Anchorage, AK

Anchorage Building Permit Cost

Q: How is an Anchorage building permit fee calculated?

Under AMC 23.10 Table 3-A, residential building permits are calculated at 0.009 times the construction valuation with a $360 minimum fee, plus a 50% plan review fee. Commercial building permits are calculated at 0.015 times the valuation up to $500,000 with a $525 minimum fee, plus a 65% plan review fee.

Q: What is the minimum building permit fee in Anchorage?

The minimum fee for a residential building permit is $360.00, and the minimum fee for a commercial building permit is $525.00.

Q: How much is the plan review fee in Anchorage?

Under AMC 23.10 Table 3-B, the plan review fee is 50% of the building permit fee for residential buildings (IRC 1-3 units) and 65% of the building permit fee for commercial buildings (IBC).

Q: Can homeowners pull their own permits in Anchorage?

Homeowners may obtain building permits for their primary single-family residence, provided they perform the work themselves and submit an owner-builder acknowledgment form.

A Municipality of Anchorage building permit is calculated directly from project construction valuation.

For residential one-, two-, and three-family dwellings (Group R-3 / IRC), the base permit fee is 0.009 × valuation ($9.00 per $1,000) with a minimum permit fee of $360.00, plus a 50% plan review fee. Commercial construction (IBC) is assessed at 0.015 × valuation ($15.00 per $1,000) up to $500,000 with a $525.00 minimum fee, plus a 65% plan review fee.

Official fee scheduleVerified Sep 2026Municipality of Anchorage — Development Services Division

How this fee is calculated

These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.

Fee components for a building permit
Component	Formula	Applies when	Range
Commercial building permit fee ($500,001 to $1,000,000)Permit fee	`$7,500.00 + $10.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $500,000, or fraction thereof`	Occupancy is commercial and Project valuation over $500,000 and Project valuation up to $1,000,000	—
Commercial building permit fee (0.015 × valuation up to $500,000)Permit fee	`$15.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof`	Occupancy is commercial and Project valuation up to $500,000	—
Commercial building permit fee ($1,000,001 to $5,000,000)Permit fee	`$12,500.00 + $8.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000,000, or fraction thereof`	Occupancy is commercial and Project valuation over $1,000,000 and Project valuation up to $5,000,000	—
Commercial building permit fee ($5,000,001 and up)Permit fee	`$44,500.00 + $6.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $5,000,000, or fraction thereof`	Occupancy is commercial and Project valuation over $5,000,000	—
Residential building permit fee (0.009 × valuation)Permit fee	`$9.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof`	Occupancy is residential	—
Commercial plan review fee (65% of permit fee)Plan review	`65% of calculated permit fee`	Occupancy is commercial	—
Residential plan review fee (50% of permit fee)Plan review	`50% of calculated permit fee`	Occupancy is residential	—
Minimum commercial building permit fee ($525.00)Permit fee	`the shortfall up to the $525.00 minimum on calculated permit fee`	Occupancy is commercial and permit fee under 52500	—
Minimum residential building permit fee ($360.00)Permit fee	`the shortfall up to the $360.00 minimum on calculated permit fee`	Occupancy is residential and permit fee under 36000	—

A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.

A worked example

Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.

A single-family residential home addition in Anchorage, AK with an estimated construction valuation of $90,000.

Inputs used for this example
Input	Value
Project valuation	$90,000
Project area	700 sq ft
Occupancy class	Residential

Example total

$1,215.00

An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.

Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 2Rules considered 9

Fee components
Component	How it is calculated	Amount
Residential building permit fee (0.009 × valuation)Permit feeAMC 23.10 Table 3-A: One-, two-, and three-family dwellings (Group R-3, IRC) assessed at 0.009 x valuation ($9.00 per $1,000). Show the working Project valuation $90,000 At $9.00 per $1,000 $810.00 Component total $810.00	`$9.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps`	$810.00
Residential plan review fee (50% of permit fee)Plan reviewAMC 23.10 Table 3-B: Plan review fee for IRC residential structures (<= 3 units) is 50% of the building permit fee. Show the working Calculated permit fee $810 Rate applied 50% of calculated permit fee Component total $405.00	`50% of calculated permit fee`	$405.00
Total		$1,215.00

Fees that do not apply here

Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.

Commercial building permit fee ($500,001 to $1,000,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Commercial building permit fee (0.015 × valuation up to $500,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Commercial building permit fee ($1,000,001 to $5,000,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Commercial building permit fee ($5,000,001 and up) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Commercial plan review fee (65% of permit fee) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Minimum commercial building permit fee ($525.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Minimum residential building permit fee ($360.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.

Assumptions

Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.

The residential building permit rate is 0.009 × $90,000 = $810.00, which exceeds the municipal minimum of $360.00. The residential plan review fee is 50% of the permit fee ($810.00 × 0.50) = $405.00. The total municipal permit and plan examination fee is $1,215.00.

What is different in Anchorage

Building permits in Anchorage are processed by the Development Services Division on Elmore Road. Permits are mandatory for new construction, additions, structural modifications, garage conversions, and decks over 30 inches above grade. Plans must account for Southcentral Alaska's Seismic Design Category D/E criteria and high snow load specifications.

What this figure does not include

Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.

Not included in these figures

This estimate covers the municipal structural building permit and plan examination. It excludes:

Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits must be secured separately).
Right-of-way and curb cut permits administered by Municipal Right-of-Way.
On-site wastewater and private well approval fees from the Anchorage Health Department.
Anchorage Fire Department life-safety plan review for commercial suppression systems.

What you need before applying

Construction Plans & Energy CalculationsRequired
Complete structural plans, architectural drawings, and Alaska BEES (Building Energy Efficiency Standards) compliance documentation.
Alaska Contractor LicenseRequired
Contractors must hold a valid Alaska General Contractor or Residential Contractor Endorsement license and Municipality of Anchorage contractor registration.

Common questions

How is an Anchorage building permit fee calculated?

Under AMC 23.10 Table 3-A, residential building permits are calculated at 0.009 times the construction valuation with a $360 minimum fee, plus a 50% plan review fee. Commercial building permits are calculated at 0.015 times the valuation up to $500,000 with a $525 minimum fee, plus a 65% plan review fee.

Anchorage Municipal Code Title 23, Chapter 23.10

What is the minimum building permit fee in Anchorage?

The minimum fee for a residential building permit is $360.00, and the minimum fee for a commercial building permit is $525.00.

AMC 23.10 Table 3-A

How much is the plan review fee in Anchorage?

Under AMC 23.10 Table 3-B, the plan review fee is 50% of the building permit fee for residential buildings (IRC 1-3 units) and 65% of the building permit fee for commercial buildings (IBC).

AMC 23.10 Table 3-B

Can homeowners pull their own permits in Anchorage?

Homeowners may obtain building permits for their primary single-family residence, provided they perform the work themselves and submit an owner-builder acknowledgment form.

Municipality of Anchorage Development Services Division

Source and verification

The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.

Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Anchorage Municipal Code Title 23, Table 3-C / 3-D / 3-E (Inspection & Trade Fees)
Anchorage Assembly / Development Services Division · Document dated April 23, 2024 · Effective April 23, 2024 · Retrieved September 25, 2026
AMC 23.10 Tables 3-C, 3-D, and 3-E specify trade permit fees and standard inspection rates at $175.00 per hour with a one-hour minimum.

Verification

Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.