The Hawaii County building code exempts fences six feet or less from a building permit. A taller fence or wall generally needs a permit, and any wall over six feet is a zoning accessory structure that cannot sit in a required yard.
The County Department of Public Works building-permit guidelines list "Fences 6' or less in height" among work that does not require a building permit. Once a fence or wall exceeds six feet it is not exempt: a building permit is generally required, and Zoning Code 25-4-43(c) reclassifies it as an accessory structure that may not extend into any required front, side, or rear yard. Because the County is the only local government, one permit process covers the whole Big Island through DPW and the Planning Department.
Building without a required permit can trigger investigation, an after-the-fact permit requirement, doubled fees, stop-work, and correction or removal of noncompliant work.
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 permit requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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