Maui County, HI Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Maui County's floodplain ordinance is now codified at Chapter 16.29 of the Maui County Code (MCC), having been relocated from former Chapter 19.62 of the Title 19 Zoning Code by a 2023 bill that also moved program administration from the Department of Planning to the Department of Public Works (DPW) Engineering Division. The Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Study effective September 25, 2009 are adopted by reference and are the official maps used to identify Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). FEMA flood zones used in Maui County include Zones A, AE, AH, AO, and AEF (regulatory floodway) for riverine and shallow flooding, and Zones V and VE for coastal high-hazard areas with wave velocity hazards. Under MCC 16.29, a Flood Development Permit (FDP) issued by the DPW Engineering Division is required before any development including new construction, substantial improvement, fill, grading, or substantial structural alteration in a mapped SFHA. Maui County is one of only two counties in Hawaii (along with Hawaii County) that imposes a freeboard requirement, mandating that new and substantially improved structures in SFHAs be elevated at least 1 foot above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), with mechanical and electrical equipment also elevated at least 1 foot above BFE. Development in coastal high-hazard VE zones requires a Coastal High Hazard Area Certification under MCC 16.29.060.G prepared by a Hawaii-licensed civil or structural engineer or architect, with structures on pile or column foundations and open below the BFE. The NFIP substantial improvement / substantial damage rule (50% of market value) requires repairs or improvements meeting or exceeding half the structure's pre-improvement value to bring the entire building into current Chapter 16.29 compliance. Maui County has participated in the NFIP since 1981 and earned a Community Rating System Class 7 rating after a 2021 audit, providing a 15% discount on flood insurance premiums for Maui County policyholders, an estimated collective annual savings of approximately $1 million across roughly 12,562 policies. Coastal parcels are also subject to Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 205A Coastal Zone Management Act and Special Management Area (SMA) permit review by the Maui Planning Commission. Tsunami evacuation zones are mapped by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and the Pacific Disaster Center as red (tsunami evacuation zone) and yellow (extreme evacuation zone), and apply to most low-lying Maui shorelines. After the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire, Maui County established a new shoreline erosion hazard line in West Maui that incorporates an estimated 3.2 feet of sea level rise this century, restricting reconstruction seaward of the line, while concurrently allowing reconstruction of nonconforming structures in the burn zone within four years if they comply with current building, fire, and flood requirements. Property owners can request a written flood zone determination by emailing the DPW Engineering Division with their tax map key (TMK), address, and contact information.