Juneau, AK permits ADUs up to 1,000 sq ft with $13,500 grants. Learn THOW parking rules, builder costs and Title 49 zoning updates for tiny homes.
Last researched June 2026
Juneau living is shaped by water in every form — 60-plus inches of rain a year, channel views, and a glacier in the backyard — so a tiny home here is really a test of roof detailing and ventilation. The Mendenhall Valley has the flatter lots and most of the housing stock; Douglas Island, across the bridge, trades convenience for quiet and trailheads. There is no road out: everything arrives by ferry or barge, which makes compact, efficient construction genuinely economical. Perseverance Trail and the Mendenhall Glacier fill the weekends, and downtown's cruise-season bustle empties out by October.
Juneau is one of Alaska's most ADU-friendly cities. As of April 2026, the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) permits detached accessory dwelling units up to 1,000 square feet in net floor area across most residential zoning districts. The CBJ Accessory Dwelling Unit Grant Program (ADUG), established in 2023, offers up to $13,500 per homeowner to offset construction costs, with the condition that the unit not be used as a short-term rental for five years. Up to 16 grants are awarded annually, making Juneau a standout in Alaska for incentivized small-home development.
Ordinance 2025-15, a multi-phase rewrite of Title 49 (Land Use Code), is modernizing ADU policy further. Phase 1 updates include streamlining permits so the Director can approve certain applications without Planning Commission review, defining caretaker units in industrial zones, and creating transition-zone density bonuses. A detached ADU may not exceed 1,000 sq ft. However, Juneau has not formally adopted IRC Appendix Q for tiny houses on wheels; THOWs are not treated the same as foundation-built ADUs and face a more complex approval path.
Juneau's constrained geography — surrounded by water, mountains, and the Tongass National Forest — limits buildable land and can drive up costs. Verify current requirements with your local planning department before placing a tiny home in Juneau.
Verify current requirements with your local planning department.
Juneau actively subsidizes ADUs: the city created its Accessory Dwelling Unit Grant program on August 21, 2023, paying up to $13,500 toward construction for 16 homeowners a year, conditioned on the unit not being used as a short-term rental for five years, per the City and Borough of Juneau. In 2025, the assembly amended Title 49 of the CBJ code so that ADUs are also allowed on duplex lots, removing a long-standing barrier, per KTOO and Juneau Independent reporting, as of June 2026. Code compliance and building inspections are conditions of the grant, and applications run on a rolling basis through Community Development.
Communities, RV parks, and parking options in and near Juneau.
As of April 2026, Juneau does not have a dedicated THOW ordinance comparable to Sitka's. Tiny houses on wheels may be placed in mobile home parks, but parking a THOW on a private residential lot requires a conditional use review before the Planning Commission. Contact the Community Development Department at 907-586-0715 for current guidance on specific parcels. Glacier Nalu Campground near Mendenhall Glacier offers RV sites with 30/50-amp power, water, sewer, and garbage included, along with Wi-Fi and laundry access. They offer a 5-month seasonal lease for long-term stays, making it a viable option for THOW owners arriving for the summer season.
rv-park
10200 Mendenhall Loop Rd, Juneau, AK 99801
64-site campground welcoming year-round tenants in both RV sites and tiny homes; offers a 5-month lease option for stays over 30 days. Full hookups (30-50 amp, water/sewer/garbage), laundry, Wi-Fi; pets welcome.
Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska Tiny Home, based in Anchorage, builds upscale modern tiny homes with premium materials and custom designs. The company markets RV-certified tiny homes, and pricing has been reported in the $50,000 to $90,000 range by industry directories. Their focus is on modern simplified living with thoughtful design and quality craftsmanship adapted to Alaska's climate and lifestyle. A models page on their website showcases available floor plans and configurations.
Service areas: Alaska
Sterling, Alaska
Crave Alaska Cabin Company, based in Sterling on the Kenai Peninsula, builds prefabricated custom cabins up to 448 square feet. Their lineup includes a two-story Adirondack model (14x36 feet) and other customizable floor plans. Cabins are constructed off-site and placed by crane on delivery. Free delivery is available anywhere on the Kenai Peninsula, with statewide Alaska shipping for an additional charge. The company is a member of the Kenai Peninsula Builders Association and was accepting 2026 reservations as of their most recent Yelp update in August 2025.
Service areas: Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Farrell Homebuilding LLC, based in Anchorage, builds custom tiny houses, park strip residences, off-grid homes, multi-family housing, and country houses across Alaska. Founded by designer and carpenter Patrick Farrell, the company emphasizes high thermal efficiency with 4 inches of additional foam on walls and under slabs, plus timber-framed ceilings. Farrell Homebuilding serves Anchorage, Girdwood, Fairbanks, Haines, and Juneau. The company was featured on George Clarke's Alaskan Adventure television program and is listed on NewHomeSource, BuildZoom, and Manta business directories.
Service areas: Alaska
Big Lake, Alaska
Big Lake-based contractor founded in 1999 by Jason Underhill, operating about 60 miles north of Anchorage in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Builds custom tiny homes in both timber-framed and stick-framed construction, ships pre-manufactured cabin packages, and crafts custom Alaskan red cedar saunas. The company uses local materials and runs community job-training programs. In August 2022, Underhill joined Jolene Lyon of the Bering Straits Regional Housing Authority at the Alaska Housing Innovations Summit in Anchorage to present lessons from placing a tiny home on Little Diomede Island — one of the most remote communities in the US.
Service areas: Alaska
Tenakee Springs, Alaska
Tenakee Springs-based construction company owned by Sterling C Chew, holding active Alaska contractor licenses 2169179 and 1060329 (verified as of April 2024 per BuildZoom). Builds eco-friendly small homes, cabins, and tiny home structures using second-growth Sitka spruce logged and milled at Corner Bay on the shores of Chatham Strait — the only commercially logged second-growth spruce operation in Southeast Alaska as of May 2026. Serves Juneau and remote communities across the Inside Passage. Sells fully built and furnished structures as well as lumber-and-kit packages for owner-builders.
Service areas: Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Stitt Construction specializes in custom tiny homes engineered for Alaska's extreme climate. Founded by Michael Stitt, who moved to Alaska in 2003 and has over a decade of building experience in the state, the company uses pile-driven foundations, closed-cell spray foam insulation, and 2x6 framing to handle permafrost, seismic activity, and sub-zero temperatures. Pricing runs approximately $110 per square foot for an unfinished shell to $220 per square foot fully finished — a 380-square-foot home starts around $83,600 turn-key. Stitt also offers a floor plan design service for $500 and delivers to road-accessible areas statewide.
Service areas: Alaska
A comparison between tiny-home living and conventional homeownership in Juneau.
Builder cost range
Average tiny home builder costs in the Juneau area. Actual prices vary by size, materials, and customization.
Verified links for planning, permitting, and community connections in Juneau.
Official
Guides, zoning explainers, and financing articles related to this state.
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