Building Setbacks & Zoning in Kauai County, HI (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Kauai County, Hawaii.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Kaua'i County's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance sets minimum yard setbacks for every Residential District structure: a 10-foot front setback from the right-of-way, a rear setback of 5 feet or half the wall height, and a side setback of 5 feet or half the wall height, whichever standard is greater in each case.
Kaua'i Residential Front, Side and Rear Setbacks
Some RestrictionsKaua'i County Code § 8-4.3(b)(1)-(3)
(b) Setback requirements. Setback requirements shall be as follows: (1) Front setback: No structure, including but not limited to garages, carport, decks above grade, and accessory or storage structures may be closer than 10 feet to the right-of-way line of a public thoroughfare or the property line of a private street or the pavement line of a driveway or parking lot serving more than three dw...
Structure Height Limits
Kaua'i County caps single-family homes and accessory structures in Residential Districts at two stories above and one below the finished grade, 20 feet to the highest wall plate, and 30 feet to the roof's highest point, with fill at the main entry limited to 4 feet.
Kaua'i Residential Building Height Limit
Some RestrictionsKaua'i County Code § 8-4.5(b)(1)
No single family detached or single family attached dwelling, or accessory structure shall be more than two stories above and one story below from the finished grade at the main entry, over 20 feet measured from the finished grade at the main entry to the highest exterior wall plate line, and over 30 feet to the highest point of the roof measured at each point along the building from the finish...
Lot Coverage Limits
Kaua'i County caps how much of a residential lot can be covered by buildings and pavement: 60% in the R-1 to R-6 density districts, 80% in the R-10 district, and 90% in the R-20 district, under the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance's parcel dimension requirements.
Kaua'i Maximum Lot Coverage by Zoning District
Some RestrictionsKaua'i County Code §§ 8-1.5, 8-4.3(d)(3)
"Land coverage"means a man-made structure, improvement or covering that prevents normal precipitation from directly reaching the surface of the land underlying the structure, improvement or covering. Structures, improvements and covering include roofs, surfaces that are paved with asphalt, stone, or the like such as roads, streets, sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, patios, and ...
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