Building Small and Off Grid in Milolii (South Kona, Captain Cook) (Kailua: fit in, sale)

[hjmontijo]

Aloha! Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I will be moving to the Big Island in about 8 months or so. More specifically, my fiancé and I will be moving to Milolii. We purchased a lot 2 years ago that is just over 10,000 square feet in the Milolii Beach lots. We love this community and some of the homes that have already been built there. We will actually be on the Island at the end of December for a quick visit last visit before out move.

I am looking for some advice on building a Small House that is off grid and legal, Something under 900 sqft. I want to go about everything the correct way and get all the correct permits. The land is zoned agriculture and I’ve been trying to do as much research as I can on the does and do not’s. We are planning on building our home ourselves. We will be on an extremely tight budget, but we will do what it takes to make it work. WE are aware we will need to get someone licensed for the electrical and plumbing. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. I have many questions to ask. Here are some of the ones that I can think of right now;

- What are the rules about drawing up my own plans for the house and the property?
- We want to build a small shed under 500 sqft before building the main house. Will I need a permit to
build the main house before I can build the shed? (We will be living in the shed as we build our
house). There is no permit required for the shed itself, correct?
- Where can we find the best rate to have a septic tank installed?
- Where can we find the best rate to have concrete poured?
- What is the best way to up our water-catchment?
- We plan to build up on stilts to maximize our view. Any recommendations on that?
- Is there a time frame in which I need to have the home built once the permits are issued?
- What are we looking at as far as the permit costs go?
- Where can we find the best rate for our Plumbing and Electrical work.
- Am I allowed to take rocks from vacant surrounding lots to build up the elevation of our property? If
not, how can I accomplish this with very little cost.
- What is the best Solar Power set-up that you can recommend?
- What is the best brand of generator to purchase?
- What items should I purchase here on the mainland and have shipped?

This has been a dream of ours for quite a while now and will have the determination to make this move work. We want to do as much of whatever we can ourselves to save any penny we can here and there. We don’t have a lot of money to work with, but we have motivation and determination. Please help us out with any advice that you can. Mahalo!

[Grassyknoll]

Man, that's a lot of questions to answer and some of them (such as what should I bring from mainland) have been debated ad nauseum.
As far as taking rocks from neighboring lots? Bad idea in general, worse idea as a transplant in a small community like Miloli'i.
As for building a small house, you might look into the HPM package homes. Good quality and designed well for the Hawai'ian environment.

[dobanion]

I second the vote for a HBM package home. You won't need to draw up plans, they come with the kit. They are likely to get through permitting easily as the building department sees dozens of them. Many of the smaller ones are designed to sit on posts, so you can make your posts taller for that view. Careful you don't elevate your house right up in front of your neighbor.

Check the Kau calendar for excavators, and septic installations: The Ka?? Calendar

If your house is up in the air enough, I think you are allowed to sit your septic tank above ground but under the house. That's ideal IMO, and you avoid the high cost of making a 10' deep hole in solid lava. Likewise, your leach field can also be above grade, just off to the side, and essentially be a pile of dirt above the lava, and plant it with stuff that will happily digest the excess nitrogen and water. You may be able to do the whole thing yourself this way, and at a fraction of the usual blast/rip and bury method.

After excavation of a building spot, you might be amazed how much rock you have on hand, for things like walls, planting boxes, etc. If you are on the steep part of Milolii, which is a vast majority of it, I would NOT attempt to modify the elevation with rock fill. Earthquakes do happen, and the whole pile could end up rolling down the hill taking out people and houses on the way down.

Moving rocks sounds simple, but fill can get very expensive and the logistics of moving it, especially in very steep Milolii, can start to make things very troublesome. It is ironic that surrounded by lava, you have a hard time getting rocks, but it's true.

I'd put in for all the permits and just build a small (less than 320 sq/ft) shed while you wait, and live in there. While maybe not 100% legal, if you are following the process and laying the groundwork for a fully permitted house, you should be fine. Once the house is in place, the shed will be legal.

If you are comfortable in construction enough to build the house, consider doing some of your own concrete work. Small stuff can be done on site with a rented mixer. Bigger stuff is doable if you hire a couple guys to help with the pour. Just make sure the form work is ready to go when your concrete truck shows up. I recommend West Hawaii Concrete for delivered concrete. They do not provide assistance beyond "ok, pour here" and "stop."

The only thing I'm really in the dark on is permits for excavation. Let's say I didn't bother with that on my lots and the guy with the excavator didn't care.

[hotzcatz]

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

<SNIP>What are the rules about drawing up my own plans for the house and the property?

