Rodent Exterminators in Ranson, WV

Section 5-2 of the City code lists Appendix F, Rodent Proofing, among the International Building Code appendices Ranson has adopted, in a block with several other appendices. The International Code Council says the appendix is not mandatory unless the adopting ordinance names it, and West Virginia's State Building Code rule, 87CSR4 section 7.3, says appendices must be adopted locally to be enforceable.

• Which buildings it reaches: New buildings under the International Building Code, such as apartment and commercial buildings. Detached one- and two-family homes, and townhouses up to three stories that each have their own way out, can use the International Residential Code instead.
• Houses under the residential code: The residential-code appendices listed in Section 5-2 include no rodent-proofing appendix, so this one does not reach a house built to the International Residential Code.
• Foundation vent openings: Vent openings in foundation walls are covered with sheet metal, grating or hardware cloth, with openings no larger than 1/4 inch.
• Gaps around pipes and cables: The space around pipes, cables and conduits that pass through walls is closed with cement mortar, concrete masonry or noncorrosive metal, under section F101.3 of the appendix.
• Buildings already standing: Appendix F, like the 1/4-inch vent rule above, sets how new construction is built. It is not an upkeep rule for buildings already standing.

Planning a new apartment or commercial building in Ranson? Ask your designer and the City how the appendix applies to your plans before construction starts.

• About 21.2% of Ranson's housing units were built from 2010 to 2019, against 5.5% in Martinsburg and 12.0% across Jefferson County.
• The median year built for Ranson housing is 1998, against 1969 in Martinsburg.
• About 24.9% of Ranson's housing units are single-family attached, against 15.7% in Martinsburg and 7.6% across Jefferson County.

These Census counts show when homes were built, not how.

Under Article IX of the City code (5-200 to 5-214), a Ranson rental dwelling unit may be rented only once an application for a certificate of use and occupancy is filed, or a valid certificate is issued after an inspection finds substantial compliance with the State Building Code. The Community Development checklist for that inspection, revised 4/16/2019, includes the items below.

• Rodents inside: Interior item 9(a), Sanitation Standards, asks whether the structure is free of trash, insects, rodents, mold and other health hazards.
• Holes in outside walls: Exterior item 8(b) asks whether exterior walls are covered with a protective barrier, with all holes and cracks sealed.
• Foundation cracks: Item 4(a) asks whether the foundation is free of open cracks.
• The posted certificate: A certificate lasts two years. Under 5-208, the owner or agent posts a copy inside each unit, in a conspicuous place or near the electrical fuse or circuit box.
• No waiving by lease: Under 5-212, neither the landlord nor the tenant can waive the article's minimum requirements in a rental agreement.

The checklist says any item not answered Yes needs a reinspection once it is corrected. It is a 2019 City form, so ask Community Development at (304) 725-1010 whether it is still current, and treat a passed inspection as a snapshot, not a promise the unit stays free of mice.