For a building in West Virginia, first check whether the county or municipality has adopted the State Building Code, 87 CSR 4; where it has, the code analysis should cite the 2018 IBC, IRC, IEBC, IMC, IFGC, IPC, and ISPSC, the 2015 IECC for residential buildings and ASHRAE 90.1-2013 for commercial buildings, the 2017 ICC A117.1, and the 2020 NEC, with the rule’s amendments, in force since August 1, 2022. In every jurisdiction, also check the State Fire Code, 87 CSR 1, whose current version took effect July 1, 2026: it adopts the 2021 NFPA 1 and NFPA 101, which replace International Fire Code references in the building code, takes precedence over the building code, adds sprinkler, high-rise, and fire alarm requirements, and requires review approval from the authority having jurisdiction before construction, through the State Fire Marshal’s Plans Review Division for the projects it reviews. AI can flag conflicts; the design professional, the local building official, and the Fire Marshal’s plans examiners decide compliance.
Which West Virginia codes apply to a set of drawings?
W. Va. Code §15A-11-5 has the State Fire Commission propose a State Building Code for legislative approval, requires it to include building energy codes, and gives it force in the counties and municipalities that adopt it, prospectively only; buildings used primarily for agricultural purposes are exempt from it, from the State Fire Code, and from any local building code. Enforcement belongs to the adopting jurisdiction, which may contract with another county or municipality for inspections and must notify the State Fire Marshal of its adoption, and a more stringent state law or local ordinance governs where it is consistent with state law, with the Fire Commission deciding priority in any question. §7-1-3n and §8-12-13 voided earlier county and municipal building codes and require a county or municipality that adopts a building code to adopt the State Building Code, and a county’s adoption does not reach a municipality that has not adopted it; both sections still cite the repealed §29-3-5b. The building code is not mandatory for buildings on the state or national historic registers, where the authority consults the State Historic Preservation Office and the State Fire Marshal decides, but additions to historic buildings must comply. Since July 1, 2020, §15A-10-2 vests enforcement of the fire code and the building code in the State Fire Marshal rather than the Fire Commission and gives the Fire Marshal the certification of building code officials, inspectors, and plans examiners. §15A-11-3 gives the State Fire Code the force of law in every county, municipality, and political subdivision.
87 CSR 4, filed May 5, 2022 and effective August 1, 2022, with a sunset date of August 1, 2027, adopts the 2018 IBC (deleting Section 101.4.5 and replacing the board of appeals qualifications), IPC, IMC, IFGC, IPMC (which the local jurisdiction may reject), IRC, IEBC, and ISPSC, the 2015 IECC for residential buildings, ASHRAE 90.1-2013 for commercial buildings with energy benchmarking allowed as an option, the 2017 ICC A117.1, and the 2020 NEC. Where the State Fire Code and the State Building Code conflict, the fire code prevails, and where the plumbing code conflicts with the rules of the Department of Health and Human Resources, those rules prevail. The model code appendices are not part of the code unless the local jurisdiction adopts them, and an adopting jurisdiction must send its ordinance or order to the State Fire Marshal within 30 days. A replacement is in progress on the Secretary of State’s rule history: the proposed rule, noticed June 29, 2026 and last modified October 14, 2026, would adopt the 2024 International Codes, the 2024 IECC for residential buildings, ASHRAE 90.1-2019, and the 2023 NEC, with a 2032 sunset, but it needs legislative approval and is not in effect. All checked November 5, 2026.
