Bolthole Index

Harrison County, West Virginia

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Nutter Fort, West Virginia

Building work inside the Town of Nutter Fort, West Virginia needs a town building permit, applied for in writing with the Building Inspector1. The town also runs its own zoning districts2. Septic and well permits are not the town's to issue: in Harrison County they come from the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department34.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside town limits; issued by the town1
Zoning
Yes, the town has its own zoning districts2
Building code
West Virginia State Building Code, enforced by the town5
Septic and wells
Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department permits, unless public sewer is available36
Minimum house size (R-1 districts)
860 square feet on the ground floor7
Certificate of occupancy
Required, $25 for a single-unit home8

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Nutter Fort Code Enforcement Officer

Building code administration, plan reviews, inspections and certificates of use and occupancy inside Nutter Fort

304-838-9460

office@townofnutterfort.gov

Also useful

Town of Nutter Fort Business Office

Town hall: permit forms, zoning questions and general town business

304-622-7713

office@townofnutterfort.gov

1415 Buckhannon Pike Nutter Fort WV 26301

Septic permits

Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department Environmental Division

Septic-system and water-well permits and environmental-health inspections for Harrison County, including Nutter Fort

304-623-9308

330 W. Main St. Clarksburg, WV 26301

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Nutter Fort means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Nutter Fort have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

The Town of Nutter Fort has its own zoning code, with its districts set out in Article 13092. The districts are R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-2, R-3, B-1, B-2 and I-19.

In the R-1A, R-1B and R-1C residence districts, a single-family dwelling must have at least 860 square feet on the main ground floor7. Minimum lot areas in those three districts are 7,200, 6,000 and 3,600 square feet, and the Health Department can require more land to meet sanitary needs10.

Front yards are 20 feet in all three districts, side yards are 5 feet in R-1A and R-1B and 4 feet in R-1C, and rear yards are 15, 15 and 10 feet11.

We could not confirm a town building-height limit or lot-coverage cap, so ask the town office before you design.

Do you need a building permit in Nutter Fort, and who issues it?

Yes. Inside Nutter Fort, no one may erect, construct, install, repair, alter or enlarge a building or structure without first getting a town building permit1. Flooring, painting and minor landscaping do not need a permit unless a contractor or handyman does the work1.

Applications go in writing, on town forms, to the Building Inspector12. The fee is $25 for work costing up to $2,500 and 1.25% of total construction costs above that, capped at $35,00013. For jobs under $50,000, work must start within three months and finish within six months1.

Nutter Fort enforces the West Virginia State Building Code5. A final inspection is required before the certificate of occupancy is issued14. The certificate costs $25 for a single-unit home8.

The state's contractor-licensing exemption for owners working on their own structure does not waive any building permit15. We could not confirm a separate owner-builder exemption in the town's own code.

Who is the Nutter Fort building department, and how do you reach them?

Nutter Fort handles its own building permits; the Harrison County Planning Commission's counter serves unincorporated land, not addresses inside town limits1. The town's code enforcement officer administers and enforces the State Building Code and the town's building codes16. Permit forms and the town's ordinances are posted on the town website, and completed forms go to the town office by email.

For general questions, zoning questions and permit forms, call or visit the town business office17. Ask there which district your parcel is in before you buy.

How do septic permits work inside Nutter Fort?

Where Nutter Fort has both public water and sewer service, a building with plumbing fixtures must connect to them6. A lot with no public sewer must use an approved method of sewage treatment and disposal18.

The town does not issue septic permits. The Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department permits septic systems and water wells in Harrison County19, and West Virginia requires a written permit before a new septic system or a modification to an existing one is installed20. Wells need a permit from the local health department before drilling, modifying or abandoning4.

Soils matter on any lot without sewer. Only about 2.3% of Harrison County soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and sometimes an engineered system21.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Nutter Fort?

We could not confirm a Nutter Fort rule on living in an RV, camping on a lot, or occupying a tiny home. Ask the town business office before you plan on any of them17.

Mobile home parks are a permitted special use in the R-1A, R-1B and R-1C districts, and the town code does not establish unrestricted placement of a single manufactured home on every residential lot22. West Virginia law requires towns to apply the same design standards and review procedures to factory-built homes as to other single-family homes23.

State law also bars municipalities from prohibiting at least one accessory dwelling unit on a single-family lot under ordinances in effect on or after January 1, 2027, though building, zoning and sewer requirements still apply24.

Building a home in Nutter Fort: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the town business office which zoning district your lot is in and confirm the setbacks and minimum house size for it9.
  2. If no public sewer reaches the lot, apply to the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department for septic and well permits19.
  3. Submit a written building permit application on town forms to the Building Inspector, with the fee12.
  4. Build to the West Virginia State Building Code5.
  5. Pass the final inspection, then get the certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in14.

