1. Know exactly where your property lines are
Many Kauaʻi parcels have old, faded, or missing survey monuments. Before any clearing or grading, get the corners staked by a licensed Hawaiʻi surveyor. We've watched neighbors come unglued when a clearing job pushed two feet into their land — and that's a job that gets stopped, restored, and rebid.
2. Confirm SMA and zoning before scope is locked
Coastal Kauaʻi parcels in the SMA carry restrictions that change the scope. A grading plan that's fine in Līhuʻe might require a Minor SMA Permit in Poʻipū. Check the Kauaʻi County Planning Department's SMA viewer and zoning maps before you sign a construction contract.
3. Locate every utility — including the ones you forgot
Call Hawaiʻi One Call (811) at least 5 business days before any digging. Add a private utility locate for anything One Call doesn't cover: irrigation lines, low-voltage landscape lighting, propane runs, and old well or cesspool lines. Many older Kauaʻi properties have abandoned utilities still in the ground.
4. Plan access and staging realistically
Where will the excavator come in? Where will dump trucks turn around? Where will you stockpile excavated soil? Where do the porta-johns go? A Kauaʻi job with no staging plan loses two hours a day shuffling equipment. Sketch this with your contractor before mobilization day.
5. Get your permits in the queue early
Grading permits: 4–8 weeks typical. SMA Minor: 4–12 weeks. DOH Wastewater (septic): could take several weeks after submittal. Building permits: 2–6 months. If your project depends on multiple permits, start the longest one first.
6. Ask your contractor these five questions
What's your contractor license number, and which agency issued it?
Are you insured for the scope of this job — general liability and workers' comp?
How do you handle rock contingency in your bid?
What's your plan if it rains for three days during my window?
Who from your team will be on-site the day work starts, and who do I call if there's a problem?
We'll answer all five of those before we send a contract.
Got a Kauaʻi project to dig?
Call for a written, project-specific estimate.