OFF GRID WITH JAKE AND NICOLE HAWAII CODE

With all the warm tropical sunshine, there should be little wonder why Hawai’i is leading the nation in Solar Energy projects. The metal of the containers can heat up your home real quick out here in the tropics. The important thing about building a home out these would be to consider placing the container where it could catch the tradewinds and can be out of the sun. There are many cool shipping container home ideas, from super extravagant to just living out of a shipping container. Shipping container homes are legal in every county in the state of Hawai’i, but rules made up by a specific neighborhood or homeowners association may have their own ideas on what is allowed, so be sure to check. Amazingly enough, it is legal to build a home out of one of them. We are losing out on a valuable local resource and until the building codes change locally to allow for Bamboo Homes, bamboo will never be a viable material for construction in Hawai’i.īeing on an island, there are many shipping containers out here. Don’t get me wrong, they make amazing bamboo homes, but they are kits imported from Asia. The only drawback is the only bamboo homes that are currently being permitted in Hawai’i are produced by a company called Bamboo Living Homes. The homes are relatively easy to build and thrive in our tropical climate. It grows locally, could provide hundreds of jobs and could revolutionize our economy. If you already have a home and want to include a guest room, yoga studio, or art studio then you can construct a Yurt without having to get it cleared by the Building Department.īamboo would be the perfect building material for homes in Hawai’i. Verify setback requirements with the Planning Department).” (Building cannot be located within building setback as required by the Zoning, Chapter 25 of Hawaii County Code. “(18) One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, provided the floor area does not exceed a) 120 square feet b) does not exceed 600 square feet for agriculturally zoned lands.

OFF GRID WITH JAKE AND NICOLE HAWAII CODE

If the property already has a permitted primary residence, Hawai’i Island has recently made an amendment to the building code that allows accessory buildings with “No Permits Needed.” Yurts are permitted to be permanent residences, but the only ones to ever receive stamps of approval have been located on Hawai’i Island, even though all Islands have yurts. The local building officials are most familiar with this style of construction and quickly approve these projects. Some lumber companies offer kit homes that are predesigned and approved to build on your lot.

Each county is allowed to amend the code for specific usage, so please double check with your local building officials before you begin any project.Ĭonventional stick frame construction is easily permitted in all Hawai’i counties. The Legalities of Building a Home in HawaiiĪs with almost every state in the country, Hawai’i has adopted the International Building Codes as their go-to when enforcing construction in Hawai’i.

Sometimes we got to start where we are at! Here is a great book from Amazon about starting a Homestead even on a small urban lot. I’m here to tell you that that’s all wrong. Related: A lot of us want to go Off Grid, but don’t think we have enough land to do it. Navigating Hawai’i’s bureaucracy is enough to try anybody’s patience, but hang in there and you’ll be able to develop your own fully legal, off grid homestead on your own little slice of paradise. Not many states allow as much as Hawai’i does when it comes to what it takes to go fully off grid. Water Catchment Systems are readily available for installation and both greywater and compost toilets are legal as well. Your home must be permitted and built to code. Lucky for us, the state of Hawaii makes it pretty easy to go off grid, 100% legal.Īs long as you follow the codes and regulations, it is legal for you to live on an off grid homestead in Hawaii. With sky-high housing prices, pandemics and all the political chaos sweeping the globe, heading off to a quiet, simple home away from all of that is pretty tempting.

The dream of going off grid has never been more popular.

Off grid with jake and nicole hawaii