County of Hawaii - Permit Info

You can draw up your own plans. If you follow a very specific set of requirements you may not even need a structural engineer to stamp them. Check the County of Hawaii's building permit page for lots of information about the details.

The current building code for your project will be the 2006 International Residential Code as amended by Hawaii County.

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

We want to build a small shed under 500 sqft before building the main house. Will I need a permit to build the main house before I can build the shed? (We will be living in the shed as we build our house). There is no permit required for the shed itself, correct?

That information should also be on the County of Hawaii's building permit page. For ag zoned land, you can build some pretty big sheds before you need a permit. After it's built, to make it legal, I'm pretty sure you have to note it on a plot plan. There are also some requirements about location on the lot and how far from other structures.

Note: your shed is not supposed to have power or water if you want it to be a shed that does not require a permit. Nor are you legally allowed to live in your shed while building your house. So, you may not want to mention that online. (ooops!)

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

Where can we find the best rate to have a septic tank installed?

Haven't a clue, but try ask your new neighbors who they used

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

Where can we find the best rate to have concrete poured?

There's probably only one concrete company that will service that area since it's so remote. They may have to add things to the concrete to keep it from hardening until it gets there. Again, that's a question your new neighbors will have the answer to.

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

What is the best way to up our water-catchment?

With a lot of friends, it's easier. If you happen to have a few cases or a keg of beverage, you'll probably get a lot of help. It's also helpful to not dispense the beverages until after you've got it installed.

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

We plan to build up on stilts to maximize our view. Any recommendations on that?

Check the 2006 IRC, stilts are no longer to code, you'll have to meet the required shear wall specifications.

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

Is there a time frame in which I need to have the home built once the permits are issued?

Didn't used to be, but now I think it's either two or three years until it's supposed to be done. It's listed on the County of Hawaii's web page.

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

What are we looking at as far as the permit costs go?

That's on the County's web page, too. The actual cost of the permit is cheap, but the engineer's stamp is probably gonna chew big holes in a grand if not more.

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

Where can we find the best rate for our Plumbing and Electrical work.

Ask your neighbors who they'd recommend. When you're that rural, frequently it's not who has the best rates, it's who will even show up.

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

Am I allowed to take rocks from vacant surrounding lots to build up the elevation of our property? If not, how can I accomplish this with very little cost.

Are those YOUR rocks? How would you feel if when you got to the property you bought several years ago you found that someone had taken your rocks away? So NO you can not take the rocks from 'vacant' land. The vacant land next door may not have a house on it yet, but it's still some one else's rocks.

There are folks who will sell you rocks by the truckload. Since you're trying to increase the elevation of your property, it ain't gonna be cheap because of the quantity of rocks needed.

Also note, when building a house generally you'll not want to set it on top of newly placed rocks. And, when pouring concrete, you'll not want fresh rocks under the slab.

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

What is the best Solar Power set-up that you can recommend?

Ask Solar Works, they're down there near Southpoint.

If you can get it, a grid tie system is really lovely. No batteries to mess with, no real difference between a grid power and off grid house except the electric bills are only $20 a month instead of twenty times that amount.

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

What is the best brand of generator to purchase?

Honda. They're quiet. They will also sprout legs and run off at the first opportunity so keep it chained to something that won't move and don't tell anyone you have it.

Originally Posted by hjmontijo

What items should I purchase here on the mainland and have shipped?

The supply places are gonna be HPM, True Value, Home Depot, Lowe's & Ace. Check their web sites to see what they have available. Then if there's anything they don't have, bring that over.

[Grassyknoll]

That information should also be on the County of Hawaii's building permit page. For ag zoned land, you can build some pretty big sheds before you need a permit

You can go up to 600 sqft on an unpermitted Ag Storage Shed. Build it tall, and add a sleeping loft afterward to maximize your living....er...."storage" area.

[hjmontijo]

Thank you everyone for all the great advise. Just to be clear, I wouldn't just take rocks from neighboring lots without reaching out to the owner first. I would purchase the rocks. I apologize for not being clearer in my original post.

Please feel free to keep all the great advise coming. I appreciate it all.

Mahalo!

