemption. The exemption applies to…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions. ↗A person personally performing construction work on real property the person owns or leases, within the subject matter of the Wetzel County Floodplain Ordinance. The exemption i…
Wetzel County Floodplain Ordinance ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. An owner or occupant personally performing work on a structure in Wood County, under the statewide West Virginia Contractor Licensing Act. The exemption applies …
West Virginia Code §30-42-6 — Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. An owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure in West Virginia, including Lincoln County. The exemption concerns West Virginia cont…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. Work personally performed on a structure by the owner or occupant, including in Taylor County, West Virginia. The exemption is from contractor licensure, not a b…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Owner or occupant personally performing work on a structure under the contractor-licensing affidavit included in the county Location Improvement Permit materials. The affidavit …
Location Improvement Permit Application ↗The Boone County Floodplain Ordinance's definition of contractor for construction work personally performed by an owner or lessee on the owner's or lessee's real property. The e…
Boone County, West Virginia Floodplain Ordinance ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. Owner- or occupant-performed construction work in Brooke County where the issue is West Virginia contractor licensure. Work personally performed on a structure b…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. Owner or occupant personally performing work on a structure in West Virginia, including Putnam County. The exemption is from contractor licensure, not from Putna…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6 ↗Statewide rule. West Virginia contractor-licensure requirements for work personally performed by the owner or occupant on a structure, including in Mingo County. This is an exem…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. Construction work personally performed by an owner or occupant on a structure in West Virginia. The exemption is from contractor licensure under West Virginia Co…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. A property owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure, for purposes of exemption from West Virginia contractor licensure. The exemp…
West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions ↗Statewide rule. Owner-builders and owner-occupants performing construction work on property they own or lease in Ohio County, including areas outside the City of Wheeling, subje…
West Virginia Code §30-42-3. Definitions ↗Statewide rule. An owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure located in Berkeley County, including property the person owns or leases. The exempti…
West Virginia Contractor Licensing Act, §§30-42-3, 30-42-6, and 30-42-10 ↗Statewide rule. An owner or occupant personally performing construction work on a structure in West Virginia, including Jefferson County. The exemption is from West Virginia con…
West Virginia Contractor Licensing Act ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the West Virginia state page for all 55 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these West Virginia counties? The kit we'd start with:
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General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
