Honolulu County, HI Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Plan review fee
- Waived for fences, § 18-6.1(b)
- Building permit fee
- Still owed, per Table No. 18-A
- Combined permit
- Fence can share dwelling's permit, § 18-3.2(1)
- Max criminal penalty
- $2,000 fine or 1 year jail
- Ongoing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
- Stop-work consequence
- Blocks other permits until cured
Summary
A fence built anywhere on Oahu still needs a City and County of Honolulu building permit, but ROH § 18-6.1(b) exempts fence applications from the plan review fee charged on most construction. Fences installed alongside a new house can share one combined permit under ROH § 18-3.2(1), and building without a permit is a misdemeanor under Article 7.
(a) When a plan or other data is required to be submitted by § 18-4.2, a plan review fee must be paid when submitting plans and specifications for review. The plan review fee is 20 percent of the tentative building permit fee as set forth in Table No. 18-A... based upon a preliminary estimated valuation of work, but not greater than $25,000... (b) Exception. Plan review fees shall not be required for building permit applications for fences, retaining walls, swimming pools, driveways, or for any similar work performed for any city agency.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-10: Supplement 10, 12-2025 Ordinance No. 25-40 through Ordinance No. 25-56).
Full Breakdown
2(1) lets a homeowner fold the fence into the same permit as "a dwelling and its accessories, such as fence, wall, pool, and garage without living quarters," so a fence built with a new house does not need a separate application. 1(a) sets it at 20 percent of the tentative building permit fee from Table No. 18-A, capped at $25,000 in estimated valuation (30 percent and no cap for applicants with a history of false statements on permit paperwork). " The building permit fee itself, computed off Table No.
2, is not waived, only the plan review charge. 2. 5(b) bars the owner from applying for any other permit until the violation is cured and fines are paid.
Violations & Fines
Building or maintaining a fence contrary to Chapter 18, including working without the required permit, is a misdemeanor under ROH § 18-7.3(a): a fine of not more than $2,000, imprisonment of not more than one year, or both, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense. Violating a stop-work order carries the same $2,000/one-year misdemeanor exposure under § 18-7.5(b) and blocks new permit applications until the violation is cured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need a permit to build a fence in Honolulu?
Does Honolulu charge a fee to permit a fence?
What happens if I build a fence without a Honolulu permit?
Can my fence permit be combined with my house permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Honolulu County
Compare Honolulu County to another location·View the Hawaii fence regulations overview
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