Building permits, zoning and land rules in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska

The Borough of Juneau requires building permits for construction, alterations, repairs, changes of use and demolition of buildings, structures or building service equipment, subject to exempted work under the CBJ code¹⁰. Septic approval remains with Alaska DEC³. CBJ uses the 2024 International Building and Residential Codes with local Title 19 modifications⁶. New commercial development requires review by Building, Planning and General Engineering before the building permit is issued and construction begins¹¹. Ask the Permit Center which exemptions and inspections apply to the full project before ordering materials¹. Alaska’s conditional owner-builder exemption concerns contractor registration and does not waive CBJ building permits, inspections or zoning approval⁸.

The City and Borough of Juneau Community Development Department Permit Center accepts building, land-use, engineering and fire permit applications, while CBJ Building reviews building permits and performs inspections¹. The Permit Center is at 230 S. Franklin, Juneau, AK 99801, and its phone number is 907.586.0770¹. Applicants must email accompanying plans with the request number in the subject line; staff then process the request and collect payment¹². Starting May 1, 2026, building-inspection requests must be scheduled through the applicant's Civic Access account¹³. Septic-system approval does not move to the Permit Center; Alaska DEC administers it³. We could not confirm a complete current building-permit fee schedule, so ask the Permit Center to identify the applications, plans, inspections and fees for the proposed work¹.

CBJ administers zoning throughout the Borough of Juneau under Title 49 Land Use; standards vary by district and parcel^2,14,15. Alaska DEC retains septic authority³. The official zoning map is the final authority on a parcel’s zoning status¹⁵. Use CBJ’s Parcel Viewer to find the district, then consult the Table of Dimensional Standards for setbacks, height and lot coverage, including applicable exceptions¹¹. The table lists 36,000 square feet for permissible uses in RR and D-1, but minimum lot size also depends on use and the table’s existing-lot provision⁷. CBJ Planning also administers subdivision regulations and development review¹. We could not confirm a boroughwide minimum dwelling floor area; ask the Permit Center about the exact parcel and design¹.

Alaska DEC administers septic-system approval in Juneau; prior written approval is generally required unless a regulatory exception applies³. Systems qualifying for installation without prior plan approval must meet prescriptive construction standards, separation distances, facility-type limits and daily-flow limits, with notification at least 24 hours before construction or modification^4,16. The DEC documentation process lists a $115 registration fee⁴. Difficult sites, poor soil or high groundwater may require an alternative system, engineer design, DEC plan approval and possibly a waiver before construction¹⁷. NRCS rates 0% of Juneau soils as free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so establish wastewater feasibility before choosing a house location¹⁸. We could not confirm a universal septic-inspection rule; call DEC’s septic information line at 907-262-3402 for the applicable approval and documentation path¹⁹.

RVs and mobile homes are allowed in Juneau only in the specific circumstances identified by the CBJ land-use code⁵. Tiny homes may be allowed as temporary structures connected with construction in all zoning districts, and tiny homes must be built or manufactured and inspected under CBJ's adopted building code⁵. Using a tiny home as an accessory dwelling unit is limited to zoning districts that allow accessory dwelling units and also requires an approved accessory apartment permit⁵. We could not confirm temporary camping rules on private land or a general minimum dwelling floor area; ask the Permit Center to classify the unit, occupancy, duration and parcel before buying or placing it¹.

1. Verify private ownership and practical access because federal land accounts for 97.4% of the borough¹⁸.

1. Find the parcel's zoning district in the Parcel Viewer and confirm permitted use, setbacks, height, lot coverage and minimum lot size^7,11.

1. Ask the Permit Center which building, zoning, engineering and fire applications apply¹.

1. If public sewer is unavailable, ask Alaska DEC whether the septic system needs prior plan approval or follows the limited advance-notification path^3,4.

1. Submit the building-permit request and email plans with its request number¹².

1. Schedule required building inspections through Civic Access and complete the final approvals identified by CBJ^1,13.

Start with ownership and access because federal land accounts for 97.4% of the borough¹⁸. Only 19.8% of borough land has a slope of 15% or less, so evaluate grade, excavation and usable access on the actual site¹⁸. For an unsewered parcel, investigate wastewater feasibility early because the soil dataset rates 0% of Juneau soils as free of severe limits for a conventional drain field¹⁸. Development in a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area requires a Floodplain Development Permit⁹. Ask CBJ whether public water or sewer is available because we could not confirm a universal connection requirement¹. If the property will be rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days, the operator needs an Alaska Business License and must register each unit with CBJ before operating²⁰.