State guide
West Virginia
West Virginia’s onsite sewage program is run through the state Office of Environmental Health Services, but ordinary septic applications, site reviews, and final inspections are handled through local county health departments. County pages consistently direct applicants to start with a certified installer, who performs the percolation test and site evaluation before the sanitarian reviews the proposal and issues the permit.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Who regulates septic permits
- West Virginia regulates onsite wastewater through the Department of Health’s Office of Environmental Health Services, while local county health departments and sanitarians handle most standard septic permitting and inspections.
- Who can do the soil or perc test
- County pages say a West Virginia certified septic installer performs the percolation test and site evaluation, and the local sanitarian then reviews or verifies the site before issuing the permit.
- Official septic permit page
- Official page →
- Licensed evaluators or designers
- Official page →
- State fee
- HAU permit fee: $250.00 to correct an existing sewage system failure; $400.00 for new construction.
Official resources in West Virginia
State program page for onsite sewage rules, installer certification, HAU permits, and related forms.
Explains the county permit process, including certified installer testing, sanitarian review, and final inspection.
County page with septic application links, subdivision prerequisites, installer requirements, and local contact information.
Provides Monongalia County sewage forms, sewage-system application links, and environmental health contact details.
Key facts for West Virginia
- OEHS says the Public Health Sanitation Division certifies individual sewage system installers.
- OEHS says Class I and Class II installer certifications are valid for five years.
- Kanawha County says the process starts with choosing a certified installer.
- Kanawha County says the certified installer performs the percolation test and site evaluation.
- Greenbrier County requires completed perc test results and health-department-verified observation hole results before approval.
- OEHS publishes HAU permit fees of $250.00 for correcting an existing failure and $400.00 for new construction.
County septic and soil-evaluation offices in West Virginia
| County office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha-Charleston Health Department - On-Site Sewage System Kanawha | Charleston | Not published* | County page says a certified installer performs the perc test and site evaluation, then a sanitarian reviews the site and issues the construction permit. |
| Greenbrier County Health Department Greenbrier | Ronceverte | 304-645-1787 | Approves and inspects onsite septic systems; page links septic applications, subdivision application, and local installer lists. |
| Monongalia County Health Department - Environmental Health Monongalia | Morgantown | (304) 598-5131 | Environmental Health page includes sewage-system application forms, subdivision forms, and sewage evaluation requests. |
| WV Office of Environmental Health Services - Public Health Sanitation Division | Charleston | 304-558-2981 | State program page for onsite sewage installer certification, HAU permit information, and statewide rule links. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Call the county health department before buying or splitting a rural lot and ask whether subdivision approval is required before a septic application.
- Hire a West Virginia certified septic installer first; that installer usually handles the perc test, site evaluation, and application paperwork.
- If the lot may need an alternative system or surface discharge, ask whether OEHS and WVDEP approvals are needed before county permitting can proceed.
Not seeing your county office or county?
Not every county office publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from West Virginia's population center, for comparison only):
- Allegany County Health Department - Environmental Health, Maryland · about 115 miles
- Blue Ridge Health District Home Well and Sewage Information, Virginia · about 125 miles
- Licking County Health Department - Sewage Treatment Program, Ohio · about 129 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.WV Office of Environmental Health Services - On-Site Wastewater Management
Website →Phone: (304) 558-2981 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the West Virginia page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.