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Drafting and Permits

(11/26/13: We now offer drafting and architect services in most states.)

Our drafting teams draft for all islands, including Oahu, at a very low cost. Draftsmen who draft Oahu projects are notoriously expensive. We work with a master draftsman on the Big Island who knows all the ins and outs of  Oahu’s bldg depts. technical requirements, and drafts those projects at incredibly low rates. And we charge nothing to design your home, workshop, office etc if you follow thru with drafting and permitting. Call us for rates, and to schedule your free, no pressure consultation. Here is how the process works:

Step one- Consultation, detailed discussions, design floor plan and design your home.

Step two- Draft professional plans from our sketches and design notes. You have several opportunities to make changes initially. When you finally decide on everything, our team drafts the many plans required- framing/structural detail, elevations, window and door schedules, hardware details etc. You can make changes after all the plans are drafted, but that will cost you by the hour. Minor changes are no problem, major ones require re-drafting framing detail and everything else, so you want to give yourself some time to re-visit the preliminary drawings many times if necessary.

Step three- Once the plans are completed, off they go to the architect or structural engineer for review. Once details are worked out, they stamp your plans. They are actually taking on responsibility for the homes design, safety and structural integrity etc. Cost for this depends on your square footage, complexity of the project and the island your project is being built on. Big island projects cost the least, and Oahu the most, but our Oahu team is miles less expensive than anyone we know.

Step four- While plans are off to architect/engineer, we organize and supervise clearing and grading your lot if necessary, then we get your septic plans completed by our septic engineer and they get those plans over to the state dept of health and the county. Then, we get your septic system installed well before your home permits are issued. Most Oahu projects require you to hook into the counties sewer line while most neighbor islands require either a cesspool or septic tank. Oahu projects require a contractor who is licensed to deal with this kind of infrastructure. They take responsibility for their work, and they are very good at mapping out what is under ground, and not damaging anything while digging. Every job involves a different amount of work and cost. Cesspools are still allowed on the big island if your lot is one acre or larger, and are significantly less expensive than septic tank/leach field. We receive a lot of inquiries from folks who want to use composting toilets. This is possible, but very often they require too much cost and hassle. You still have to either process your gray water, or run it into a cesspool or septic tank/leach field, so most people end up going with conventional systems.

Step five- When permits are finally issued, off we go, starting with building your foundation. A note on clearing and grading your lot- On the big island, you do not need a permit if you grade less than one acre. Lot size can be much larger, it is just the amt of land graded that matters. Post and pier homes (off the ground) do not require building a home pad, slab on grade does. We recommend slab on grade if there are no flooding issues with your lot, and do not if there are any flooding issues. It makes no sense designing a home before you own the land. You have no idea what the lot dimensions and set-backs will allow you to build. There is no harm in thinking about your homes design, but finalizing anything before you purchase your land is not recommended. Throughout the construction process, inspections occur. Prior to all this, it is recommended to have our plumbers and electricians create plans and pull permits for that work. Owner builders must hire licensed electricians and plumbers. Our people are super good and very reasonable. Many of our clients go owner-builder, and do as much of the work as they possibly can. Just as many require financing, which requires going with a general contractor, and that generally costs a lot more money. When you finance, a bond needs to be issued from a material supply company. We have the people ready to bond any project, even shipping container homes! That is no easy task, by the way. The good news is- we can work with any general contractor that you want, and prefer working with ours. When you meet with us, there are many details to go over, and we hope the info on our site is helpful to you prior to our meeting. To schedule your free, no-pressure consultation- call us at 282-0042 or email us.

Affordable Portable Housing 14 Aulike st #909 Kailua, HI 96734 808-339-5639