Honolulu building department

Zoning on Oʻahu is run by DPP’s Land Use Permits Division, (808) 768-8015. It administers three parts of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu: the Land Use Ordinance (LUO, ROH Chapter 21), the Special Management Area Ordinance (Chapter 25), and the Shoreline Setbacks Ordinance (Chapter 26). It processes discretionary zoning permits and coastal area permits. The routine zoning check of a building permit is a separate step, done by the Zoning Plan Review Branch in DPP’s Building Division, (808) 768-8246. Zone changes and state special use permits go to the Planning Division, (808) 768-8053.

Get discretionary approvals before the building permit

DPP will reject or suspend a building permit application until the required land use approvals are in hand. Since August 4, 2025, all zoning permit applications are filed in HNL Build. Coastal area permits (SMA and shoreline) should generally be processed before most zoning permits. If your project hits any of the 13 triggers in HRS 343-5, it must also finish the state environmental review first, through an exemption, an environmental assessment, or an EIS.

Common zoning approvals and their basis:

Approval	Typical use	Basis
Zoning Adjustment	Carport or garage encroaching into a yard, lanai enclosures, flag-lot access, retaining wall height, ADU conversions of older structures	ROH 21-2.140-1
Zoning Variance	Relief from LUO rules due to hardship	Charter 6-1517
Conditional Use Permit, minor or major	Uses flagged in the LUO Master Use Table (e.g., daycare, joint development of lots, off-site parking)	ROH 21-2.90
Existing Use Permit	Nonconforming developments that now require a CUP or cluster	ROH 21-2.100
Special District Permit, minor or major	Hawaii Capitol, Diamond Head, Punchbowl, Chinatown, Thomas Square, Waikīkī, Haleʻiwa, TOD districts	ROH 21-9
Cluster or Planned Development–Housing	Flexibility for 3+ dwellings or large mixed-use projects	ROH 21-8.50
Temporary Use Approval	Temporary construction yards and structures	ROH 21-1.60
Zoning Verification	Written confirmation of zoning, flood zone, standards, legality of existing uses, rebuild rights	“New Zoning Permit” in HNL Build

A written zoning verification costs $300. It is also how short-term rental operators confirm a nonconforming status. Discretionary permit status (CUP, ZA, SMA) can be searched in the HNL Build portal.

Coastal area permits

• Special Management Area (SMA): a Minor SMA Permit covers development valued up to $500,000. A Major SMA Permit covers development valued over $500,000. Common exemptions include:

  • up to two dwellings under 7,500 sq ft of floor area, if they are not on a shoreline lot, not in flood zone V or VE, and not exposed to 0.5 ft of sea level rise
  • accessory structures up to 300 sq ft added to an existing dwelling
  • repair, maintenance, and interior alterations
  • demolition, unless at a historic site
  • agricultural uses

  If you are unsure whether you need an SMA permit, file an SMA Permit Determination request in HNL Build.

• Shoreline setback: since July 1, 2024, the setback line is generally 60 ft inland of the certified shoreline. On eroding shoreline lots outside the Primary Urban Center, it is 60 ft plus 70 times the annual erosion rate, up to 130 ft. If that leaves less than 1,500 sq ft of buildable area, the line may be adjusted (ROH 26-1.4(b)). Minor structures need a Minor Shoreline Structure Permit, and other development needs a Shoreline Setback Variance.

Environmental assessment fees

When DPP is the approving agency, EA review fees are:

EA supports	Review fee (non-refundable)	Processing fee
Shoreline Setback Variance or Special District Permit	$200	$1,000
Major SMA Permit	$200	$1,200
Any other DPP approval	$200	$400

Fees double if you apply after being cited for working without approval. HNL Build has no EA application type yet. Email a file-share link to [email protected] with the subject “Application Submittal – Environmental Assessment,” or deliver a USB drive or CD to the Director, 650 South King Street, 7th Floor.

Residential LUO standards that most often affect permits

DPP’s FAQ summarizes the rules homeowners run into most:

• Setbacks: 10 ft front, and 5 ft side and rear. A new dwelling over 0.6 FAR needs 8-ft side and rear yards in R-3.5, or 11-ft yards in R-5 through R-20, and must be owner-occupied. The maximum FAR is 0.7.
• Impervious surface: no more than 75% of the zoning lot (Ordinance 19-3). This includes roofs, driveways, patios, pools, and eaves.
• Bathrooms per dwelling: lots up to 6,999 sq ft allow 4 with one dwelling or 2 with several. Lots of 7,000–9,999 sq ft allow 6 or 3, and lots of 10,000 sq ft and up allow 8 or 4. One kitchen, one laundry room, and one wet bar are allowed per dwelling unit.
• Parking: one space per 1,000 sq ft of floor area for a single-family dwelling (Ordinance 20-41).
• ADUs: allowed in R-3.5 through R-20 and Country districts on lots of 3,500 sq ft or more. Size is capped at 400 sq ft on lots of 3,500–4,999 sq ft and 800 sq ft on larger lots. One ADU per lot, one extra parking space (none within a half mile of a rail station), and a minimum six-month rental. An approved ADU Pre-Check Form is required before the building permit, and it is valid for 210 days.
• ʻOhana dwellings: limited to family occupancy, need two parking spaces, and are not allowed in R-3.5.
• Signs: regulated by LUO Article 7, with special rules in the Haleʻiwa and Chinatown districts.

CPR (condominium) registration does not create extra zoning entitlements. DPP applies standards to the whole zoning lot.

Appeals

Zoning, environmental, and subdivision decisions can be appealed to the Zoning Board of Appeals, (808) 768-8006.