Palmer Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Development Services Division is the borough’s main public contact for land-use permitting, code compliance, development review, right-of-way inspections, and online permit applications. The Borough’s Planning & Land Use Department administers zoning, platting, land-use permits, and related development standards across the Mat-Su area, while the cities of Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston can have their own municipal requirements.

How to apply for a Mat-Su building or land-use permit

The borough directs applicants to its EnerGov Permit Portal for most online applications. Prepare the project location, scope, timing, site and plan documents, applicant or owner information, and any supporting materials requested by the application type. Submit the permit request, pay the invoice, and post the approved permit at the construction site as directed by the borough.

The borough’s plan-review page explains that a building permit authorizes construction, alteration, repair, or a change in occupancy of a building or multifamily structure. Review timing depends on the completeness of the submittal; the borough’s stated goal is a response within three weeks. A project can require additional permits from the borough, a city, Alaska state agencies, fire authorities, utilities, or environmental regulators.

Mat-Su inspections and occupancy

Development Services handles right-of-way inspections and code-compliance site visits. The Fire and Life Safety Division conducts plan reviews and inspections for the Central Mat-Su Fire Service Area, including commercial structures where applicable. Confirm the inspection authority for the property’s fire-service area and project type before construction begins.

Because the permit can authorize a change in occupancy, final approvals should be confirmed before a new or altered space is occupied. Complete the required building, fire, life-safety, right-of-way, and land-use conditions identified by the permit record. Keep the approved plans and permit documentation available at the site and use the EnerGov record for correction notices and status updates.

Mat-Su zoning and plan review

Outside the cities of Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston, the borough’s mandatory land-use permit rules can apply to development, including work near waterbodies. Development Services also reviews conditional uses, multifamily development, floodplain permits, variances, tall structures, driveways, encroachments, and other land-use applications. Confirm whether the site is inside a city before relying on a borough-only checklist.

Official Mat-Su contact

The Development Services Permit Center lists (907) 861-7822 and permitcenter@matsugov.us. The main borough building is at 350 East Dahlia Avenue, Palmer, Alaska 99645. The Fire Code Office lists (907) 861-8383 for fire-code plan-review questions. Use the official Development Services page for current portal links and department routing.