31,950 permits from 1,035 contractors across 12 kinds of work in the City & County of Honolulu (Oʻahu), July 2022 through June 2025: about 10,650 a year. Solar is the biggest trade with 16,068 permits. The busiest month for filings is August. Records run through June 2025; the city's file has nothing newer for us to read.
Firms are distinct business names on the file. A linked usual filed value opens what that work costs. Finished is the share of permits a year or more old that the city closed out. Days to finish run from issue to the city's completion date, not from application.
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Active last 12 mo | Usual filed value | Finished | Days to finish | Busiest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 16,068 | 110 | 66 | $27,500 | 84.2% | 102 | December |
| Electrical | 8,223 | 408 | 272 | $3,000 | 78.3% | 155 | September |
| Solar Water Heating | 2,274 | 30 | 18 | $4,000 | 69.0% | 225 | December |
| New Home | 1,572 | 197 | 122 | $370,000 | 88.4% | 295 | March |
| Remodel & Repair | 1,048 | 351 | 174 | $20,000 | 80.3% | 265 | August |
| Addition | 979 | 314 | 210 | $100,000 | 58.3% | 567 | December |
| Fence & Gate | 580 | 103 | 33 | $7,504 | 94.2% | 130 | April |
| Demolition | 554 | 171 | 114 | $5,000 | 72.9% | 422 | April |
| ADU & Ohana Unit | 297 | 139 | 87 | $150,000 | 81.8% | 533 | April |
| Swimming Pool | 141 | 43 | 29 | $120,000 | 73.9% | 448 | June |
| Plumbing | 125 | 69 | 37 | $5,000 | — | 323 | March |
Fewer than 100 permits, so no row: Retaining Wall (89).
The file we publish splits exactly into the last 12 months on file and the 24 months before them, so these are 12-month periods ending June 2025, not calendar years. Per year scales each period to 12 months. Counts cover the 12 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Honolulu issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2022–Jun 2024 | 24 | 21,854 | 10,927 |
| Jul 2024–Jun 2025 (last 12 months on file) | 12 | 10,096 | 10,096 |
Share of filings by month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). The 8 biggest trades (every trade with 500 or more permits), July 2022 through June 2025. A tall bar is a busy month at the permit counter, which usually means a longer wait for a contractor.
16,068 permits · busiest December, quietest January
8,223 permits · busiest September, quietest March
2,274 permits · busiest December, quietest January
1,572 permits · busiest March, quietest September
1,048 permits · busiest August, quietest November
979 permits · busiest December, quietest January
580 permits · busiest April, quietest December
554 permits · busiest April, quietest January
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 76 | 89 | 94 | 90 | 90 | 82 | 95 | 122 | 113 | 119 | 109 | 123 |
| Electrical | 100 | 87 | 87 | 97 | 101 | 99 | 112 | 112 | 120 | 102 | 90 | 95 |
| Solar Water Heating | 82 | 94 | 95 | 104 | 103 | 108 | 103 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 94 | 110 |
| New Home | 112 | 122 | 174 | 107 | 87 | 90 | 127 | 76 | 52 | 94 | 85 | 75 |
| Remodel & Repair | 97 | 95 | 75 | 100 | 124 | 90 | 105 | 190 | 79 | 97 | 74 | 74 |
| Addition | 82 | 103 | 85 | 103 | 114 | 103 | 93 | 95 | 111 | 98 | 95 | 117 |
| Fence & Gate | 123 | 83 | 130 | 142 | 89 | 89 | 104 | 100 | 100 | 85 | 81 | 74 |
| Demolition | 67 | 94 | 96 | 181 | 122 | 80 | 80 | 92 | 75 | 110 | 98 | 104 |
For each trade, the month with the most permit filings and the month with the fewest, July 2022 through June 2025. Trades do not all peak together, so the busy season depends on the job. Busiest is not the same as best: these are counts of filings, not prices or weather, though a quiet month at the permit counter can mean contractors have more room in the schedule.
