Building with No Permit?

[ponopony]

Help, we need some advice. My wife and I have been planning for years to build a small house or cabin on the Big Island. We'd probably do it unpermitted, due to our limited savings. I'm a handy-man with building experience, so I think we can manage. (and I'd probably build it better than code.)

We plan to have a small farm on 1-3 acres, just the basics, and nothing illegal... We would be very respectful to any neighbors and the aina. But we would hate to be constantly looking over our shoulder, and live in fear to get fined or shut down.

We've seen a lot of unpermitted shacks all over. And to some, our 'cabin' might be considered up-scale. But without permits, we're nervous about skirting local regulations, and what doing so might entail.

We lived in Hawaii for a while, so we're familiar with many things. But the reality of owning something unpermitted is unclear, for example:

1.) If we live in an unpermitted home, can we have an address? (I know most use PO boxes.)

2.) If we don't have a home address, won't that be a problem? Can we get a driver's license, etc.?

3.) If a nasty neighbor calls the county on us, could they condemn our home? (I know local gov't doesn't actively search for unpermitted dwellings, but...)

4.) Since banks don't give loans for unpermitted properties, could we sell it in the future? We probably couldn't offer financing.

5.) Would it be better to build an Argus/HPM package garage/Ag-shed WITH a permit? (and finish it after the permit is finaled)

6.) ...anything we're not thinking of??

Mahalo for your thoughts!

[Carey]

1.Addresses are per the property, and some of the vacant lots do already have an address on the TMK
2.Most private subdivisions here do not get home mail delivery. Many of the subdivisions have Highway Contract Routes (HCR) mailboxes, but many also have way fewer HCR boxes than lots.Drivers Licences are based on either TMK address, POBox, have even seen some that have just the subdivision when working the polls.
3. The county is not that active in condemnation (a this point...in the future...), HOWEVER you will be on the higher cost Temp Power plan with the electric company only if you submit a permit, and they have cut service decades later on some non-finaled building (a real hassle if you have gotten used having power supplied...
4. You can sell (at least now you can...future...), it probably will never be priced the same as if it were permitted, yet there are some that may pay cash.
5. That idea has many advantages, esp if you want your power supplied by the elec. company
6. Builidings can get permitted "as built", but that is more costly and not as straight forward as just getttin' a permit...

[DanielP]

Will you be at peace and be able to sleep, or will it be a gnawing worry affecting your wellbeing?

[lquade]

i went through this quandry a few years ago and decided my temperment would not allow the uncertainty of it. unless you built a very small cabin that could be removed with a crane or something. the address is not the problem, use po or general delivery, not any mail service in the areas you could get away with no permit. you did say acres? you could permit a farm building for the time being. people have lived here for years in unpermitted places but i have also seen the county go after someone and it isnt pretty. its a gamble less and less people are willing to take, especially with the new building code in the works..

[DanielP]

The permitting process is really not that expensive, in and of itself. More of a nuisance. Building to code and hiring subcontractors can start to add up. Contact Kapohocat. She is very helpful and reasonably priced with good referals too.

Dan

[EightFingers]

Permit fees are going up, if you decide to get a permit, do it NOW.
Otherwise, good luck.

[janeadams]

Eightfingers,

When is the increase going to happen? We're ready to drive in and submit our plans this week!

Jane

[Seeb]

someone can give you more accurate numbers, but i got one during the boom and all the paperwork, stamps, fees, licenced contractors to pull a permit (just to pull it). was at least $5000

[ponopony]

Well thank you all for your suggestions. We will consult somebody at HPM and the county office again.
Aloha!

[DickWilson]

When we moved here, we were going to do a HPM package, went thru all the hoops, the stamped plans ended up costing about 1300. Then we bought and I now have a fully approved permit and plans in the file cabinet. Total cosy of about 1700. Hope this helps.

dick wilson
"Nothing is idiot proof,because idiots are so ingenious!"