Building Setbacks & Zoning in Hawaii County, HI (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Hawaii County, Hawaii.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Setbacks vary by zoning district and lot size. In the common RS single-family district, front and rear yards run 15 to 25 feet and side yards 8 to 15 feet, increasing with lot area. Required yards must stay open and unobstructed from the ground up.
Building Setbacks (Yards) on Hawaii Island
Some RestrictionsHCC 25-5-7(1)
The minimum yards in the RS district shall be as follows: (1) On a building site with a required area of seven thousand five hundred square feet to and including nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine square feet: (A) Front and rear yards, fifteen feet; and (B) Side yards, eight feet.
Structure Height Limits
Hawaii County caps single-family homes in the RS residential district at thirty-five feet under Hawaii County Code § 25-5-4. Countywide rules in §§ 25-4-20 through 25-4-23 add the fine print: no exceeding the district limit once it's set, a handful of narrow exemptions like chimneys and antennas, and a flat twenty-foot cap on accessory structures.
Residential Structure Height Limits on Big Island
Some RestrictionsHawaii County Code §§ 25-5-4, 25-4-20, 25-4-23
The height limit in the RS district shall be thirty-five feet. ... (a) No building or structure hereafter erected shall exceed the established zoning district height limit, except as hereinafter permitted or otherwise regulated. (b) If any existing structure exceeds the established zoning district height limits, it shall not be further increased in height. ... An accessory structure shall not e...
Lot Coverage Limits
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.
Lot Coverage and Density on Hawaii Island
Some RestrictionsHCC 25-5-5
The minimum building site area in the RS district shall be seven thousand five hundred square feet.
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