Permit rules in this area depend on where the lot is. The Anchorage Bowl is inside the municipal Building Safety Service Area. Chugiak-Eagle River is outside it. Palmer, Wasilla and Big Lake are in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. This page covers Anchorage itself and notes the main differences. We confirm the rule for your address before work starts.
Do I need a permit for a driveway or patio?
For flat work on your own lot, usually not. The Municipality of Anchorage lists platforms, walks, ramps and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade as exempt from a building permit. You do need a permit when the work is in the street right of way, when a slab is part of a building, or when a wall or raised structure goes past the exempt sizes. Zoning rules still apply to exempt work.
Do I need a permit to widen my driveway?
To widen the part on your own lot, generally no building permit is needed. To widen the entrance where it crosses the right of way and meets the street, you need approval. The Municipal Traffic Engineer's driveway standards give a width of 12 to 28 feet for homes on local roads, and say the driveway entrances together should not exceed 40 percent of the lot frontage, with an exception for lots under 70 feet wide. The Development Services Right of Way Section handles work in the right of way.
Who owns the driveway apron: me or the city?
The apron is normally in the public right of way, not on your lot. The municipality points out that most Anchorage lots do not start at the curb. The right of way is often 50 to 60 feet wide while the road is 26 to 32 feet, so the property line can be 10 feet or more behind the curb. You use and look after the driveway there, but changes need municipal approval.
Who is responsible for the sidewalk in front of my house?
The public sidewalk is in the municipal right of way. For snow and ice, Anchorage Municipal Code 24.80.090 makes the occupant of land next to a public sidewalk responsible for clearing it. For structural repair of a public sidewalk, we could not confirm a single rule that covers every street, so ask the municipality's Street Maintenance or Right of Way staff about your block before paying for work.
The city sent me a notice about the sidewalk. Can I hire my own contractor?
If the city sent a notice, read it for the deadline and the office to contact, and call that office first. Ask whether the work needs a right of way permit and whether the municipality or the owner arranges the repair. Where the owner arranges it, the work has to meet municipal standards. We can read the notice with you and price the work it describes.
How close to the property line can I pour? Do I need a survey?
Flat concrete at grade can usually go close to the property line, but zoning setbacks, easements and drainage rules all apply, and you may not send water onto the neighbor. You need a survey, or at least found corner pins, whenever the slab or wall is near the line. In Anchorage the front line is often well back from the curb, and guessing gets people into the right of way.
Do I need HOA approval?
If your home is in an HOA, yes, in most cases. Many Anchorage subdivisions and condo associations review driveways, patios, colors and anything visible from the street. HOA approval is separate from any municipal permit. Get it in writing before you sign a contract.
How much of my lot can I cover with concrete?
Anchorage zoning, in Title 21 of the municipal code, sets lot coverage and landscaping rules by zoning district, and some areas limit paving in the front yard. The limit on impervious surface, if any, depends on your district. The Planning Department can tell you the figure for your lot, and we check before quoting a large slab.
When does a retaining wall need an engineer or a permit?
In Anchorage, an isolated retaining wall is exempt from a building permit when it retains 4 feet or less and its top is no more than 1 foot above the soil it holds. Taller walls need a permit, and so do stacked walls that are closer together than twice the retained height. Walls that need a permit normally need an engineer, and so does any wall that supports a driveway or a building. A wall in the right of way needs an encroachment permit.
How do I find underground utility lines before digging?
Call 811 or contact Alaska Digline. State law, AS 42.30.400, requires notice at least two and not more than fifteen working days before digging. The service is free and member utilities mark their lines. They do not mark private lines, such as the run from a house to a garage, a yard light, a propane line or a septic pipe. Tell us about those.
I need a wheelchair ramp and a wider walkway. Are there rules?
Yes. A ramp at a private home is not held to the same rules as a business, but the usual guide is a slope no steeper than 1 inch of rise per foot, level landings and edge protection. A ramp more than 30 inches above grade is no longer exempt from a permit. In Anchorage think about ice too: a gentler slope, a rough broom finish and a cover or snow-melt heat make a ramp usable in January.
My house is in a historic area or has old decorative concrete. Can I replace it?
Most Anchorage homes have no historic controls, but a few properties and districts are listed, mainly in the older parts of town. If yours is one, check with the Planning Department before removing original concrete. Where old patterned or scored concrete is worth keeping, we can match the scoring, the finish and the color as closely as new material allows.
What is different outside the Anchorage Bowl?
Under the municipal building code, the building permit and inspection process is optional outside the Anchorage Building Safety Service Area, and the municipality requires a land use permit there for new buildings and additions. Chugiak-Eagle River is outside the service area. The City of Wasilla states that it does not require building permits and issues land use permits through its Planning Department. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough requires a driveway permit to build, pave, widen or move a driveway on a borough road. Driveways onto state highways go through the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
The only real price is one written after we have seen the site. Call (907) 331-4363 or text us a photo of the area to set up a free on-site estimate.