Honolulu building department

The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) is the building authority for all of Oʻahu. Honolulu is a consolidated city-county, so there is no separate municipal building department for Kailua, Kapolei, Pearl City, or any other community on the island. Building permits are required under Revised Ordinances of Honolulu (ROH) Chapter 18, Section 18-3.1.

What needs a permit, and what does not

Under ROH 18-3.1(a), you need a permit to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, convert, or demolish a building or structure. You also need one for non-exempt electrical or plumbing work, for sidewalks, curbs, or driveways in a public right-of-way, for signs, for commercial or religious tents, and for site or retaining walls over 30 inches tall. DPP’s FAQ adds that decks and additions always need a building permit.

DPP lists these common exemptions under ROH 18-3.1(b). Exempt work must still meet the code.

Work	Exempt when
Fences, planter boxes	6 ft or less, and not in a flood zone or on a street corner
Retaining walls	30 in. or less
Tool or storage sheds	120 sq ft or less, accessory to a dwelling
Maintenance repairs with similar materials	$10,000 or less in any 12-month period, with no electrical or plumbing work
Painting, cabinets, floor covering, window or door replacement	Always
Electrical repairs by a licensed contractor	$2,500 or less in 12 months, with no service entrance work
Plumbing repairs by a licensed contractor	$2,500 or less in 12 months

Agricultural structures built under HRS 46-88 do not need a building permit. They must still be declared to DPP with a plot plan, and they cannot have any plumbing or electrical work.

Quick (Instant Online) Permits vs. permits with plans

Some single-family work can get a permit issued on the spot online. To qualify:

• the work must be valued at $75,000 or less
• the property must not be in a flood zone (anything other than D, X, or XS counts as flood zone)
• the property must not have a warning, advisory, or violation, or sit in a special design district or cluster

You pay Instant Online Permits by credit or debit card. Common rejection reasons are a flood zone, a special district, or an advisory on the parcel.

Everything else needs a building permit with plans, submitted through ePlans (ProjectDox). Paper plans are not accepted. ePlans is now reached through the HNL Build portal. All plans must follow DPP’s Building Permit Plan Format Checklist. A licensed Hawaiʻi architect or engineer must stamp the plans when any of these apply:

• work on a one-story residence over $180,000, or a two-story residence over $162,000
• work on other one-story buildings over $40,000, or two-story buildings over $35,000
• the site is in a special management area, flood hazard area, or special design district
• principal structural members are reinforced concrete or structural steel
• retaining walls are 5 ft or taller

Plan-based projects are prescreened, then routed to every reviewer that applies, including:

• DPP’s zoning, civil engineering, NPDES, and wastewater branches
• the Board of Water Supply
• the Honolulu Fire Department
• the State Department of Health
• the State Historic Preservation Division (parcels with structures 50 or more years old)

Faster review options

• CivCheck is a free AI pre-check for residential new construction, additions, alterations, ADUs, and ʻohana units. DPP reports that CivCheck applications reach a decision in 32.5 days on average, compared with 73 days without it. Only plans with the CivCheck watermark should be uploaded to HNL Build. CivCheck is not for Quick Permit work, commercial projects, solar, fences, or retaining walls.
• OTR-60 limits agency review to one cycle for single-family and two-family dwellings submitted in ePlans outside a flood zone. The applicant certifies that all comments are addressed, and compliance is then checked at inspection.

Fees

Fees are based on the fair market value of labor and materials (ROH 18, Table 18-A). DPP’s online calculator gives estimates. For permits that need plans, a plan review fee of 20% of the tentative permit fee, capped at $25,000, is due when plans are accepted. A separate permit is generally required for each structure. Unissued applications expire 365 days after application under ROH 18-6.4.

Codes in effect

Code	Edition	Effective
Building (ROH 16)	2018 IBC, state and city amendments	08/09/24; City Addendum #1 03/11/25
Residential (ROH 16)	2018 IRC, state and city amendments	08/09/24; City Addendum #1 03/11/25
Existing Building (ROH 16)	2018 IEBC	08/09/24
Energy (ROH 16B)	2018 IECC	12/15/22
Electrical (ROH 17)	2020 NEC (interim)	03/15/24
Plumbing (ROH 19)	2021 UPC (interim)	03/01/24
Fire (ROH 20)	2021 NFPA 1 (administered by HFD)	01/03/25

New single-family dwellings must include a solar water heater (Act 204) unless the State Energy Office grants a variance.

Inspections

Inspections are not scheduled through a central line. Each permit lists its assigned inspectors at the bottom, and only the contractor who signed the permit may call the inspector.

• Building and plumbing: call the inspector listed on the permit.
• Electrical: the electrician faxes an Electrical Inspection Request Form to (808) 768-6007 (Honolulu) or (808) 768-3192 (Kapolei) at least two working days ahead.
• Stormwater: notify the listed stormwater quality inspector 2 weeks before construction starts.

For building inspections and code complaints, call (808) 768-3185.

Contractors and owner-builders

Electrical and plumbing work must be done by state-licensed contractors (HRS 444 and 448E). A general contractor is typically required when more than two specialty contractors are involved. Owner-builders may act as their own contractor only for their own use, must register under HRS 444-9.1, and cannot sell or lease the structure within one year of completion. The exemption is not available for a unit in an apartment building. In HNL Build, any contractor on an application needs its own business account, and must accept the project before the permit can move forward.

Which DPP office to call

Need	Phone
Residential permits (Customer Service Division)	(808) 768-8220
Commercial, structural, and energy review	(808) 768-8232
Electrical review and inspection	(808) 768-8240
Mechanical and plumbing	(808) 768-8242
Zoning code review	(808) 768-8246
Permit files and records (DAIB)	(808) 768-8277

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The main Honolulu Building Permit Center is at 650 South King Street. The Kapolei Building Permit Center is at 1000 Uluohia Street, Kapolei.