The amendments change what a reviewer looks for. The IMC and IRC amendments add listing standards for heat pumps, furnaces, and cooling equipment, among them UL 1995 and UL/CSA 60335-2-40, and the IMC amendments require high-probability systems using A2L refrigerants to comply with ASHRAE 15 and add ASHRAE 15-2019 and 34-2019 to the referenced standards. The IFGC and IRC fuel gas amendments set a 12-inch minimum burial depth for underground piping, with conduit or shielding where that depth cannot be kept. The IRC amendments exempt IRC Chapter 11, so dwellings follow the 2015 IECC, amended to an air leakage rate not exceeding five air changes per hour in climate zones 3 to 8; they set a maximum riser height of 8 1/4 inches and a minimum tread depth of 9 inches and make the slope clearance and setback sections R403.1.7.1 and R403.1.7.2 inapplicable. New one- and two-family dwellings with more than one level, a basement, or a crawl space with a fuel-burning appliance below the first floor must protect the floors with a 1/2-inch gypsum board or 5/8-inch wood structural panel membrane, 2x10 or larger dimension or structural composite lumber, or sprinklers, and townhouses meeting R302.2 are treated the same; that section still cites the sprinkler sections of the 2015 IRC. The NEC amendments deferred GFCI protection for certain HVAC equipment until January 1, 2023 and limit AFCI protection in renovations of one- and two-family homes. A commercial structure “greater in size than 7,600 feet,” as the rule words it, that needs a certificate of occupancy must be designed by a West Virginia-licensed architect or engineer; the rule gives no unit, so confirm the threshold. Group U sheds of up to 200 square feet with no plumbing or electrical connections, used only for residential storage, are not subject to local inspection.
The fire code references disagree. Section 4.2 of 87 CSR 4 replaces every International Fire Code reference in the adopted ICC codes with the 2021 NFPA 101, while its IEBC amendment substitutes the 2018 NFPA 101, and the State Fire Code now adopts the 2021 NFPA 1 and NFPA 101. Confirm with the State Fire Marshal which edition applies to work on an existing building.
The State Fire Code is the second layer and applies whether or not the locality adopted the building code. 87 CSR 1, filed May 13, 2026 and effective July 1, 2026, with a sunset date of August 1, 2031, adopts NFPA 1 (2021) with its referenced publications and NFPA 101 (2021) in full, excludes NFPA 5000, 472, 120, and 101A, and gives NFPA 101 precedence over NFPA 1. It does not apply to buildings used wholly as dwellings for no more than two families, personal care homes for three or fewer patients, or agricultural buildings, except farm structures used for group sleeping, health care, or detention. It adds high-rise requirements for new buildings more than 75 feet high, measured from the lowest level of fire department vehicle access to the highest occupied floor: sprinklers and standpipes throughout, a fire department voice communication system, a central control station, emergency power, smoke management designed under NFPA 92, and floor numbers on stair doors. It requires sprinklers in all new buildings except industrial occupancies that are not high hazard, covers high-piled and tire storage and new mini-storage, sets area limits by construction type in its Table 2.2.1 with an exception for open parking structures of Type I or II construction under 40 feet, and lets lodging occupancies omit sprinklers where each sleeping room exits directly outside and a supervised fire alarm is installed. It requires sprinklers in emergency services buildings begun after July 1, 2023 unless they house only equipment, are under 5,000 square feet, and have no sleeping quarters, requires hotels and motels of three or more stories to be monitored by a supervising station unless every guest room exits directly outside, sets classroom door locking conditions, treats modular classrooms with manufacturer’s statements of origin after January 1, 2018 as new buildings, and requires carbon monoxide detection in new residential units and in schools and day care facilities with fuel-burning equipment.
Plan review follows Section 2.1.4 of the fire code. Projects are designed, where applicable, by a West Virginia-licensed architect or engineer who seals the documents and obtains review approval from the authority having jurisdiction before construction. The reviewer must complete a review within 45 days of submission and state deficiencies specifically, the owner has 10 days to supply what is missing, and the reviewer then has 10 days to finish; a new building, an existing industrial or storage occupancy, or an existing building with half or more of its space renovated needs a certificate of occupancy before use. Fire protection system plans must come from a company with at least one NICET Level III certified designer, who must be identified on the documents. The Fire Marshal’s Plans Review Division reviews architectural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plans and fire alarm, sprinkler, hood suppression, and smoke management systems, has required all new submissions through its online portal since March 1, 2025, and charges fees under 103 CSR 2 on its fee schedule. Its September 26, 2024 memo says submissions must include a life safety plan and a building and fire code analysis form emphasizing NFPA 1, NFPA 101, the other NFPA codes, and the State Fire Code, and its FAQ says the office has no jurisdiction over one- and two-family dwellings and that, once plan review documents are issued, the project team contacts the Inspection Division at least two weeks before work starts to schedule a construction meeting. Local building officials and plans examiners must hold the certifications the Fire Marshal’s rules set; 87 CSR 4 still names Title 87, Series 7 for them, while the Fire Marshal’s laws page lists Title 103, Series 6, so confirm the current rule. Permit routing is on the West Virginia page, and the model codes have their own guides: IBC, IRC, IECC, NFPA 1, and NFPA 101.
