Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK · off-grid fact sheet
Can you live off-grid in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska?
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Major concerns
Possible, but hard and costly. The growing season is about 69 frost-free days and winter sun is weak, so plan on a greenhouse and a bigger battery bank or a generator. Rain is plentiful, about 138 inches a year. The ground is steep, with slopes averaging about 47%. That raises the cost of a driveway, septic, and foundation.
What the land says
Rain
Rain can supply much of a household's water with a large tank. A garden mostly waters itself in normal years.
About 138 inches a year (30-year average)
Wells
Typical well depth. Budget for a mid-range well.
The typical well here is about 260 feet deep; a well typically runs $24,000 to $53,000
Growing season
Very short. A greenhouse makes the difference.
About 69 frost-free days, USDA zone 5b; last frost about June 26, first about September 4
Sun
Weak sun. Solar needs a generator behind it in winter.
About 2.6 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones are rare here. Still, look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps no flood zones nearby
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; no strong (EF2 or stronger) tornado within 25 miles since 1990
Terrain
Steep. A flat house site and a driveway route will drive the cost.
Slopes average about 47%, about 560 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because rock or a hard layer sits about 34 inches down. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, poorly drained (USDA soil survey). A mound, sand filter, or treatment unit typically runs $10,000 to $20,000
Road
Dirt tracks. Plan to build or maintain your own road.
Nearest road often a dirt track, about 0.7 miles away (OpenStreetMap)
Check an Alaska parcel, or plan the one you own
Get a free 0-100 off-grid score.
A step-by-step build plan, sizing your solar, water, garden, septic, heat, and buildings.
Is it legal here?
Zoning
Ketchikan Gateway Borough zones land outside its towns and publishes its zoning map. Our free lookup shows the district for any address.
Building code
Alaska has no statewide building code for one- to three-family homes, so a house needs a building permit only where a city or borough, such as Anchorage, has adopted its own code. Homes financed by Alaska Housing Finance Corporation must still meet state construction standards and pass inspections.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Water belongs to whoever claimed it first. A new well or pond may need a state permit, and a creek may already be claimed.
Drilled to about 260 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$10,000 to $20,000
Mound, sand filter, or treatment unit
Solar and batteries
$18,000 to $34,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$18,000 to $45,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$2,000 to $9,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$72,000 to $160,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Rock or a hard layer sits about 34 inches down, which can rule out a standard system.
Road access
Confirm a recorded easement to the parcel.
The nearest roads are often dirt tracks.
Zoning
Look up the parcel's zoning district with our free tool.
The borough publishes its zoning map.
Nearby counties
13,738 people live in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, about 2.8 per square mile. It ranks tied for 14th of the 29 Alaska counties we scored, and Alaska ranks 50th of 50 states.