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Maui County, HI · off-grid fact sheet

Can you live off-grid in Maui County, Hawaii?

82
of 100
Good with caveats

Yes, with two things to plan around. The growing season runs about 365 frost-free days, long enough for a spring and a fall garden. Typical well depths here range from 20 feet to 1,130 feet, so get a local driller's quote. The ground is steep, with slopes averaging about 18%. That raises the cost of a driveway, septic, and foundation.

What the land says

Rain
Rain helps, but plan on a well for most of your water and on watering the garden in dry months.
About 29 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 20 feet to 1,130 feet
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 365 frost-free days, USDA zone 12a; last frost about January 1, first about December 31
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 5.5 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 within a quarter mile 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: one 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: high
Terrain
Steep in places. Driveways, septic, and foundations cost more.
Slopes average about 18%, about 1,100 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Silty clay 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 0.7 miles (OpenStreetMap)

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Is it legal here?

Zoning
Maui 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.

Look up a parcel's zoning free, or read Is it legal to live off-grid in Hawaii? for permits, septic, wells, and the counties that opt out.

What it costs to set up a homestead here

Well
Not priced
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
$6,000 to $17,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$2,000 to $9,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$32,000 to $70,000
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 20 feet to 1,130 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

164,183 people live in Maui County, about 141.3 per square mile. It ranks 1st of the 5 Hawaii counties we scored, and Hawaii ranks 36th of 50 states.

Kalawao County, HI · Honolulu County, HI · Hawaii County, HI · Kauai County, HI · Marin County, CA · Mendocino County, CA · All scored Hawaii counties

A good county is not a good parcel. Two lots a mile apart can score 80 and 35. Score the one you are looking at, free, in about a minute.

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Sources: FEMA flood maps, USGS and state driller well records, USGS brackish groundwater study, USDA soil survey, USGS 3DEP elevation, U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard, USGS seismic hazard, USGS PAD-US public land, U.S. Census housing counts, USDA county land values, FCC broadband map, CMS hospital list. Rainfall: University of Hawaii Rainfall Atlas (250 m grid, 1978 to 2007 base period). Storms: NOAA hurricane tracks (HURDAT2, 1975-2025) and Storm Prediction Center tornado paths (EF2+, 1990-2025). Roads: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Data updated September 2026.