Hawaii County, HI Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Section 25-4-43(a) of the zoning code draws the line for when a perimeter fence needs to clear the same setback and permitting hurdles as a building: a perimeter boundary fence, wall, or similar feature six feet or less in height 'shall not be considered a structure' and can be built without meeting any front, side, or rear yard requirement, meaning it can run directly on the property line. A see-through fence built of strand material such as barbed wire, hog wire, or chain link gets an even taller allowance, up to eight feet, still without triggering any yard requirement, because open-mesh fencing does not block sightlines or airflow the way a solid wall does.

Once a fence or wall exceeds six feet, subsection (c) reclassifies it: it becomes an 'accessory structure' that may not extend into any required front, side, or rear yard, though it can be sited next to a building without an open-space requirement. Because the building code treats accessory structures as structures for permitting purposes, a fence over six feet triggers the building division review that a shorter fence skips entirely; a homeowner planning a tall privacy wall, a pool-enclosure fence, or a security wall over six feet needs to check yard compliance and building permit requirements before construction, not after.

Subsection (b) adds a separate access rule that applies at any height: no fence, wall, architectural feature, or obstruction may be placed, or built without gates or openings, in a way that blocks complete access around a main building at all times, which affects fire department and utility access as much as it does permitting.