Hawaii County, HI Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Chapter 5F is the plumbing code, and Section 5F-2-1 incorporates the 2012 Edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code, published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, as the operative standard for the county, with local amendments spelled out in the same section: a redefined 'building drain,' a new 'health officer' definition tied to the State Department of Health, a seismic-support rule for pipe hangers, and a rewritten permit clause for alternate water source systems. Section 5F-1-3 sets the scope: the chapter reaches all new construction and any alteration, repair, or reconstruction inland of the shoreline high-water line, and Section 5F-1-3(6) makes clear that even an otherwise permit-exempt agricultural building still needs a plumbing permit the moment plumbing gets connected.

Administrative steps, plan review, and fees run through Chapter 5, the construction administrative code, and existing plumbing that was compliant when installed is grandfathered under Section 5F-1-5 as long as it still meets the county's inspection standard. The Department of Public Works Building Division, with offices in Hilo and Kailua-Kona, is the authority having jurisdiction that issues plumbing permits, inspects the work, and keeps a public copy of the 2012 Uniform Plumbing Code on file at both offices and the County Clerk. Work performed without a permit, or in violation of a permit's terms, is a violation of the construction code under Section 5-10-1, and the director can respond with a stop-work order plus a written notice of violation before the case ever reaches a fine.