How to Get a Building Permit in Honolulu in Minutes
Do you own a piece of land in Honolulu and would like to build a home? Or perhaps a commercial building? You first need to get a before you can break ground.
Building regulations are put in place to ensure that any structure that comes up meets the right safety standards and to preserve the intended appearance of a given environment. For example, some regions restrict the number of stories a structure can have.
To ensure you're in compliance and to avoid having your hard-earned investment demolished, it's important to secure a building permit. DoNotPay can help you apply for a Honolulu building permit with ease and within minutes.
When Is a Building Permit Necessary in Honolulu?
Like most state and county laws, the Honolulu building codes require anyone doing construction work on their property/structures to obtain a building permit . This applies to both building owners and contractors.
Construction work that requires building permits includes but is not limited to:
- Construction of a new building
- Enlargement of an existing building i.e. extending the floor plan or number of stories
- Building alterations i.e. refacing, building decks
- Extensive building repairs
- Building conversions
- Building excavation
- Demolishing a building
- Adding new features i.e. swimming pool, decks, wells e.t.c
- Electrical projects over $500
- Plumbing works above $1,000
Why Should You Get a Building Permit in Honolulu?
The most important reason to get a is to be in compliance with the law. Every state, county, and the city has a building inspector responsible for ensuring all construction sites are registered and approved. Failure to comply will subject you to heavy fines and the inspector will shut down construction.
Other reasons why you should get a building permit in Honolulu include:
| Ensuring the Safety of Your Structure | The building safety guidelines are not a suggestion, rather are implemented to ensure the safety of construction workers and inhabitants of the structure. |
| For Insurance Purposes | Insurance companies require buildings to have approved building permits before they can be eligible for coverage. |
| To Protect Your Property's Value | Buildings cannot be properly valued without a valid building permit. The permit ascertains that the structure was built according to standard regulations, thereby serving as an assurance of value. |
| Easy Sale of Property | Structural improvements that are not approved by a permit may be demolished during a property sale and ridicule the property's value. |
How to Get a Building Permit in Honolulu
All Honolulu building permit applications must be done online.
Online Application Process
To apply, visit the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) website and fill in your details. The application process is sequential. Once you submit your application, you 'll receive an Internet Building Permit (IBP) number.
To upload your drawings, you must have a profile with ePlans. For new users, create a profile with ePlans and key in a valid email address. Your log-in details will be sent to the email address you provided.
Log in to ePlans and upload the following drawing plans:
- Architectural
- Structural
- Electrical
- Plumbing
- Mechanical
- Landscaping
Your documents will then go through a screening process.
The Screening Process
During the screening process, the DPP checks to see if your documents meet the required standard format. If they don 't, your documents will be returned to you with comments for editing. If they pass, they move on to the review process.
What Does the Review Process Entail?
Every drawing plan goes through a different agency for screening, then sent to a review coordinator. The review process involves checking if all the plans are approved and have the right stamps. Any noted mistakes will be sent to you for correction.
What Does It Take To Get Approval?
When all your documents pass the review process, you'll receive an approval notification from DPP and a link to your approved documents. Download and print the approved documents. Visit the Building permit Center at 650 S King St, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA with printed approved plans and your IBP number to get your Honolulu building permit.
What Fees Do I Need to Pay to Get a Honolulu Building Permit?
The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting charges plan review fees and building permit fees. The ePlans and application forms are free.
The building permit fee is expressed as a percentage of the estimated value of the project, calculated on the DPP website.
The plan review fee is 20% of the estimated building permit fee up to a maximum of $25,000.
How to Apply for a Honolulu Building Permit With the Help of DoNotPay
If you want to apply for a building permit in Honolulu but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered. Create your own request letter in 6 easy steps:
- Go to the Planning Permissions product on DoNotPay.
- Choose one of the following options:
- Check whether your project needs a building permit or if it's exempt
- Generate a permission request letter to send to your HOA
- Generate a guide on how to complete the building permit application
- Choose the focus of your project (new ADU, pool, shed, fence, etc.) and answer a few questions about your plans, including the size of the structure and estimated cost.
- Indicate whether you're hiring a contractor and include the estimated start date and timeline for the project.
- Indicate whether any public sidewalk/street space will be used during construction.
- And that's it! DoNotPay will help guide you through the building permit process by checking if your project needs a building permit, contacting any HOAs you're a part of to request building permission, or generating detailed instructions on how to start and complete your building permit application process.
DoNotPay can help you apply for other building permits including:
- Palm Beach County building permit
- Los Angeles building permits
- Chicago building permits
- Sarasota County building permits
Why Use DoNotPay to Apply for a Honolulu Building Permit
While the online application method seems easy and straightforward, the screening and review processes can take weeks or months before you can get approval. DoNotPay can help you get your Honolulu building permit faster by making follow-ups for you. We work with all companies and entities and can get your building plans reviewed much faster so your approval process doesn't take long. Sign up today to get started.