Utility Shed

[Ridingthespine]

Recently closed on a lot in Hawaiian Beaches on side without HOAs.
Planning to clear some of lot this July and excavate for septic.

I would like to build a permitted structure for hooking up electric, water and septic.
Also planning to build a garage for storing a vehicle. There seems to be generous exceptions for construction on non habitable structures but do not understand what the minimum requirements are to get basic utilities hooked up?

Does anybody have any advice on most cost effective way to get utilities on site?

[MarkP]

I'm not the expert but I think that utilities and non-permitted are mutually exclusive. The type of structure that can be non-permitted is a simple shell not used for habitation and not having any utilities.

ETA: My bad. You said permitted.

I really liked the simple concrete block structure that I built. Hard work but straight forward. Super strong. Simple. Pour a slab with rebar in it and make the rebar the ground.

[kalakoa]

most cost effective way to get utilities on site?

Buy an HPM kit home and pull all the necessary permits. After it's finaled, build your "utility structures under 600 square feet and not for habitation".

There are no shortcuts if you want grid power and/or are on a small lot where you can't hide from the neighbors.

Note that setbacks apply to above-ground structures, not a buried septic tank, and that leach fields can be very very small here.

[Ridingthespine]

Thanks so much for the responses.
So...Sounds like I need to get a habitable structure on the property to get utilities.
Since it is zoned agriculture, I wonder what people do to get utilities onsite for their farm operations?
Can’t imagine that they’d have to build habitable structures to hook up to water, power, septic...
Wondering what the lots used for legit ag do?

[terracore]

Most farm operations don't need dedicated utilities. Most of the AG lots don't have access to water anyway.

The first AG lot I bought had no buildings of any kind but it did have a temporary power pole. It was no longer hooked up but there is or at least was a mechanism to have utility power on an empty lot.

[Rob Tucker]

There is a process for getting an electrical or plumbing permit for a permit exempt accessory structure. It is covered by Act 70 of the Hawaii State Code. It does require that the CoH review and sign off on the setack requirements.

Sounds simple enough. Don't hold your breathe on the building department signing off in less than 6 months to a year.

[randomq]

Have you considered off-grid solar instead of HELCO? Very affordable, and some installers will let you do the installing to save money, and still sign off for the permit.

[kalakoa]

Wondering what the lots used for legit ag do?

It is technically possible to get "ag power" on permit-exempt structures, but then you'll pay the commercial rate, not the cheaper residential rate available for a finaled dwelling.

In the olden days, you could just pull a permit, get your "temporary" power pole, and then never finish construction or close the permits. I have seen 20-year-old "temporary" power poles still in use. There was some noise from County about fixing this "problem" a few years ago, not sure it really went anywhere.

[Ridingthespine]

I will look into options to run power to a structure that doesn’t have permits.
But I am planning on building a structure with permits to get access to utilities - just trying to figure out what the very cheapest/minimal owner build option for habitable structure would be.

[kalakoa]

building a structure with permits to get access to utilities

Grid power is overrated. Telcom doesn't need permits. I don't know what HB requires for access to water.

Cheapest option is probably still an HPM kit -- not because you couldn't design something less expensive, but because it's pre-approved.

https://www.hpmhawaii.com/pilikai

affordableportablehousing.com has some modular homes and they are "hopeful" that County will pre-approve them "soon".

http://affordableportablehousing.com/modular.html