Honolulu DPP building permits: a plain-language guide

When is a permit required?

Under ROH §18-3.1(a), DPP says a building permit is needed to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish a building or structure; for non-exempt electrical or plumbing work; for sidewalk, curb or driveway work in the public right-of-way; for signs; and for site or retaining walls over 30″ tall.

Common exemptions (ROH §18-3.1(b))

DPP lists these commonly applicable exemptions (the full list is in the ordinance):

• Fences or planter boxes up to 6′ tall, not in a flood zone or on a street corner
• Retaining walls up to 30″ tall
• Like-for-like maintenance repairs up to $10,000 in valuation in any 12-month period, not affecting electrical or plumbing
• Painting, cabinet work, floor covering, and replacing windows or doors
• Tool/storage sheds up to 120 sq ft as accessories to dwellings
• Electrical repair by a licensed electrical contractor (no service-entrance equipment) up to $2,500 per 12 months; plumbing repair by a licensed plumbing contractor up to $2,500 per 12 months

Exempt work still has to follow all laws and ordinances.

Repair exemption amount: Ordinance 23-13, adopted in June 2023, amended ROH §18-3.1(b)(10). Like-for-like maintenance repairs and labor are exempt if they total no more than $10,000 in valuation in any 12-month period and involve no electrical, plumbing, or mechanical installations. (An earlier draft of the bill said $7,500; the committee's CD2 version raised it to $10,000.) The enacted amendment also says exemptions don't apply to construction within a public utility right-of-way or easement, and that the fence/retaining-wall exemptions don't apply on street corners or in flood zones.

Quick Permits vs. regular Building Permits

If your project doesn't qualify for a Quick (instant online) Permit, you have to file a regular Building Permit with plans. DPP notes that newly mapped flood-zone properties may no longer qualify for Quick Permits (see flood maps).

HNL Build and ePlans

HNL Build is DPP's official online system. DPP accepts all applications and requests through it, and applicants use it to check status, pay, comment, upload files, and receive documents. For Building Permits with plans, all projects have to be submitted through ePlans (paper is not accepted). After you create the application, DPP emails you a link to upload plans to ProjectDox. ePlans questions: [email protected].

DPP's steps: apply → upload plans in ePlans → prescreen → plan review (routed to agencies) → issuance → inspections → close the permit.

Third-party review

DPP's administrative rules allow an optional third-party review. At their own expense, applicants can have a DPP-approved third-party reviewer check the submission and send DPP written verification of code compliance. DPP's Forms page has the Third-Party Reviewer Application, the Third-Party Review Certification Form, and the List of Certified Third Party Reviewers.

Timelines

DPP does not guarantee review times. Its CivCheck page reports that applications prepared with CivCheck reach a permit decision 55% faster on average: 32.5 days, compared with 73 days without CivCheck. It also reports 67% fewer corrections (an average of 7.7, down from 23.5). These are DPP averages, not a guarantee.

On June 30, 2026, DPP announced a temporary "Priority Review" program in a City and County of Honolulu news release (distributed via EIN Presswire; the full text was republished as a DPP release). Projects pre-screened with CivCheck go straight to prescreen. Background: DPP: Getting Started With CivCheck. Covered by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (July 2, 2026). In short: DPP launched a temporary "Priority Review" program for eligible residential projects pre-screened with the AI-assisted CivCheck platform. DPP said CivCheck would become mandatory later in 2026. According to DPP, as quoted, average review times for CivCheck applications fell from 73 days to 32.5 days, based on a small sample (nearly 40 applications). These are DPP-reported figures, not a guarantee. The same 73 → 32.5-day figures appear on DPP's official CivCheck page (linked above). DPP says CivCheck is free, does not replace official review, and should not be used for Quick Permit projects.