The Honolulu rule
DPP's Building Permit Requirements page (read 23 October 2026) quotes ROH 18-3.1(a): a permit is required "To erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish any building or structure". A house cannot take the Quick Permit route, which needs an "Estimated value of work can be no more than $75,000" (Instant Online Permits), so it is a permit with plans:
| Step | What DPP says |
|---|---|
| Application | Online in HNL Build, then plans through ePlans |
| Plans | Must meet the Building Permit Plan Format Checklist |
| Stamped plans | Required when work on a one-story residence exceeds $180,000, or on a two-story residence exceeds $162,000 |
| Fees | "Building permits are subject to plan review and building permit fees" |
| Questions | Permit Center 808-768-8220 or 808-768-3126, eplans@honolulu.gov |
The usual new home filed value, $370,000, is over both stamping thresholds, so plan on a licensed professional stamping the plans.
The solar water heater requirement
HRS 196-6.5: on or after January 1, 2010, "no building permit shall be issued for a new single-family dwelling that does not include a solar water heater system", unless the Hawaii State Energy Office approves a variance. Only a licensed architect or mechanical engineer can apply, attesting one of four grounds:
| Variance ground | In the statute's words |
|---|---|
| Poor sun | "Installation is impracticable due to poor solar resource" |
| Cost | Cost-prohibitive on a life-cycle analysis of no more than fifteen years |
| Another renewable | A renewable energy system substituted as the primary water-heating source |
| Gas tankless | A UL-approved gas tankless water heater, "provided that at least one other gas appliance is installed" |
A variance is deemed approved if not denied within thirty working days. The solar water heater itself is a separate HNL Build permit; see Honolulu solar water heater permit.
Who can pull it
- A licensed contractor. DCCA says a contractor license is required for any project that needs a building, electrical or plumbing permit (DCCA PVL), and HNL Build checks that contractors on an application hold the classes the work needs (HNL Build FAQ). The classes and free search are in the Honolulu contractor license lookup.
- You, as owner-builder, under HRS 444-2.5, for a home "for their own use, or for use by their grandparents, parents, siblings, or children" that is not offered for sale or lease. You must register for the exemption, supervise the work, hire licensed subcontractors, have electrical and plumbing done by licensed people, and treat unlicensed workers as your employees (FICA, withholding, workers' compensation). You keep contracts and proof of payment for three years. "Proof of the sale or lease, or offering for sale or lease, of the structure within one year after completion" is prima facie evidence it was built for sale.
What it costs
ROH Table 18-A, by total estimated value of work:
| Estimated value | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $100,000.01–$500,000 | $700 + $10 per $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,000.01–$2,000,000 | $3,200 + $5 per $1,000 or fraction |
| $2,000,000.01 and above | $4,300 + $4.50 per $1,000 or fraction |
On a $370,000 house: $700 + 270 × $10 = $3,400. On $600,000, near the top of the middle half of builders: $3,200 + 100 × $5 = $3,700 (our arithmetic). Plan review of revisions is "$200 or 10% of the original building permit fee, whichever is greater". Plan review fees are on top; HNL Build shows all fees before payment.
What 1,572 Oʻahu new home permits show
| Measure | Oʻahu new homes |
|---|---|
| Permits, July 2022 to June 2025 | 1,572 |
| Firms | 197 |
| Firms with one permit only | 101 (51.3%) |
| Share of permits held by the 5 busiest firms | 63.8% |
| Usual filed value (middle half of firms) | $370,000 ($421,000 to $600,000) |
| Closed (permits a year or more old) | 88.0% |
| Usual days from issue to close | 295 |
| Busiest / quietest month | March (174) / September (52) |
Two markets share this file. A few builders file many houses: five firms hold 63.8% of permits, and March runs at 174 against an average month of 100. The other 101 firms built a single house each. Firms' usual filed values run from $421,000 to $600,000 for the middle half, above the overall $370,000, because the high-volume builders file lower values. Among the 17 firms with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile firm closed 49.7%. Prices are on Honolulu new home cost; monthly counts on Honolulu permit statistics.
See every Oʻahu home builder by permits closed →
Before you hire
Compare builders on the Honolulu home builder list. What to ask is in hiring a home builder; other states' rules in do I need a permit to build a house; national prices in new home construction cost. Past permits on a lot are in Honolulu building permit search.
What this does not tell you
DPP's open data ends in June 2025. Filed values are the builder's estimate of construction value, not land or sale price. We have no license match for Honolulu firms, so check each builder on DCCA's search.
How we know this
Permit requirements are quoted from DPP's Building Permit Requirements and Instant Online Permits pages and the HNL Build FAQ; fees from ROH Table 18-A, with the $370,000 and $600,000 examples as our arithmetic; the solar water heater rule from HRS 196-6.5 and the owner-builder rule from HRS 444-2.5; the license rule from DCCA; read 22 and 23 October 2026. Counts are City & County of Honolulu building permits classified as new homes, July 2022 to June 2025; closed share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City & County of Honolulu building permits (DPP), data through July 1, 2025. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Honolulu?
Yes. ROH 18-3.1 requires a DPP building permit to erect any building, and a new house is far over the $75,000 Quick Permit limit, so it goes through plan review as a permit with plans, submitted through ePlans.
- How much is a building permit for a new house in Honolulu?
ROH Table 18-A charges $700 plus $10 per $1,000 of value between $100,000.01 and $500,000, and $3,200 plus $5 per $1,000 from $500,000.01 to $2,000,000. On a $370,000 house that is $3,400, by our arithmetic, before any other fees.
- Does a new house in Hawaii need a solar water heater?
Yes. HRS 196-6.5 says no building permit is issued for a new single-family dwelling without a solar water heater system unless the Hawaii State Energy Office approves a variance, applied for by a licensed architect or mechanical engineer.
- Can I build my own house in Honolulu as an owner-builder?
Hawaii's owner-builder exemption, HRS 444-2.5, lets owners build homes for their own or close family's use if they register for it, supervise the work, hire licensed subcontractors, and use licensed electricians and plumbers. Selling or leasing within a year of completion is treated as evidence it was built for sale.
- How long does a new home permit take in Honolulu?
The permit stays open for the whole build. In our file the usual Oʻahu new home permit closed 295 days after it was issued, and 88.0% of permits a year or more old had closed.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
- Arlington's 2,500-square-foot rule: when an addition or new house needs a Land Disturbing Activity and stormwater permit
- New home permit in Orlando: what the City needs, review deadlines, permit and impact fees
- Do I need a new home permit in Raleigh? The portal submittal, the FY27 fees by percentage, owner-builder rules and who builds here
For one city
- Building Permit Requirements — Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Instant Online Building Permits — Honolulu DPP (accessed 2026-10-23)
- ROH Chapter 18, Table 18-A: Fees for Permits — Revised Ordinances of Honolulu (accessed 2026-10-23)
- HRS 196-6.5 Solar water heater system required for new single-family residential construction (accessed 2026-10-23)
- HRS 444-2.5 Owner-builder exemption (accessed 2026-10-23)
- HNL Build Frequently Asked Questions — Honolulu DPP (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Hire a Licensed Contractor — DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing (2026-10-22)