ROH §16-13.3
Alternative standards for building storm shelters
Read the official text at honolulu.gov ↗This section allows builders to use manufactured safe rooms or FEMA-approved shelter designs instead of the usual requirements, as long as they meet the same safety standards. Storm shelters must also follow the ICC-500 building code and other rules in this article.
contractorsdevelopershomeownerslandowners
The ordinance, as written (Honolulu County) — Alternative standards
A copy, taken August 22, 2026. The version published by Honolulu is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
(a) Manufactured safe room designs subject to approval. A manufactured safe room or safe room kit may be substituted if documentation is submitted and approved by the building official. The safe room must be engineered, tested, and manufactured to meet or exceed the criteria of this section.
(b) FEMA in-residence shelter designs permitted. It is permissible to build FEMA In Residence Shelters of up to 64 square feet of floor area with walls up to 8 feet long that are built in accordance with construction details of FEMA 320.
(c) In addition to other applicable requirements in this code, storm shelters must be constructed in accordance with ICC-500 and this article and Article 14.
Published by the City and County of Honolulu through American Legal Publishing.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.