Hilo (Hawaii County), HI
Hilo building permit fees
A building permit in Hilo is priced by Hawai'i County from the valuation of the work on the § 5-7-3 ladder:
$10.00 up to $500 of valuation, $1.50 per additional $100 to $2,000, $7.50 per additional $1,000 to $25,000, $6.00 per additional $1,000 to $50,000, and $3.00 per additional $1,000 above — every band with 'or fraction thereof', every base chaining to the dollar. Plan review adds 20% of the permit fee.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit, valuation to $500 ($10.00)Permit fee | $10.00 flat fee | Project valuation up to $500 | — |
| Building permit, $501-$2,000 ($10 + $1.50 per $100)Permit fee | $10.00 + $15.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $500, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $500 and up to $2,000 | — |
| Building permit, $2,001-$25,000 ($32.50 + $7.50 per $1,000)Permit fee | $32.50 + $7.50 per $1,000 of project valuation above $2,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $2,000 and up to $25,000 | — |
| Building permit, $25,001-$50,000 ($205 + $6 per $1,000)Permit fee | $205.00 + $6.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $25,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $25,000 and up to $50,000 | — |
| Building permit, above $50,000 ($355 + $3 per $1,000)Permit fee | $355.00 + $3.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $50,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $50,000 | — |
| Plan review fee (20% of the permit fee)Plan review | 20% of calculated permit fee | Every permit of this type | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A new single-family home in Hilo with a construction valuation of $150,000.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $150,000 |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
Example total
$786.00
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 2Rules considered 6
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Building permit, above $50,000 ($355 + $3 per $1,000)Permit feeHCC § 5-7-3, band 5: '$355 for the first $50,000 plus $3 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof.'Show the working
| $355.00 + $3.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $50,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $655.00 |
Plan review fee (20% of the permit fee)Plan reviewCounty fee documents (council committee record COM 0734.001, 2024-2026): 'Building Permits: Plan Review Fees 20% of Permit Fee with a min.'Show the working
| 20% of calculated permit fee | $131.00 |
| Total | $786.00 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Building permit, valuation to $500 ($10.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit, $501-$2,000 ($10 + $1.50 per $100) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit, $2,001-$25,000 ($32.50 + $7.50 per $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit, $25,001-$50,000 ($205 + $6 per $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Top band: $355.00 for the first $50,000 plus $3.00 for each of the 100 additional thousands: $355.00 + 100 x $3.00 = $655.00.
Plan review adds 20% of the permit fee: $655.00 x 0.20 = $131.00. Total with review: $786.00.
A $50,000 home would close the fourth band at $355.00 exactly.
What is different in Hilo (Hawaii County)
The county issues the permit, and the county's schedule is a clean chained marginal ladder — five bands, no seam gaps, no minimum published in the schedule itself. $10.00 covers valuation to $500; the $1.50-per-$100 band closes at exactly $32.50 when $2,000 is reached; the $7.50-per-$1,000 band closes at exactly $205.00 at $25,000; the $6.00-per-$1,000 band closes at exactly $355.00 at $50,000; and the $3.00-per-$1,000 band runs above with no ceiling.
Reading the fee is a two-band exercise at most. A $10,000 addition sits in the third band: $32.50 + 8 x $7.50 = $92.50. A $50,000 home closes the fourth band at $355.00. A $150,000 build adds 100 thousands at $3.00: $355.00 + $300.00 = $655.00. 'Or fraction thereof' prices any partial $100 or $1,000 as a whole block.
Plan review rides on top at 20% of the permit fee, per the county's own fee documents — $18.50 on the $92.50 permit, $71.00 on the $355 permit, $131.00 on the $655 permit. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are separate county trade permits with their own fee rows; the schedule priced here is the building permit's.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This is the Hawai'i County building permit under HCC § 5-7-3. It excludes:
- Trade permits — electrical, plumbing and mechanical work carries its own county fee rows.
- The plan-review minimum the county prints beside the 20% percentage — modelled as the percentage, with the floor named rather than guessed.
- Impact fees, wastewater and subdivision charges — separate county processes.
- State fees — not part of the county schedule.
Common questions
How much is a building permit in Hilo?
Hawai'i County charges by HCC § 5-7-3: $10.00 to $500 of valuation, then chained bands to $3.00 per $1,000 above $50,000. A $50,000 home prices $355.00; a $150,000 home prices $655.00.
Who issues the permit?
The County of Hawai'i's Department of Public Works, Building Division — from the Aupuni Center in Hilo, with a Kona satellite. The county, not a city, is the permitting jurisdiction island-wide.
How is the fee calculated?
Marginally by band: each band's rate applies to the amount of valuation within it, with every partial $100 or $1,000 rounded up ('or fraction thereof'). The band bases chain exactly, which confirms the marginal reading.
What does plan review cost?
20% of the permit fee, per the county's own fee documents — $71.00 on a $355 permit. The county's documents also print a minimum for plan review.
Do I need separate trade permits?
Yes — electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are separate county trade permits with their own fee rows.
What does a $10,000 project price?
$32.50 + 8 x $7.50 = $92.50 in the third band, plus 20% plan review ($18.50) where plans are reviewed.
Is there a maximum permit fee?
No — the top band's $3.00 per $1,000 runs above $50,000 of valuation with no ceiling printed.
When did this schedule take effect?
The schedule is Hawai'i County Code § 5-7-3 as read in the county's own documents and an October 2024 transcription sourced to the code.
Where do I apply?
At the Building Division, Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 1, Hilo — or through the county's online permit portal.
Does the fee differ for Kona or other districts?
No — the county's § 5-7-3 schedule prices permits island-wide; the Kona office is a satellite of the same division.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Municipal codeCountyPrimary source
Hawai'i County Code § 5-7-3 — Building permit fees
Read 2026-09-26 via two agreeing transcriptions of § 5-7-3: the County's own 'Guidelines for Permitting a Residential Photovoltaic (PV) System' (records.hawaiicounty.gov edoc 76875, quoting the schedule's opening rows) and the Grassroot Institute's October 2024 permitting report (Table 6, sourced 'Section 5-7-3. Permit, Hawai'i County Code, accessed Oct. 1, 2024'). The schedule: $10 to $500; $10 + $1.50 per $100 or fraction to $2,000; $32.50 + $7.50 per $1,000 or fraction to $25,000; $205 + $6 per $1,000 or fraction to $50,000; $355 + $3 per $1,000 or fraction above. Every band base chains exactly ($32.50, $205.00, $355.00), confirming the marginal reading. The County's WebLink host itself was unreachable (HTTP 000) from this environment.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.