Bolthole Index

Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Kake, Alaska

The City of Kake, Alaska has its own zoning districts and zoning map, and its city code ties building permits to lot rules12. Septic systems inside Kake must follow Alaska state agency requirements, not a local health office3. Kake sits in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, which has no area-wide zoning outside city limits4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes. Kake administers its own zoning districts and zoning map1
Building permit
Kake's code issues building permits for new buildings on qualifying lots; fees and inspections not confirmed2
Septic
Alaska state agency rules apply; public sewer connection is required where a city sewer is within 150 feet35
Mobile homes
Permitted in the R-3 district6
R-1 minimum lot
7,500 square feet with 50 feet of frontage7
RV living
Not confirmed; overnight camping is barred on posted city property8
Owner-builder
Alaska exempts qualifying owners from contractor registration9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Kake (city office)

Kake city zoning, building lot rules and municipal sewer; the first call for building permits and zoning questions inside city limits

907-785-3804

administrator@cityofkake.org

266 Front Street, Kake, AK 99830

Septic permits

Alaska DEC Onsite Wastewater Program

Statewide program for septic (onsite wastewater) systems, including inside Kake where no public sewer is available

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Kake means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Kake, Alaska have zoning, and what does it mean for homes and mobile homes?

Yes. The City of Kake administers zoning districts and a zoning map, and the city council can amend district boundaries and regulations by ordinance after a public hearing1. These rules apply inside Kake city limits only. Outside the city, the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area has no county-wide zoning ordinance4.

Districts matter, so check the parcel's district on the city zoning map. In the R-3 Low Density Resident and Mobile Home district, one-family and two-family dwellings and mobile homes are permitted uses6. In the R-1 district, a dwelling needs a lot of at least 7,500 square feet with at least 50 feet of frontage, with an exception for one listed use7. In R-2, one-family and two-family dwellings need at least 7,500 square feet and at least 40 feet of width10.

Setbacks also vary by district. R-1 requires a front yard of at least 20 feet, a side yard of at least 5 feet (20 feet where the side yard faces a side street) and a rear yard of at least 15 feet11. R-3 requires a front yard of at least 20 feet and a side yard of at least 5 feet, with the same 20-foot rule on a side street12. We could not confirm minimum dwelling size, lot coverage or building height limits in Kake's code; ask the city office.

Do you need a building permit in Kake, and who issues it?

Kake's city code has its own building permit rule: no building permit is issued for a new building on a lot unless the lot existed as a described and recorded parcel before 1973 or was created by a recorded subdivision or plat2. A new lot cut from a larger parcel therefore needs proper platting before a building permit is possible.

We could not confirm Kake's permit fees, inspection schedule or certificate of occupancy rules. The City of Kake office is the place to ask for the building permit application and what inspections apply13.

Alaska's owner-builder exemption lets a qualifying owner act as their own contractor without contractor registration, but that is a licensing rule and not a building permit waiver9. Commercial and some other construction can also need State Fire Marshal plan review14.

How do septic permits work inside Kake?

Kake's code requires a private sewage disposal system to comply with the recommendations of the appropriate Alaska state agency, so the state, not the city, is the authority for septic design3. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) runs the onsite wastewater program15.

Most systems that meet the state's prescriptive standards can proceed without prior plan approval, with electronic notice at least 24 hours before construction and registration afterward; other systems need written DEC approval first16.

A city sewer changes the answer. Where a city sewer lies in the abutting street, alley or right-of-way within 150 feet of the property line, the owner must connect within 90 days after official notice and pay the expense5. When public sewer becomes available to a property on a private system, the owner must connect directly to it17. Ask the city office whether sewer reaches a given lot before planning a septic system13.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Kake?

We could not confirm a Kake rule on living in an RV on private land. The code we reviewed bars overnight camping on city property where it is posted, and does not establish a general ban on private land8.

We also could not confirm a Kake provision that addresses tiny homes. Mobile homes are permitted in the R-3 district6, and a tiny home on a foundation would be judged as a dwelling under the district's lot and setback rules. Before buying a lot for an RV or tiny home, ask the City of Kake office in writing for the answer for that specific parcel13.

Building a home in Kake: the steps, in order

  1. Find the parcel's zoning district on the city zoning map and confirm the lot meets that district's minimum area and frontage1.
  2. Confirm the lot is a recorded parcel or part of a recorded plat, since the city code bars a building permit otherwise2.
  3. Ask the City of Kake office whether city sewer is within 150 feet of the lot513.
  4. If no sewer is available, plan the septic system to Alaska DEC requirements315.
  5. Lay out the house to the district's front, side and rear yard setbacks11.
  6. Apply for the building permit with the City of Kake13.
  7. If you are building your own home, check the state owner-builder conditions9.

What stays with the state and the census area outside Kake city limits?

Septic rules come from the state DEC, inside and outside the city18. Subdivision platting outside a city that exercises platting authority goes to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources19. Water withdrawals above significant-use thresholds need state authorization, and well-drilling data goes to DNR20. We could not confirm a Kake-specific well or floodplain rule, so ask the city office about both.

For land outside Kake, see the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area page, where no county-wide zoning applies4.

Watch-outs

  • Kake's city zoning and lot rules apply only inside city limits, and each district sets its own lot size and yards17.
  • A lot that was never recorded or platted cannot get a new-building permit under Kake's code2.
  • Where city sewer is within 150 feet of the lot, connection is mandatory and the owner pays5.
  • We could not confirm Kake's permit fees, inspection schedule, RV living rules, tiny home rules or floodplain rules; call the City of Kake office before you buy13.