[glassnumbers]

look out for cane spiders

[hjmontijo]

Aloha everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve been on here. This is gonna be a long one (posting is 2 locations). I just wanted to give everyone an update on our progress. Well we are still currently on the mainland. Las Vegas to be exact. Although we planned on being on the Big Island already. A lot has happened in 2019. We had 3 deaths in the family. My fiancés Father passed away, my Uncle who was like a Father to me and my Grandmother who raised me, all passed away within a few months of each other. Needless to say, 2019 was the worst year on record by far. We moved back to Las Vegas from Seattle, Washington about 7 months ago when my Grandmother got sick. Although we ran into financial hardship by leaving our high paying jobs and moving back to Las Vegas, I do not regret it one bit as I got to spend the last month of my Grandmothers life near her by her side. That being said, I took some time off of work as well, and as you can imagine, our saving got depleted fast.

However, we are not discouraged by any means. It’s 2020 and this year is going to be our year! We were always a little hesitant making the move before, being so far away from my grandmother and my fiancés father as their health was not so great. As much as it saddens me to say, they are peacefully resting and it’s now time to make our move. We hope to be on the Island sometime between August and October of this year with our two small dogs. We have a home here in Las Vegas that we currently have rented out. Our tenants lease is up in August and we plan to sell and use the profits towards our Big Island home. We will most likely start off in an apartment or some kind of a rental for the first 6 months to a year. However, we are not 100% sure where we will end up. Yes, we own a 10,000 sqft lot in Milolii and we love the location and would love to build a tiny house there, with ocean views, legally, with permits and all. We would also love to go off-grid on the wet side of the island, on a 2 to 3 acre plot of plant maybe somewhere around Hawaiian Acres Estates, Build something small, unpermitted and hidden to save money and start our own food forest. We’ve talked to a few people and follow people who currently live the off-grid lifestyle on the Big Island and love it. It’s been the biggest debate. We have a lot of our friends who live in the Kona area so we would be a lot closer to them in Milolii. However, we will be limited on funds over $50K with us when we move. Unfortunately, I can’t build unpermitted in Milolii as nothing there is hidden. And stamped plans and permits cost money. Now, if we build on the wet side of the island, we could save a lot more money being hidden and not having to worry about permit costs. If we did go this route, we would also sell our Milolii plot and use that money towards our off-grid build.

Ultimately, Milolii would be our first choice and this is a location that we already own and love, and we would be a lot closer to our friends. However, the cost is a huge factor for us. I currently work for Safeway Inc. As we get closer to our move date, I will see if I can potentially get a transfer to one of the Safeway’s on the Island and that could potentially determine which side of the island we’d end up on. However, if a transfer is not available, we will most likely make the move and stay with a friend for a couple of weeks in the Kona area until we find out where we can find work, and then make our move from there. We have faith that everything will work out the way it supposed to. Please, any and all advise is always greatly appreciated.

What have you done to make the move?

What would you have done different?

Who did you use the transfer your vehicle and how long and how much did it cost?

Which Veterinarian did you use for Rapid Release at the Airport and what was the cost?

Is it feasible to build any type of structure at this time considering our budget, versus, purchasing a new plot of land elsewhere, and remain renting, and letting it appreciate for consideration of sale for a profit in the future, instead? Location Location Location!

What are things we should bring with us?

Etc, etc, etc……

Mahalo all!!! I look forward to your replies

[Grassyknoll]

If you are serious about living in Miloli'i and are going to rent when you move over, your best option would be to rent in the Oceanview area. That way you are close to your property and living the rural lifestyle you would in Miloli'i. You can rent a 3/2 in OV for about $1,200-1,500. That same house from Captain Cook to Kailu would run double that.
The Safeway in Kailua is building a new store (with gas station) at a new shopping center slated to open in 2020. Might be opportunities to transfer with their expansion.
A commute from Miloli'i/OV to Kailua is 45 minutes to an hour and 15 depending on a lot of variables. A lot of folks do the commute, but it's not what everyone signs up for.

As for having 50k and building? If you had a good income stream, paid for land and did the construction yourself, you might be able to build a small house for that. A better approach might be to get jobs, qualify for a loan and look for a fixer.

When we prepared to move, we amassed as much money as possible, paid for our house outright and I moved my wife and daughter over so she could job-hunt while I sold our house in California and maintained our income from my position. It only took about 3 months to sell our house and my wife to find work at which time I then moved over.

Save more money then you think you will need, can't go wrong with a larger reserve.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

We drove our vehicle to the Matson dock in Long Beach. At the time, it cost around $1,000 to ship from there to the BI. Check rates from both Matson and Pasha. If you don't want to drive to the coast, the Kona Car Guy helps people make that transfer from all over the mainland. I don't know what he charges.

The Keauhou Vet Clinic does Rapid Release at the airport. There's a whole bunch of stuff you need to do in advance to prepare your animal before flying them over. Check this page for complete information: Animal Industry Division | Animal Quarantine Information Page (Updated)