What stays with Harrison County, and what should you check before you buy?

Septic and well permits stay with the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department19. For land outside town limits, see the Harrison County page, because the county's permit rules apply to unincorporated land only25.

A new driveway onto a state highway needs a free permit from the West Virginia Division of Highways26. Harrison County's floodplain ordinance regulates building in Special Flood Hazard Areas27, and every flood-prone West Virginia municipality has its own floodplain ordinance28, so ask the town office whether your lot is mapped. Construction that disturbs one acre or more needs a state stormwater permit29.

Harrison County's effective property tax rate is 0.6%, and the median bill is $872 a year3031.

Watch-outs

  • Do not use the Harrison County Planning Commission counter for a building permit on a lot inside Nutter Fort; the town issues its own1.
  • The State Building Code rule the town enforces is set to terminate on August 1, 2027, so the adopted edition may change32.
  • We could not confirm town rules on RVs, tiny homes, building height or short-term rentals, so call the town business office before you buy17.
  • Agricultural buildings are exempt from the State Building Code under state law, but we could not confirm how the town treats farm buildings inside its limits33.

Sources

  1. § 1705.04 Permits (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  2. Nutter Fort, West Virginia Code of Ordinances (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  3. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  4. Water Wells (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. § 1705.01 Adoption of State Building Code (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  6. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 1309.03 R-1A, B and C Residence Districts (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  8. § 1705.08 Certificate of Occupancy (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article 1309: Districts Established; Use Regulations (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  10. § 1309.03 R-1A, B and C Residence Districts (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  11. § 1309.03 R-1A, B and C Residence Districts (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  12. § 1705.04 Permits (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  13. § 1705.05 Fees (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  14. § 1705.07 Inspections Required (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  15. West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Town of Nutter Fort Code Enforcement Officer (townofnutterfort.gov)
  17. Town of Nutter Fort Business Office (townofnutterfort.gov)
  18. § 1721.01 General Comments; Principles (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  19. Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department Environmental Division (hchealthdepartment.org)
  20. West Virginia Code §16-1-9 (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  22. § 1309.03 R-1A, B and C Residence Districts (Town of Nutter Fort), quoted and re-checked
  23. West Virginia Code §8A-11-1. Standards for factory-built homes (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. West Virginia Code §8-42-1. Definitions (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Planning Commission | Harrison County Commission, quoted and re-checked
  26. Encroachment Permits (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Harrison County Floodplain Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  28. Floodplain Permits (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  29. Construction Stormwater General Permit (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  30. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  31. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  32. 87CSR4 State Building Code, quoted and re-checked
  33. West Virginia Code §15A-11-5. State Building Code (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 15, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Nutter Fort

Town of Nutter Fort’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Moving, demolishing, erecting, constructing, installing, repairing, altering or enlarging buildings or structures, and specified electrical, gas and plumbing work, inside Nutter Fort town.

    • No permit is required for flooring, painting or minor landscaping unless a contractor or handyman performs the service.
    • Applications must be submitted in writing on town forms to the Building Inspector and accompanied by any required fee.

    permit expiration threshold: < 50000 USD (Work must commence within three months and be completed within six months.) · permit expiration threshold: >= 50000 USD (One six-month renewal is automatically granted if not completed within six months.)

    “No person shall, within the town, [...] erect, construct, install, repair alter or enlarge any building or other structure [...] except pursuant to a town building permit first issued”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    All structures erected or removed throughout Nutter Fort town; the town adopts the West Virginia State Building Code and assigns enforcement to the Building Inspector.

    • The adopted code is W.Va. Code Title 87, Series 4, effective August 1, 2022, as amended.
    • The Building Inspector or designated representative enforces the State Building Code.

    state building code effective date: 2022-08-01

    “There is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as if set out at length herein [...] that certain code known as the State Building Code”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction or work inside Nutter Fort town.

    • The Building Inspector may inspect at various intervals; a final inspection is required upon completion before the certificate of occupancy.
    • Inspections are for work for which a permit is required.
    “a final inspection shall be made of every building or structure upon completion, prior to the issuance of the certificate of occupancy required by this article.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    New construction, permitted work, and buildings or units vacant for six months or more inside Nutter Fort town.

    • A temporary certificate may be issued for safely occupiable portions of a newly constructed or majorly renovated building.
    • The State Building Code provides an exception.
    • Fees are $25 for a single-unit residential structure, $50 per unit for multi-unit residential, and $50 per commercial unit.
    • The certificate of use and occupancy is issued within ten days if inspection confirms compliance.

    single-unit residential certificate fee: 25 USD · multi-unit residential certificate fee: 50 USD/unit · commercial certificate fee: 50 USD/unit · issuance period after conforming inspection: 10 days

    “shall permit the use or occupancy of such building or other structure without having first obtained the certificate of occupancy.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Nutter Fort town limits; the town code contains a Planning and Zoning Code and Article 1309 zoning districts.

