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Roof Replacement Permit Requirements in Keaau, HI

Keaau is an unincorporated community in the Puna District of Hawai'i County (Big Island), Hawaii. Hawaii has only 4 counties (Kaua'i, Honolulu, Maui, Hawai'i) and NO incorporated cities except Honolulu (which is the consolidated City and County of Honolulu); Hawai'i County is the AHJ for ALL of the Big Island including Keaau. Permits are issued by Hawai'i County Department of Public Works Building Division at the Aupuni Center in Hilo, (808) 961-8331, with online submittal via Tyler EnerGov SelfService at hawaiicountyhi-energovpub.tylerhost.net. (No Puna-specific satellite office; Keaau residents use the Hilo office. West Hawai'i Civic Center in Kona handles west-side intake.) Hawaii state code framework is the Hawaii State Building Code (HRS Chapter 107) administered by the State Building Code Council, currently incorporating 2018 IBC, 2018 IRC, 2018 IEBC, and 2018 IECC with extensive Hawaii state amendments (state adoption per HRS 107-28(a) deadline 8/31/2021). Hawai'i County Code Chapter 5A (Building), 5B (Residential), and 5C add county-level amendments via Bill 44 / Ord. 2021-2022. Electrical is referenced via state code (typically 2017 NEC, lagged adoption). IECC Climate Zone 1A (very hot-humid). Hawaii contractor licensing is administered by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Contractors License Board under HRS Chapter 444 / HAR Title 16 Chapter 77: Class A (General Engineering), Class B (General Building), Class C (Specialty — 42 sub-classes including C-13 Electrical, C-37 Plumbing, C-52a/b HVAC). Distinctive features for 96749 / Keaau / Puna District projects: (1) USGS LAVA FLOW HAZARD ZONE 3 — Keaau sits in Lava Hazard Zone 3 (gradationally less hazardous than Zone 2 to the south, but still ~7% covered by lava less than 190 years old). Lava-zone homeowners insurance is generally unavailable above Zone 2 and limited in Zone 3, with significant financing implications for new construction. (2) 2018 LOWER PUNA / KILAUEA ERUPTION — destroyed approximately 700 homes in Leilani Estates, Vacationland, and Kapoho; Keaau itself was unaffected but downstream Puna parcels (south on the Kea'au-Pahoa Road corridor) are still in disturbance/inundation zones with rebuilding restrictions. (3) CESSPOOL BAN — Hawaii Revised Statutes 342D-72 (Act 125 of 2017) banned new cesspools statewide as of January 2017 and mandates conversion of all ~83,000 existing cesspools by 2050. Most rural Puna parcels operate on cesspools or basic septic (no county sewer in Keaau). Sellers must now disclose cesspool status. New construction must use a state-approved Individual Wastewater System (IWS) — typically aerobic treatment unit (ATU) or septic tank with leach field — permitted by the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) Wastewater Branch. (4) RAINWATER CATCHMENT — most rural Puna parcels (including the Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Acres, Orchid Land, and Ainaloa subdivisions in 96749) rely on rainwater catchment with no county water mains. Catchment tank sizing for fire-flow follows County Water Department / Building Division standards. (5) ASCE 7 APPENDIX W (HAWAII WIND DESIGN) — Hawai'i County uses ASCE 7 Appendix W (Hawaii Wind Design Provisions) in the Hawaii Building Code with micro-zoned topographic wind maps. Inland Puna design speeds are typically 130-140 mph (Risk Cat II), with topographic Kzt baked into the maps (use Kzt=1.0 for most parcels). (6) HURRICANE / TROPICAL STORM EXPOSURE — Hurricane Iselle (2014) and Hurricane Lane (2018) both impacted Puna; tropical-storm wind and rainfall are recurring concerns. (7) TERMITE PRESSURE — Formosan and ground termite pressure on the Big Island is extreme; IRC R318 plus Hawaii amendments require pressure-treated lumber for sill plates and structural members close to grade, plus soil treatment for new foundations. (8) VOG (VOLCANIC SMOG) — Kilauea outgassing accelerates corrosion of metal roofs, fasteners, electrical equipment, and HVAC condenser coils; specify SO2-resistant materials. (9) TSUNAMI EVACUATION ZONES — coastal Puna parcels (in 96749 closer to the shoreline near Hawaiian Paradise Park makai) are in tsunami evacuation zones; HCC building-in-tsunami-zone provisions and HRS 209E flood elevation requirements apply. Keaau town center is approximately 5 miles inland and outside the tsunami zone. (10) SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA (SMA) — under HRS Chapter 205A, coastal lands trigger an SMA Use Permit through County Planning; Keaau town is inland and not in SMA, but the eastern portion of 96749 along the coast can trigger SMA review.

By Joey, Founder · Last verified April 30, 2026 · How we research →

When you need a Roof permit in Keaau