Juneau building department

The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) is a consolidated city-borough, so a single Community Development Department (CDD) handles building permits, zoning, and land-use review for the whole borough, from downtown and Douglas to the Mendenhall Valley and out the road. A residential building permit is usually reviewed by three groups: CDD Building checks the code, CDD Planning checks setbacks and zoning, and General Engineering checks water, sewer, driveways, grading, and drainage.

Applying through Civic Access

Since January 12, 2026, CBJ accepts new permit applications only through its Civic Access portal (Tyler EnerGov). Building, engineering, and land-use applications all go through it. To apply:

1. Register a Civic Access account. If you applied for a permit before 2026, register first and then ask the Permit Center ([email protected]) to link your new account to your older permits.
2. Choose the permit type, fill in the project details, and upload your plans as PDFs.
3. Answer reviewer comments inside the portal. CBJ says plan review usually takes about two weeks once your application is accepted.

The Permit Center Hub doesn’t take applications in person, but staff will help you register for Civic Access, talk through zoning or construction questions, and give plan-review status updates. It is on the 4th floor of the Marine View Center and is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Because of staffing, walk-in planners are available only on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Typical residential submittals

Item	When CBJ asks for it
Site plan to scale, with property lines, parking, and vegetation areas	New homes, additions, decks, fences, ADUs
Grading plan and checklist	New construction, or additions that grow the footprint by more than 50%
Foundation plan (CBJ standard foundation plan available)	Only if the foundation is new or being expanded
Structural cross-section	Remodeled areas; walls over 10 ft need an engineer’s stamp
Existing and proposed floor plans	Remodels, window and door work, ADUs
Water Line Information Sheet	When you add plumbing fixtures
Fire and sound separation plan (1-hour, STC 50)	Accessory or second dwelling units

Adopted codes and Juneau design loads

CBJ’s code data sheet (current as of October 22, 2025) lists these adopted codes: the 2024 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Fire, Existing Building, and Property Maintenance Codes; the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code; and the 2023 National Electrical Code. Grading is covered by CBJ 19.12. Local amendments are in CBJ Title 19.

Design criteria on the same sheet for IRC work:

• 70 psf ground snow load and 50 psf roof snow load
• 50 psf live load for decks
• Seismic Design Category D1
• 32-inch frost depth
• Design temperature of -4°F

Wind speeds depend on whether the site is in CBJ’s North or South wind zone. Residential values are 105 mph (North) and 116 mph (South).

Heat pumps: a heating system must keep habitable rooms at 68°F with an outdoor design temperature of -10°F. CBJ warns that many heat pumps can’t meet that, so you may need a second heat source that doesn’t burn solid fuel.

What needs a permit (and what doesn’t)

CBJ’s project pages and its exemptions handout list these thresholds:

• Decks and porches: A deck needs no building permit if it has no roof or railing, is under 200 sq ft, is under 30 inches above grade, and isn’t attached to the house. Any attached deck or porch needs a permit, and a planner checks the setbacks.
• Fences: Permit required over 7 ft. Near street intersections, sight-obscuring fences and vegetation are limited to 3 ft high within 20 ft of the corner.
• Sheds and other detached accessory buildings: The handout exempts one-story buildings of 120 sq ft or less that aren’t lived in. That handout was last revised in 2011, before the 2024 codes were adopted.
• Retaining walls: Exempt up to 4 ft, measured from the bottom of the footing, unless the wall holds back a surcharge. Walls retaining more than 4 ft need stamped drawings.
• Temporary structures and tents: Permit required over 200 sq ft, or at any size if connected to power, water, or sewer.
• Windows and doors: Both new and replacement units need a permit. Replacing only the glass doesn’t.
• Plumbing: Moving or adding fixtures needs a permit. Swapping a fixture in place doesn’t.
• Electrical service: Replacements of 200 A or less are over-the-counter permits. Work over 200 A goes to plan review, and work at 400 A or more needs engineered plans.
• Over-the-counter replacements: Direct replacement of mechanical equipment (boilers, HVAC, water heaters) and fuel tanks (oil, propane) needs a permit, but it is issued over the counter without plan review.
• Finish work and small repairs: Painting, siding, flooring, and cabinets need no permit. Neither do ordinary repairs or direct replacements valued at $7,500 or less, as long as they don’t change electrical service or circuits, structure, exits (means of egress), or fuel appliances.
• Demolition: The demolition permit is free, and CBJ inspects to confirm water, sewer, and electrical are safely disconnected. If the building is historic, allow three days for documentation before you start demolishing.
• Remote cabins: Outside Service Area 9, cabins without utilities that are used only occasionally for recreation are exempt from the building codes. You still have to submit an application, but CBJ charges no fee and issues no permit.

In the Downtown Historic District, exterior changes such as finish materials or paint scheme need CDD approval even when no building permit is required.

Fees

The building permit fee is based on project valuation. Plan review is charged on top: 50% of the permit fee for residential work and 65% for commercial work. The sample figures below come from the fee table CBJ posts, which is marked “Effective October 22, 2009.”

Valuation	Permit fee	Residential plan review	Commercial plan review
$10,000	$188.64	$94.32	$122.62
$50,000	$581.34	$290.67	$377.87
$100,000	$878.34	$439.17	$570.92
$500,000	$2,726.34	$1,363.17	$1,772.12

Juneau doesn’t issue separate electrical or plumbing permits when that work is part of a building permit. You only need a separate trade permit when electrical or plumbing is the only work being done.

Inspections

Request inspections through your Civic Access account, or use CBJ’s online inspection request page. For permits issued in 2025 or earlier, the inspection page still lists the Permit Inspection hotline, (907) 586-1703. Call for inspections before anything is covered; the heat-pump guidance says the same applies to new heating systems.

Zoning, ADUs, and related offices

You can look up your zoning district on the CBJ Parcel Viewer (epv.juneau.org). Setbacks are in the Land Use Code’s Table of Dimensional Standards. Planning & Zoning is at (907) 586-0753, and the Planner on Call is at (907) 586-0715.

If a project needs Planning Commission approval, allow 6 to 8 weeks for a decision.

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)

• Size limits: A detached ADU can be up to 1,000 sq ft. An attached or internal ADU can be 1,000 sq ft or 40% of the main home’s size, whichever is greater.
• Separation and water: The ADU needs a 1-hour fire separation and STC 50 sound separation from the main home. A water meter is required.
• Grant: CBJ’s ADU Grant program offers up to $13,500. Submit the grant application at the same time as the building permit.

Other offices

• General Engineering: (907) 586-0800, for water and sewer.
• Building: (907) 586-0767.
• Floodplain: CDD’s floodplain forms include a FEMA Elevation Certificate, a No-Rise Certification, and a V-Zone Certificate.