Hawaii County zoning does not cap lot coverage by a percentage. Instead it controls how much you can build through minimum building-site area, minimum width, and required yards. In the RS district each dwelling needs at least 7,500 square feet.
Chapter 25 uses no maximum-lot-coverage percentage or floor-area ratio. Buildable envelope is instead governed by minimum building-site area, minimum average width, height limits, and required yards. In the RS single-family district, the minimum building site is 7,500 square feet per dwelling (25-5-5), with a minimum average width of 60 feet (25-5-6); more than one dwelling is allowed only if each has the full minimum area (25-5-8). Required yards (25-5-7) plus the 35-foot height limit effectively bound coverage. Denser RD and RM districts set their own minimum land area per unit.
Placing more dwellings than the minimum site area allows, or building into required yards, is a zoning violation subject to correction or variance.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Hawaii County, HI
Hawai'i County has no separate hoarding ordinance; the matter is handled under state cruelty law. Depriving pet animals of necessary sustenance is cruelty in...
Hawaii County, HI
Ordinance No. 25-63 (Bill 51, 2025) makes it illegal to feed feral animals, including cats, chickens, pigs and goats, on County of Hawai'i property, to prote...
Hawaii County, HI
Home composting is allowed and encouraged in Hawai'i County. The county runs green-waste diversion at its transfer stations and recycling programs, but there...
Hawaii County, HI
The County of Hawai'i has no ordinance banning or specifically regulating artificial turf on residential yards. Installation must still meet zoning setbacks,...
Hawaii County, HI
There is no county rule requiring native landscaping, but the Big Island is ground-zero for invasive-species control. Planting or spreading state-listed noxi...
Hawaii County, HI
Rainwater catchment is legal and common on the Big Island — many Puna and off-grid homes rely on it. The County Department of Water Supply does not recognize...
See how Hawaii County's lot coverage limits rules stack up against other locations.
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