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Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office

Plan Review Bureau

The Division of Fire and Life Safety is the State Building Official. Before any commercial construction begins, plans must be reviewed and approved for fire and life safety compliance.

Apply for a Building Plan Review

Submit plans, upload documents, and pay fees through the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Community Portal.
Community Portal

When A Plan Review is Required

Construction, repair, remodel, addition, or change of occupancy of any building or structure,  and installation or change of fuel tanks, must be approved by the State Fire Marshal before any work begins.

Exemption: Residential housing that is three-plex or smaller is exempt from this requirement.

It is prohibited to occupy a building for which plans have not been examined and approved.

What Must Be Submitted

Plans and specifications must be submitted by the owner or owner’s representative to the Division for examination and approval. Required information includes:

  • Location of the building or structure on the property
  • Area, height, number of stories, and occupancy classification
  • Type of construction and interior finish
  • Exit facilities and accessible routes
  • Mechanical and electrical systems (limited to fire and life safety compliance)
  • Fuel storage tanks and their appurtenances
  • Automatic fire-extinguishing systems and fire alarm systems
This review does not address structural considerations or general accessibility requirements beyond those required for fire and life safety.

How the process works

1.

Submit plans and pay the review fee
Submit plans through the Community Portal. A plan review fee will be calculated by the Division. Plans are reviewed after receipt of payment. Processing time is typically two to four weeks after full payment is received.

2.

Review and approval
Division staff review submitted plans for compliance with the Alaska Building and Fire Codes. If deficiencies are found, the applicant will be contacted with required corrections. A copy of the approval certificate must be posted as required in 13 AAC 55.100(b).
 

3.

Permit issued and construction may begin
After review is complete, a permit is issued. Occupancy is granted upon completion of construction according to the approved plans. Certificates of occupancy are not provided separately.
Starting work without approval: If work for which plan review is required has been started without first obtaining approval, an additional special processing fee equal to the standard plan review fee will be charged. Subsequent violations result in escalating penalties.

Plan Review Help Aids

Assisted Living Facility Plan Review Guide

PDF

Common Plan Review Deficiencies 

PDF
Kitchen Hood Duct Renovation (No suppression) Example

PDF
Marijuana Plan Review Requirements

PDF
Plan Review Fees Explanation

PDF
Tank Plans Example

PDF

Deferred Jurisdictions

The following communities have received deferrals and handle plan review locally. Contact the appropriate jurisdiction for projects in these areas:

JurisdictionPhone
Anchorage Fire Department(907) 267-4901
Anchorage Building Safety(907) 343-8301
City of Palmer(907) 745-3709 x1
Juneau(907) 586-0770 / (907) 586-0715
Fairbanks(907) 459-6720
Kenai(907) 283-7535
Ketchikan(907) 228-4737
Seward(907) 224-3445
Kodiak(907) 486-8072
Sitka(907) 747-1814
Soldotna(907) 262-9107
University of Alaska Fairbanks(907) 474-7721
Central Mat-Su FSA(907) 861-8030

Authority: Alaska Statute 18.70.080   ·   Alaska Administrative Code: 13 AAC 50.027