Lihue building department

The Department of Public Works Building Division in Līhuʻe issues building, electrical, plumbing, and sign permits for the whole island of Kauaʻi and handles building code enforcement. Every project on the island goes through this one office. Zoning clearance is a separate application to the Planning Department, covered on its own page.

How to apply

The County’s Building Permit Guide lays out five steps:

1. Read the Building Permits Minimum Requirements document, its plan-example appendix, and Owner-Builders in Hawaii: A Guide to State Regulations.
2. Complete the residential or commercial permit application checklist.
3. Submit the Building Permit Application.
4. Submit the Contractor/Owner Builder Statement.
5. Pick up a Zoning Permit Application at the Planning Department and file it with Planning.

New building permit applications can be emailed to [email protected] using the County’s form. Plans are reviewed electronically in ProjectDox ePlan, which moved to a new Avolve cloud address in January 2025. After you file, the County sends an email invitation to upload. Paper plans (five sets) are accepted only at the building official’s discretion, and at least one paper set must carry the designer’s original wet stamp.

Residential checklist highlights (August 27, 2025 version)

• Every plan sheet is uploaded as a separate PDF or DWF in landscape orientation, using the naming rules in the EPR Applicant User Guide. Leave a 3 in. x 3 in. blank space in the upper-right corner of each sheet for the “APPROVED – JOB SITE COPY” stamp.
• Plans must be stamped by a Hawaiʻi-licensed structural engineer or architect under HRS Chapter 464. A signed Energy Code Statement goes on the first sheet.
• The site plan must show:
  • setbacks (set by Planning)
  • lot coverage and floor area ratio
  • utilities
  • cesspool or septic location, if any
  • the fire hydrant or other firefighting water source
  • the fire apparatus road
• Building plans must show wind speed and exposure category, a complete load path with uplift ties, and smoke and CO alarms. Engineered truss details may follow after issuance, but they must be approved before the load/uplift-ties inspection.
• If the owner is not the applicant, include an owner authorization letter. CPR units need a CPR map on file with Real Property. ADUs and ARUs need an approved ADU/ARU clearance form.
• If you want to demolish before the new project is approved, file a separate demolition application.

The TMK must be correct. If it cannot be verified, Real Property Assessment (Suite 454, (808) 241-4224) must confirm it.

Agencies that review your plans

Building permit plans are routed to:

• Planning (Suite A473)
• the Department of Water (4398 Pua Loke Street)
• the DPW Engineering Division (Suite 175, (808) 241-4883)
• Wastewater Management
• the Fire Department (commercial projects only)
• the State Department of Health

Engineering requires:

• a grading permit for more than 100 cubic yards of cut or fill, cuts or fills over 5 ft, or work that changes drainage onto neighbors
• a grubbing permit for clearing more than one acre
• a stockpiling permit at 500 cubic yards
• an elevation certificate for flood fringe, floodway, and coastal high hazard parcels

Codes in effect

Code	Edition	Local ordinance
Building, residential, existing building, energy	2018 IBC, IRC, IEBC, IECC with Kauaʻi amendments	Ordinance No. 1163, adopted October 10, 2024
Fire	2021 NFPA 1 with amendments	—
Electrical	2020 NEC, enforced as an interim county code under HRS 107-28	Kauaʻi Code Chapter 13
Plumbing	2021 UPC, enforced as an interim county code under HRS 107-28	Kauaʻi Code Chapter 14

Inspections

Request inspections by phone at (808) 241-4854 or by email at [email protected], one or two days ahead. Include your name, the job site address, a phone number, the permit number, and the date you want. Inspectors are assigned by trade and by area:

Trade	Area	Inspector line
Building (supervisor)	Islandwide	(808) 241-4872
Building	Kīpū–Lāwaʻi	(808) 241-4877
Building	Puhi–Kawaihau	(808) 241-4853
Building	Kalāheo–Mānā	(808) 241-4869
Building	Kealia–Hāʻena	(808) 241-4859
Plumbing (supervisor)	Islandwide	(808) 241-4865
Plumbing	Līhuʻe–Kekaha / Kapaʻa–Hāʻena	(808) 241-4864 / (808) 241-4862
Electrical (supervisor)	Islandwide	(808) 241-4867
Electrical	Kealia–Hāʻena / Līhuʻe–Kapaʻa / Puhi–Kekaha	(808) 241-4861 / (808) 241-4866 / (808) 241-4860

Permit status, plan tracking, and inspection results are online at the County’s Click2Gov “Building Permits Online” portal. You can report unpermitted work with the County’s online Building Complaint Form.

Owner-builders and exempt farm buildings

You can pull a permit as an owner-builder by signing the Contractor/Owner Builder Statement. Under state rules from DCCA:

• an owner-builder must register the exemption with the county
• electrical and plumbing work must be done by licensed subcontractors
• the structure generally cannot be sold or leased within one year of final inspection
• a first violation can bring a fine of up to $5,000 or 40% of the structure’s appraised value, whichever is greater

Agricultural buildings claimed as exempt under HRS 46-88 use the County’s Agricultural Building Exemption Form.