Whole-Home Renovation on Oahu: How to Plan It

What counts as a whole-home renovation?

A whole-home renovation is several rooms, and usually some of the house's systems, planned and built as one project instead of one room at a time. On Oahu that often means the kitchen, bathrooms and flooring together, sometimes with walls opened up, new wiring or relocated plumbing.

Planning it as one job matters because the rooms share things. A new kitchen layout may need electrical capacity the bathrooms also draw on, new flooring should go down once the wet work is finished, and DPP decides how many permit applications the plans need based on the extent of the work.

Which parts of the job need a permit?

DPP requires a building permit to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish a building, and for electrical or plumbing work that is not exempt. Its list of common exemptions includes painting, cabinet work, floor covering, window and door replacement, and repairs with similar materials of no more than $10,000 in any 12 months that do not affect electrical or plumbing.

For room-by-room detail, see our guides to bathroom remodel permits in Honolulu and kitchen remodel permits.

What changes in an older Oahu home?

Three checks come up again and again in older houses:

• Lead paint. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requires anyone paid to do work that disturbs painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 to be certified, with workers trained in lead-safe work practices. Ask any contractor how the firm meets it.
• Historic review. DPP lists State Historic Preservation Division review for any parcel with a structure 50 or more years old; the affected parcels carry an advisory.
• Construction type. Many older Oahu houses use single-wall construction, where the exterior boards form the wall with no stud cavity behind them. That changes how plumbing, tile backing and heavy fittings are handled.

Stamped plans can become necessary as the scope grows. DPP requires plans stamped by a licensed professional when work on a one-story residence exceeds $180,000 or work on a two-story residence exceeds $162,000, and for any work in a special management area, flood hazard area or special design district.

How is a condo renovation different?

In a condo, the association's approval is a separate track from the City permit. House rules commonly cover work hours, elevator and loading-dock bookings, water shutdowns and proof of licence and insurance, and shared drain stacks limit where a kitchen sink or toilet can move. Our AOAO approval guide covers that process.

One option is closed to condo owners: according to DPP, you cannot work as an owner-builder on your unit in an apartment building.

In what order does the work run?

• Site visit and scope: what changes structurally, which systems are replaced and which rooms are redesigned.
• Design and selections, with cabinets, counters, tile and flooring chosen together.
• Permit applications for the parts that need them. DPP describes permit times as highly variable.
• Demolition and rough-in, with electrical and plumbing done by licensed contractors and inspections for permitted work.
• Walls, wet areas and cabinetry, then flooring, fixtures and a final walkthrough.

The order keeps dusty and wet work ahead of finished surfaces, so new floors and cabinets are not damaged by later trades. Keep a margin for what the walls reveal, and get every change in writing before the work is done.

How do I budget a whole-home project?

We do not publish a whole-home price, because the scope varies too much from house to house. Price the rooms you know first, then add the systems and any structural work. Our kitchen remodel cost guide and bathroom remodel cost guide give Oahu ranges for those rooms. If you plan to borrow against your home's equity, our HELOC guide explains how draws can follow the payment schedule. Before you sign, check the contractor.

Ward Design Center plans and builds whole-home renovations across Oahu, with one team for design, permits and construction, and finishes chosen at our Kapolei showroom. Every whole-home project is quoted after a site visit; your written estimate is the price that counts. See full home remodeling, read about home remodeling in Kapolei, Ewa Beach and Honolulu, or request a free estimate.