ROH §16-13.4
Where residential safe rooms cannot be built
Read the official text at honolulu.gov ↗This rule says where you cannot build a residential safe room. It bans building in flood-prone areas, including FEMA flood zones, coastal flood zones, and areas that could flood if a dam fails. It does not cover other building rules.
contractorshomeowners
The ordinance, as written (Honolulu County) — Site criteria
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.
Residential safe rooms must not be constructed within areas subject to stream flooding, coastal flooding, or dam failure inundation within any of the following areas:
(a) FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) subject to rainfall runoff or stream or flash flooding;
(b) Coastal zones “V” or “A” identified in the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) issued by FEMA for floodplain management purposes, in which the flood hazard are tides, storm surge, waves, tsunamis, or a combination of these hazards; and
(c) Areas subject to dam failure inundation as determined by the State department of land and natural resources.
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.