Gather the code analysis, the life safety plan, and the adoption record
Collect the cover sheet and the building and fire code analysis with every code and edition cited, the NFPA 101 occupancy classification and construction type, the life safety plan with egress, rated assemblies, and sprinkler and alarm coverage, the site plan with fire department access, floor plans of every level, elevations and sections with the building height, structural general notes, the mechanical drawings with refrigerant and equipment listings, fuel gas piping details, the plumbing and electrical drawings with GFCI and AFCI notes, the fire protection system drawings with the designer’s NICET credential, the residential energy documents or ASHRAE 90.1-2013 compliance forms, the accessibility plans and details, and the specifications.
Add the county or municipality and whether it has adopted the State Building Code and which appendices, the building height measured as the fire code measures it, the occupancy and any high-hazard, storage, lodging, school, emergency services, or modular classroom use, whether the building is on a historic register, the floor area for the licensed design professional requirement, and the Plans Review Division document number for any resubmittal. Download 87 CSR 4 and 87 CSR 1 from the Secretary of State’s Code of State Rules or the Fire Marshal’s laws page.
Trace the State Building Code and the State Fire Code through the set
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Local adoption | Project address, county or municipal ordinance or order, cover sheet | Record whether the jurisdiction adopted the State Building Code and which appendices, and do not present 87 CSR 4 as enforced where the county or city has not adopted it. |
| Code editions | Cover sheet, code analysis, every discipline’s general notes, 87 CSR 4 Section 4 | Confirm the 2018 IBC, IRC, IEBC, IMC, IFGC, IPC, and ISPSC, the 2015 IECC or ASHRAE 90.1-2013, the 2017 ICC A117.1, and the 2020 NEC, and flag 2021 or 2024 citations, which the pending rule would bring but which are not in effect. |
| Fire code basis | Code analysis, life safety plan, fire protection notes, 87 CSR 1 | Check that International Fire Code references are replaced by the 2021 NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 and that the analysis uses NFPA 101 occupancy chapters, and record the edition used for existing-building work, where 87 CSR 4 names the 2018 NFPA 101. |
| Sprinklers and area | Sprinkler drawings, building area, construction type, storage plans | Check sprinklers in new buildings against Section 2.2.1 and its area table, the industrial, open parking, and lodging exceptions, and emergency services buildings begun after July 1, 2023. |
| High-rise features | Building sections, fire command, emergency power, smoke control, stair signage | Where the building is more than 75 feet high measured as the fire code measures it, check sprinklers, standpipes, voice communication, the central control station, emergency power loads, NFPA 92 smoke management, and floor designation. |
| Dwellings | Floor framing, basement and crawl space plans, stair details, energy and air leakage notes | Check the floor protection option for dwellings with more than one level, a basement, or a crawl space with a fuel-burning appliance, risers of 8 1/4 inches maximum and treads of 9 inches minimum, and the five air changes per hour test. |
| Submittal package | Seals, life safety plan, code analysis form, NICET credential, portal application | Confirm a licensed architect or engineer seals the documents where required, the life safety plan and code analysis form are included, and the fire protection designer’s NICET Level III certification is identified. |
Fire code sheets continue in the NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 guides, sprinkler, standpipe, and alarm documents in the NFPA 13, NFPA 14, and NFPA 72 guides, the fire sprinkler checklist, and the fire alarm drawing checklist, high-rise smoke management in the NFPA 92 guide, mechanical, fuel gas, and plumbing sheets in the IMC, IFGC, and IPC guides, electrical notes in the NFPA 70 guide, commercial energy in the ASHRAE 90.1 guide, existing buildings in the IEBC guide, accessible details in the ICC A117.1 guide and the accessibility checklist, and the full set in the architectural drawing checklist. Neighboring state codes are in the Ohio guide, the Pennsylvania guide, the Maryland guide, the Virginia guide, and the Kentucky guide.