    “ARTICLE 1309: DISTRICTS ESTABLISHED; USE REGULATIONS”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Nutter Fort town zoning districts.

    • The reviewed Article 1309 identifies R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-2, R-3, B-1, B-2 and I-1 districts and a special-uses section.
    “R-1A, B and C Residence Districts [...] R-2 Residence District [...] R-3 Residence District [...] B-1 Business District [...] B-2 Business District [...] I-1 Industry District”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured/mobile-home use inside Nutter Fort town's R-1A, R-1B and R-1C residence districts.

    • Trailer or mobile home parks are listed as permitted special uses, subject to the special-use provisions and applicable Article 1325 regulations.
    • The source does not establish unrestricted placement of an individual manufactured home on every residential lot.
    “Permitted special uses. [...] Trailer or mobile home parks; and (See Art. 1325 of this part.)”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Buildings inside Nutter Fort town without access to public sewer.

    • The town code requires an approved method of treatment and disposal when there is no public sewer.
    • The reviewed provision does not identify all approved systems or establish that off-grid sanitation is generally allowed.
    “If water closets or other plumbing fixtures are installed in buildings where there is not a public sewer, provisions shall be made for disposing of the building sewage by an approved method of treatment and disposal.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Every building inside Nutter Fort town with installed plumbing fixtures intended for human habitation, occupancy or use when public water supply and sewer service are available.

    • The rule applies where both a public water supply and sewer service exist.
    • If there is no public sewer, an approved method of sewage treatment and disposal is required.
    “Every building with installed plumbing fixtures intended for human habitation, occupancy or use and located where there is a public water supply and sewer service shall have a connection with the water supply and sewer.”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Town building permits inside Nutter Fort town.

    • The fee schedule was adopted through ordinances listed on the code page.
    • The maximum construction/building permit fee is $35,000.

    estimated construction cost: <= 2500 USD (Fee is $25.) · estimated construction cost: >= 2500.01 USD (Fee is 1.25% of total construction costs.) · maximum construction/building permit fee: 35000 USD

    “0 - 2,500.00 $25 2,500.01 and up 1.25% of total construction costs”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Town building-permit applications inside Nutter Fort town.

    • Applications are written, use town forms, identify location, character, design, purpose, materials and manner of work, and may require additional information.
    • The Building Inspector may refer applications to the Fire Chief and other town or county officers.
    • A permit is issued after compliance is determined and required fees are paid.
    “Applications for building permits shall be submitted in writing, on forms provided by the town, to the Building Inspector.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Nutter Fort

Town of Nutter Fort does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the R-1A, R-1B and R-1C residence districts inside Nutter Fort town.

    • The requirement is stated in the notes to the R-1 table.
    • Health Department regulations may require greater areas to meet sanitary requirements.

    minimum ground-floor main building size: >= 860 square feet (Health Department regulations may require greater areas.)

    “Minimum ground floor main building size in square feet for R-1 shall not be less than 860 square feet”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwelling lots in the R-1A, R-1B and R-1C residence districts inside Nutter Fort town.

    • The table states that lot dimensions are subject to Health Department regulations and determinations that may call for greater areas to meet sanitary requirements.

    R-1A lot area: >= 7200 square feet (Minimum lot size 60 x 120 feet.) · R-1B lot area: >= 6000 square feet (Minimum lot size 50 x 120 feet.) · R-1C lot area: >= 3600 square feet (Minimum lot size 30 x 120 feet.)

    “Dwelling R-l A | 7,200 | 60 [...] Dwelling R-l B | 6,000 | 50 [...] Dwelling R-l C | 3,600 | 30”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwelling lots in the R-1A, R-1B and R-1C residence districts inside Nutter Fort town.

    • The table states that lot dimensions are subject to Health Department regulations and determinations that may call for greater areas to meet sanitary requirements.
    • No part of a building may be within five feet of a public right-of-way except public utility connections.

    R-1A front yard: 20 feet · R-1A side yard: 5 feet · R-1A rear yard: 15 feet · R-1B front yard: 20 feet · R-1B side yard: 5 feet · R-1B rear yard: 15 feet · R-1C front yard: 20 feet · R-1C side yard: 4 feet · R-1C rear yard: 10 feet

    “Use | Lot Area* (square feet) | Lot Width (feet) | Front Yard Depth (feet) | Side Yard (feet) | Rear Yard Depth (feet)”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Nutter Fort or Harrison County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Nutter Fort town.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Nutter Fort town.
  • Building height — Building height inside Nutter Fort town.
  • Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Nutter Fort town.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Nutter Fort town.
8 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Nutter Fort publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Harrison County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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