Lahaina rebuild permits: Maui County has expedited review lanes for fire-affected properties. Learn more →
Hawaii's only island-by-island permit resource

Pulling a building permit in Hawaii doesn't have to be a nightmare

Plain-English guides for every county — Oahu DPP, Maui MAPPS, Big Island EPIC, and Kauai Planning. Free tools included.

Select your island to get started
Oahu City & County of Honolulu · DPP → Maui County Maui · Molokai · Lanai → Big Island Hawaii County · DPW → Kauai Kauai Planning & Public Works →
4 County systems covered
40+ Permit guides
Free Fee estimator & quiz
Local Written in Hawaii
Pick your island

Each island has its own system

Hawaii's four counties each run their own building department, portal, fee schedule, and inspection process. Find yours below.

🏙️
Oahu
City & County of Honolulu — DPP
Covers all of Oahu. Highest permit volume in the state. All submissions through ePlans portal.
ePlans portal 3–6 month review Owner-builder option
Oahu permit guide → 🌺
Maui County
Maui County Planning — MAPPS
Covers Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. Lahaina rebuild permits have expedited lanes.
MAPPS portal 30–90 day review Lahaina rebuild
Maui permit guide → 🌋
Big Island
Hawaii County — Dept of Public Works
Covers all of Hawaii Island. Lava zone rules apply. Fastest review in the state for minor work.
EPIC portal 2–4 week review Lava zone rules
Big Island permit guide → 🌿
Kauai
Kauai Planning & Public Works
Covers Kauai and Niihau. Smaller staff, no expedite option. Strong coastal SMA requirements.
Kauai portal 6–12 week review Coastal SMA
Kauai permit guide →
Free tools

Figure out where you stand

Two tools built specifically for Hawaii. No mainland generic calculators — these use real county fee schedules.

🤔
Do I need a permit?
Answer 5 quick questions about your project and island. Get a plain-English yes, no, or maybe — plus the county contact to verify.
Take the quiz →
🧮
Permit fee estimator
Select your island, project type, and construction value. Get an estimated permit fee broken down by building fee, plan check, and state surcharge.
Estimate my fees →
📋
Oahu DPP checklist ($9)
A downloadable PDF checklist of every document you need to submit to DPP ePlans — organized by project type. Saves hours of back-and-forth.
Download checklist →
How it works on Oahu

The DPP permit process, simplified

Most people get stuck because nobody explains the sequence. Here it is.

1
Prepare your plans
Gather architectural drawings, site plan, and structural plans if needed. Projects over certain values need engineer stamps.
2
Submit via ePlans
All Oahu permits now go through DPP's ePlans portal. No walk-ins for plan review. Create an account and upload your set.
3
Plan check review
DPP reviews your plans. Expect correction comments (called "DRC" — deficiency response comments). Most projects get at least one round.
4
Pay fees & pull permit
Once approved, pay your permit fees online and download your permit. Post it visibly at the job site before work begins.
5
Pass inspections
Schedule required inspections at each milestone (framing, rough-in, final). Get your certificate of completion when done.
Hawaii-wide topics

Common questions across all islands

These topics affect every island and trip up homeowners and contractors alike.

🌊
SMA permits
Special Management Area rules for coastal properties
 🏠
ADU / ohana units
How to permit an accessory dwelling unit on each island
 ☀️
Solar permits
PV system permitting, county by county
 🔨
Owner-builder permits
Oahu's 2-year resale rule and what it means for you
 ⚠️
Unpermitted work
What happens and how to get it legalized
 🌋
Lava zone rules
Engineer stamp requirements for Big Island zones 1–3
 💧
Flood zone permits
How FEMA flood maps affect your Hawaii permit
 💰
Fee comparison
What each island charges and why Hawaii fees are high
Not a DIY project?

Get the free Oahu permit checklist

We'll also send you our weekly Hawaii permit insider — DPP wait time updates, fee changes, and tips from local contractors. No spam.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Written by someone who lives in Hawaii.