Example: a three-story hotel filed only with the city
Hypothetical example. A developer plans a new three-story hotel in a West Virginia city that has adopted the State Building Code, and the architect adapts the drawings from a project in another state. The code analysis cites the 2021 IBC and the 2021 International Fire Code, the guest rooms open onto interior corridors, the fire alarm notes show a local alarm with no off-site monitoring, the sprinkler drawings are marked “design by others” with no designer named, and the cover sheet lists the city building permit as the only review.
The code analysis cites the 2021 IBC, while 87 CSR 4 adopts the 2018 edition, and the 2021 International Fire Code, while 87 CSR 4 replaces International Fire Code references with NFPA 101 and the State Fire Code adopts the 2021 NFPA 1 and NFPA 101. Section 2.2.3 of 87 CSR 1 requires a hotel of three or more stories to be tied into a listed central supervising station or a communication center with 24-hour supervision unless every guest room exits directly outside, and the alarm notes show a local alarm only. Section 2.1.4 requires review approval from the authority having jurisdiction before construction, the State Fire Marshal’s Plans Review Division reviews architectural and fire protection plans, and Section 2.4.3 requires the fire protection designer to be identified on the system documents, from a company with a NICET Level III certified designer. Confirm the code editions, the alarm monitoring, the sprinkler designer, and the review route.
The architect revises the code analysis to the 2018 codes in 87 CSR 4 and the 2021 NFPA 1 and NFPA 101, the fire alarm designer adds supervising station monitoring, the sprinkler contractor names its NICET Level III designer on the drawings, and the team confirms the State Fire Marshal’s review and submits through its plan review portal as well as to the city. The finding is a citation and routing conflict; the city building official and the State Fire Marshal’s plans examiners decide compliance.
Review a West Virginia set with Groundbook
Upload the current drawings and specifications to Groundbook, and state the edition, amendments, and review scope in your instructions. 87 CSR 4 and 87 CSR 1 are free on the Secretary of State’s Code of State Rules site and the Fire Marshal’s laws page, and the statutes on the Legislature’s code site. Upload both rules and the county or municipal adoption ordinance as code files, with the 2018 International Codes, the 2015 IECC, ASHRAE 90.1-2013, the 2017 ICC A117.1, the 2020 NEC, and the 2021 NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 from copies you are licensed to use where the license permits uploading them. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare the cover sheet, code analysis, life safety plan, and every discipline’s general notes with the architectural, accessibility, structural, mechanical, fuel gas, plumbing, electrical, fire protection, and energy documents. Flag IBC, IRC, IEBC, IMC, IFGC, IPC, or ISPSC editions other than 2018, energy documents not on the 2015 IECC or ASHRAE 90.1-2013, electrical notes not on the 2020 NEC, International Fire Code references that the supplied rules replace with NFPA 1 and NFPA 101, sprinkler, high-rise, hotel alarm monitoring, and dwelling floor protection details that do not match the supplied 87 CSR 1 and 87 CSR 4, and fire protection drawings that do not identify the designer. Use the supplied West Virginia rules and model codes and cite both sources.
Groundbook compares the set with reference documents you upload, including licensed codes and standards you hold, and links each potential finding to the note or sheet and to the West Virginia rule, statute, or model code. It has no built-in library of licensed codes, runs no calculations, and does not design anything. It does not decide whether a jurisdiction has adopted the State Building Code, which NFPA 101 edition applies to existing-building work, or whether the State Fire Marshal or a local official is the reviewing authority; each finding is a question for the responsible design professional.
Document review does not certify compliance, issue a permit, plan review approval, or certificate of occupancy, or replace the design professional, the local building official, the State Fire Marshal’s plans examiners and inspectors, or the State Fire Commission.