Possible, but water will be hard. Typical well depths here range from 80 feet to 1,700 feet, so get a local driller's quote. The growing season runs about 331 frost-free days, long enough for a spring and a fall garden. The U.S. Geological Survey maps strong earthquake shaking here, so build to the seismic code.
What the land says
Rain
Rain can supply much of a household's water with a large tank. A garden mostly waters itself in normal years.
About 46 inches a year (University of Hawaii Rainfall Atlas)
Wells
Well depth varies a lot here. Get a local driller's quote before you offer.
Typical well depths here range from 80 feet to 1,700 feet
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 331 frost-free days, USDA zone 10a; last frost about February 13, first about December 15
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 5.0 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones run along creeks and rivers here. Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps flood zones in places
Wildfire
Wildfire risk is high in places. Check the risk for the parcel you want.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to High here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; no strong (EF2 or stronger) tornado within 25 miles since 1990
Earthquakes
Strong shaking is possible. Build to the seismic code and brace the water tank.
USGS seismic hazard map: very high
Terrain
Rolling ground. Look for a flat house site.
Slopes average about 9%, about 2,580 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Silt loam, well drained (USDA soil survey). A standard system typically runs $5,000 to $10,000
Road
Paved roads are close by.
Nearest paved road usually within about 1 mile (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Hawaii parcel, or plan the one you own
Get a free 0-100 off-grid score.
A step-by-step build plan, sizing your solar, water, garden, septic, heat, and buildings.
Is it legal here?
Zoning
Hawaii County zones land outside its towns and publishes its zoning map. Our free lookup shows the district for any address.
Building code
Hawaii has a statewide building code, with a residential code based on the 2018 International Residential Code. Each county adopts it with its own changes and enforces it through the county building department, so plan on a county building permit for a house.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed with a permit and an approved unit.
Water rights
A mix of two systems. Ask the state water office before you drill a well or dam a creek.
Depends on depth, which varies here. Get a driller's quote.
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$18,000 to $34,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$17,000 to $43,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$2,000 to $9,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$42,000 to $95,000
Before the house, plus the well
Before you make an offer on land here
Well depth
Get a local driller's depth estimate.
Typical well depths here range from 80 feet to 1,700 feet.
Zoning
Look up the parcel's zoning district with our free tool.
The county publishes its zoning map.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The county has to approve the ground before it issues a septic permit.
Nearby counties
207,615 people live in Hawaii County, about 51.5 per square mile. It ranks tied for 4th of the 5 Hawaii counties we scored, and Hawaii ranks 36th of 50 states.