Sources

  1. Kake City Code § 90.60.010, City Council Power, Procedure (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  2. Kake City Code § 72.44.010, Compliance Required for Building Permit (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  3. Kake City Code § 60.08.050, Private Sewage Disposal: System Specifications (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  4. Alaska law on county zoning and building authority
  5. Kake City Code § 60.08.030, When Connection to Public Sewer Is Required (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  6. Kake City Code § 90.20.010, Uses Permitted (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  7. Kake City Code § 90.12.030, Lot Area (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  8. Kake City Code § 48.20.070, Time-Limited Parking Spaces—Additional Restrictions (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  9. Statutes and Regulations Construction Contractors (Alaska statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Kake City Code § 90.16.030, Lot Area (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  11. Kake City Code § 90.12.050, Yards (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  12. Kake City Code § 90.20.050, Yards (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Kake (city office) (akml.org)
  14. Building Plan Review – Alaska Department of Public Safety (Alaska statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Alaska DEC Onsite Wastewater Program (dec.alaska.gov)
  16. Domestic Wastewater (Alaska statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Kake City Code § 60.08.050, Private Sewage Disposal: System Specifications (Kake), quoted and re-checked
  18. Installing or Upgrading a Septic System, quoted and re-checked
  19. Unorganized Borough Plats, quoted and re-checked
  20. Private Drinking Water Wells & Systems, quoted and re-checked

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Kake

Kake’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Kake city limits; Kake administers municipal zoning districts and a zoning map.

    • The cited amendment provision concerns the city council's power to amend district boundaries and zoning regulations.
    “The city council may, upon petition or upon its own motion, after a public hearing thereon and referral to and report from the city building official, amend, supplement, or change by ordinance the boundaries of districts established on the zoning map of the city and any of the regulations set forth in this title.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    One-family and other permitted uses in Kake's R-1 Low Density Resident district.

    • The exception in § 90.12.030 for § 90.12.010(5) applies.

    minimum lot area: >= 7500 square feet (Except for § 90.12.010(5).) · minimum frontage: >= 50 feet (Except for § 90.12.010(5).)

    “Each dwelling and other permitted uses in R-1 districts, except for Sec. 90.12.010 (5), shall be located on a lot not less than seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet in area and with no less than fifty feet frontage.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — One-family and two-family dwellings in Kake's R-2 Medium Density Resident district.
      “One-family and two-family dwellings, and other permitted uses. Each such building in R-2 districts shall be located on a lot not less than seven thousand five hundred square feet in area and not less than forty feet wide.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Buildings in Kake's R-1 district.

    • Where a side yard fronts on a side street, the side-yard width must be at least 20 feet.
    • No part of any church or school may be within 20 feet of an adjoining residential lot.

    front yard: >= 20 feet · side yard: >= 5 feet (20 feet where side yard fronts on a side street.) · rear yard: >= 15 feet

    “The rear yard depth shall not be less than fifteen feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Buildings in Kake's R-3 district.
      “The front yard depth shall be not less than twenty feet from the property line.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Overnight camping on Kake city property where posted.

    • The prohibition applies where city property is posted; the source does not establish a general ban on camping on private land.
    “No overnight camping allowed on City property where posted.”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured/mobile homes in the R-3 Low Density Resident and Mobile Home district.

    • The cited provision expressly permits mobile homes in R-3; other districts and building-code requirements may apply.
    “The following uses are permitted in R-3 districts: One-family and two-family dwellings and mobile homes;”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private sewage disposal inside Kake city where public sewer is unavailable or not yet available.

    • Private system type, capacity, location, and layout must comply with Alaska agency recommendations.
    • No septic tank or cesspool may discharge to a public sewer or natural outlet.
    • Direct connection to public sewer becomes mandatory when the sewer becomes available under the city's connection rule.
    “At such time as a public sewer becomes available to a property served by a private sewage disposal system, a direct connection shall be made to the public sewer in compliance with this chapter.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or another purpose inside Kake city when a city sewer is located in the abutting street, alley, or right-of-way and is within 150 feet of the property line.

    • Connection must be made within 90 days after official notice.
    • The owner pays the expense.
    • When public sewer becomes available to property served by private disposal, direct connection is required and septic tanks, cesspools, and similar facilities must be abandoned and filled with suitable material.

    maximum sewer distance from property line: <= 150 feet · connection deadline after official notice: 90 days

    “provided, that said sewer is within one hundred fifty feet of the property line.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    New building lots and building permits inside Kake city.

    • A new building permit is barred unless the lot was a described and recorded parcel before 23 January 1973 or was created by recorded subdivision under state statute or recorded plat under Title 72.

    cutoff date for existing recorded parcel: 1973-01-23 (Recorded subdivision or recorded plat is an alternative.)

    “No building permit shall be issued for a new building on a lot which did not exist as a described and recorded parcel prior to 23 January 1973 or was not created by recorded subdivision pursuant to state statute, or by a recorded plat pursuant to provisions of this title.”

Rules another office applies inside Kake

Kake does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicState (with conditions)

    Private septic systems inside Kake city, subject to the municipal code's incorporation of Alaska agency recommendations.

    • Kake Code § 60.08.050 requires private sewage disposal systems to comply with recommendations of the appropriate Alaska state agency or department.
    • Municipal sewer-connection rules may supersede private disposal when public sewer is available within the stated distance.
    “The type, capacities, location, and layout of a private sewage disposal system shall comply with all recommendations of the appropriate State of Alaska agency or department.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Kake or Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Kake city.
  • Inspections — Building inspection requirements inside Kake city.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Kake city.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Kake city.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Kake city.
9 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Kake publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area: county rules, score and offices