December: Honolulu solar permits peak in December (123 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (76). That is from 16,068 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule solar installation, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 102 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the solar chart →
September: Honolulu electrical permits peak in September (120 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); March is the quietest (87). That is from 8,223 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule electrical work, March has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 155 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the electrical chart →
December: Honolulu solar water heating permits peak in December (110 against an average month of 100, about 9% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (82). That is from 2,274 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule solar water heating work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 225 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the solar water heating chart →
March: Honolulu new home permits peak in March (174 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (52). That is from 1,572 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 295 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the new home chart →
August: Honolulu remodel & repair permits peak in August (190 against an average month of 100, about 16% of a year's filings); November is the quietest (74). That is from 1,048 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule a home remodel, November has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 265 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the remodel & repair chart →
December: Honolulu addition permits peak in December (117 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (82). That is from 979 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule a home addition, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 567 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the addition chart →
April: Honolulu fence & gate permits peak in April (142 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (74). That is from 580 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule fence installation, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 130 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the fence & gate chart →
April: Honolulu demolition permits peak in April (181 against an average month of 100, about 15% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (67). That is from 554 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule demolition, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 422 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the demolition chart →
April: Honolulu ADU & ohana unit permits peak in April (184 against an average month of 100, about 15% of a year's filings); July is the quietest (58). That is from 297 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule ADU construction, July has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 533 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month.
June: Honolulu swimming pool permits peak in June (137 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); April is the quietest (38). That is from 141 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule a pool build, April has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 448 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month.
March: Honolulu plumbing permits peak in March (171 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (52). That is from 125 permits, July 2022 through June 2025. If you can choose when to schedule plumbing work, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 323 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month.
Top 10 by permits pulled in the last 12 months on file (Jul 2024–Jun 2025), all trades. This is volume, not quality: a busy firm is not a careful one. Pick what you value on the compare page to build a ranking.
| Contractor | Trades | Last 12 mo | All permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrun Installation Svs Inc | Solar, Electrical, Remodel & Repair, Addition, ADU & Ohana Unit | 2,518 | 6,205 |
| Revolusun LLC | Solar, Electrical, Solar Water Heating | 731 | 3,295 |
| Alternate Energy, Inc | Solar, Electrical, Solar Water Heating, Remodel & Repair | 647 | 2,605 |
| Hawaii Energy Connection, LLC | Solar, Electrical | 445 | 1,595 |
| Solartech Hawaii LLC | Solar, Electrical | 269 | 836 |
| Holu Hou Energy LLC | Solar, Electrical, Remodel & Repair | 237 | 392 |
| Independent Energy Systems LLC | Solar, Electrical | 208 | 506 |
| Hawaii Unified Industries LLC | Solar, Electrical, Addition, Retaining Wall | 178 | 720 |
| Solarcity Corporation dba Tesla Energy | Solar, Electrical | 176 | 917 |
| Malama Solar LLC | Solar, Electrical | 176 | 711 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, July 2022 through June 2025, for the 12 kinds of home work we track. The 10 busiest of 24 ZIP codes with 100 or more permits; each opens permits by trade and the most active contractors there.
| ZIP code | Permits | Share | Top trade | Usual home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96706 | 3,737 | 12% | Solar | $853,000 |
| 96734 | 2,839 | 9% | Solar | $1,425,000 |
| 96797 | 2,530 | 8% | Solar | $861,000 |
| 96816 | 2,368 | 7% | Solar | $1,238,000 |
| 96744 | 2,300 | 7% | Solar | $1,004,000 |
| 96789 | 2,054 | 6% | Solar | $1,041,000 |
| 96825 | 1,690 | 5% | Solar | $1,258,000 |
| 96792 | 1,624 | 5% | Solar | $585,000 |
| 96707 | 1,559 | 5% | Solar | $843,000 |
| 96821 | 1,447 | 5% | Solar | $1,432,000 |
Source: City & County of Honolulu building permits (DPP). The window is July 2022 through June 2025; a permit filed after that isn't here yet.
A filed value is what the contractor wrote on the permit when they applied. It is not a quote and not the final bill.
Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits, and one permit can cover several visits.
Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. How the records work in Honolulu →
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