Kodiak building department

Kodiak Island Borough Community Development handles zoning and land use for the whole borough. It does not issue building permits. Under a borough contract, the City of Kodiak provides building permit and building inspection services. Most projects therefore need two approvals: a borough Zoning Compliance Permit first, then a city building permit. Community Development is in Room 205 of the borough building at 710 Mill Bay Road. The City of Kodiak Building Official is down the hall in Room 208.

Who does what

Need	Office
Zoning district, setbacks, accessory buildings, fences, yard projections	Borough Community Development (Room 205)
Zoning Compliance Permit	Borough Community Development
Building permit, plan review, inspections	City of Kodiak Building Official (Room 208), (907) 486-8070 or 486-8072
Zoning or junk-vehicle violation on borough property	Borough code enforcement, (907) 486-9364
Planning & Zoning Commission cases	Borough Community Development

Step 1: Check zoning

Use the borough’s GIS map to find your parcel’s zoning district. Then read that district’s rules in Title 17 (Zoning) of the Kodiak Island Borough Code, which sets what you can build and where. The borough’s “Building Something?” guide also points owners to the code sections on accessory buildings, fences, and projections into required yards.

Step 2: Zoning Compliance Permit

The Zoning Compliance section is in KIBC Chapter 17.15, General Provisions and Use Regulations. If your project needs a permit under that section, file a Zoning Compliance Permit Application with Community Development. Be ready to give the legal description, a site plan, a project description, details on existing development, and proof of ownership or an as-built survey if staff ask for them.

The borough says that if you need a Zoning Compliance Permit, you most likely need a building permit too. Building without required permits can bring the penalties in the zoning code’s Enforcement, Penalties, and Remedies chapter.

Step 3: Building permit from the City of Kodiak

After zoning compliance, apply for the building permit through the City of Kodiak Building Official. Commercial and larger residential projects may need:

• Architectural or structural plans, calculations, and specifications
• Utility approvals and driveway approval
• Fire marshal approval
• Septic or wastewater documentation

Borough building code

Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) of the borough code covers:

• Building codes, including local rules on plan check, building permit fees, roof snow load, footings, temporary structures, certificates of occupancy, hoop houses, and the use of local Sitka spruce in one- and two-family dwellings
• Electrical and plumbing codes
• Mobile homes
• The fire code
• Driveway access
• Building and lot numbering
• A Building Code Board of Appeals
• Enforcement, penalties, and remedies

Permit fees are listed in the borough’s Fee Schedule, which is linked from the Building Something page.

Inspections and occupancy

The building guide lists these inspection stages:

1. Excavation
2. Underground utilities
3. Foundation and setbacks
4. Framing
5. Rough electrical
6. Rough plumbing
7. Insulation
8. Final certificate of occupancy or verification of use

Request each inspection at least 24 hours ahead by calling (907) 486-8070. Don’t move past a stage until that inspection is approved, and keep work exposed until the inspector signs off. The final can also cover driveway and parking compliance plus any required fire or utility approvals. A city building permit is a separate approval from the borough’s zoning compliance permit, and each needs its own sign-off.