Can Can Builders Inc. · BC Lic# 29930
ADU and Ohana Unit Builder in Maui, Hawaii
Accessory Dwellings, Ohana Units and Garage Conversions Built Under Maui County's New Rules
ADU & Ohana Unit Builder
Can Can Builders is a licensed ADU builder on Maui, working across the island on ohana units, detached accessory dwellings, garage conversions and second-story additions. Owner Mike Zerkle has been building here since 1982, and in that time the rules governing what you can put on your lot have changed more than once. They changed again this summer.
In July 2026, Maui County adopted new accessory dwelling rules. Qualifying residentially zoned properties on Maui, Molokai and Lanai can now be eligible for up to two accessory dwellings in addition to the primary residence. That is a potential three homes on a single lot. Before this, the number you could build depended on your lot size and which island you were on, and plenty of Maui families were told no.
If you looked into an ohana unit two or three years ago and were turned away, the answer may be different now. That is the honest reason to look again.
What has not changed is that an accessory dwelling on Maui is still a real construction project with real requirements. Setbacks, parking, utility connections, wastewater capacity and lot coverage all still apply, and they vary by zoning district. The permit review still takes months. Materials still have to cross an ocean. A contractor who tells you an ohana is a quick backyard project has not built one here.
We handle the whole thing under one contract: feasibility review on your specific parcel, architectural plans, structural engineering, permit submittal to Maui County, and construction through final inspection. One contractor, one point of accountability, from the first look at your property to the day the unit is signed off.
Call us at (808) 250-1872 and we will tell you what your lot can actually support before you spend a dollar on drawings.
What Changed in July 2026
Maui County's New Accessory Dwelling Rules
Maui County's Department of Planning announced the new rules in July 2026. The core of it is straightforward: residentially zoned properties that qualify can now be eligible for up to two accessory dwellings alongside the main house, where previously the allowance was tied to lot size and island.
Mayor Richard Bissen framed it as a housing measure, and that is what it is. Maui lost housing stock in the 2023 fires and has been short of long-term rentals for far longer than that. The county's position is that adding units to lots that already have infrastructure is one of the faster ways to create homes.
A few things to understand before you get excited:
- Accessory dwellings are allowed mainly in residential and rural zoning districts. They are typically excluded in agricultural, commercial and industrial districts under Maui County Code Title 19.
- Accessory dwellings cannot be used as vacation rentals, short-term rentals or bed-and-breakfast operations. This is not a workaround for transient vacation rental rules, and the county has been explicit about it.
- "Qualifying" is doing real work in that sentence. Your parcel still has to satisfy parking, setback, utility and wastewater requirements. Two units being allowed in principle does not mean two units fit on your lot in practice.
- The size you are permitted is tied to the net area of your lot. Maui County publishes a development standards table for accessory dwellings, and the maximum square footage steps up with lot size. We check this against your specific parcel during the feasibility review rather than guessing from a general rule.
The Old Minimum Lot Size Is Gone
For years, a Maui property generally needed at least 7,500 square feet before an ohana was on the table. That minimum has been removed, provided the lot can still accommodate the required off-street parking. Smaller lots that were previously disqualified outright are now worth a look.
Ohana or ADU
Is an Ohana Unit the Same Thing as an ADU on Maui?
On Maui, functionally yes, and this trips up a lot of people who have read guidance written for Oahu.
Maui County Code does not use the word "ohana." What everyone here calls an ohana unit, the code calls an accessory dwelling, and Chapter 19.35 of Title 19 is the chapter that governs it. When you search for ADU rules and land on a page describing a legal split between "ohana units for family only" and "ADUs you can rent," you are almost certainly reading about Honolulu. Those distinctions come out of the City and County of Honolulu's ordinances and do not map onto Maui County.
So when we talk about building your ohana, your ADU, your accessory dwelling or your cottage, we are talking about the same permit under the same chapter. The words are interchangeable on this island. The code is not.
What We Build
Types of Accessory Dwellings We Build on Maui
Detached Ohana Units
A standalone structure elsewhere on your lot, with its own entrance, kitchen and bath. This is what most people picture, and it gives the most privacy for both households. It is also the most involved build, since it needs its own foundation, its own utility runs and its own site work.
Attached Accessory Dwellings
A unit built onto the existing house with a separate entrance and a full wall separation. Attached units often cost less than detached because they share foundation and utility infrastructure with the main home. They work well on tighter lots where a separate structure would eat the setbacks.
Garage Conversions
Converting an existing garage into a living unit uses a structure that is already there, already permitted and already connected. On the right property it is the most direct path to a legal second unit. The catch is parking: if the garage was providing your required off-street stalls, those have to be replaced somewhere else on the lot. We check that before we get your hopes up.
Second-Story Additions
Building living space above an existing garage or over part of the main house. This is the answer when the lot has no room left horizontally. It requires structural evaluation of what is underneath, and on Maui it also means wind and seismic engineering for the added mass.
Zoning
Where Accessory Dwellings Are Allowed on Maui
Zoning is the first gate, and it is worth checking before anything else. Accessory dwellings are permitted mainly in residential and rural districts, and generally not in agricultural, commercial or industrial districts.
You can look up your own parcel's zoning through the Maui Real Property Tax website by selecting the Island of Maui Zoning layer on the parcel map and reading the color-coded legend. If you would rather not, tell us your address and we will pull it.
If Your Property Is Agricultural
This is the single most common misunderstanding we run into, especially upcountry.
A lot of land in Kula, Makawao and Haiku is zoned agricultural. On ag-zoned property, a second cottage is not an accessory dwelling at all. It is an accessory farm dwelling, and it falls under a different chapter with different requirements, including a declaration tied to agricultural use of the land. The July 2026 accessory dwelling changes did not change the accessory farm dwelling rules.
If you are upcountry and someone has told you the new two-unit rule applies to your ag parcel, get that verified before you commission plans. We will tell you straight whether your land qualifies, even when the answer is no.
Cost
What Does an Ohana Unit Cost on Maui?
A detached ohana unit on Maui generally runs from $150,000 to $350,000 or more, depending on size, finish level, site conditions and how far utilities have to run. Attached units and garage conversions typically come in below that, because they reuse foundation, structure and utility connections that already exist. How far below depends almost entirely on what is already there, which is why we price those after seeing the property rather than from a table.
Maui pricing sits above mainland ADU costs for reasons that are not going away: materials ship across an ocean, the local trade labor market is tight, and site work on sloped or rocky parcels is common here. Anyone quoting you mainland numbers has not priced a Maui job.
County permit fees for a project of this type generally fall in the $1,500 to $4,500 range depending on scope, separate from construction cost and separate from design and engineering.
On the other side of the ledger, Maui long-term rental rates are among the highest in the country, and a legal second unit adds to what your property is worth whether you rent it or not. Many owners we work with are building for a parent, an adult child, or both in sequence, and the rental math is a secondary consideration.
We give you a real number after we have walked your property. We do not price ohana units off square footage over the phone, because the site is usually what drives the cost.
Process
How an ADU Project Works With Us
Feasibility Review
We start at your property, not at a drafting table. We look at zoning, lot area, existing structures, setbacks, where parking would go, where water and electrical would come from, and how the site drains. You get an honest read on what is buildable before you have spent money on design. Sometimes that conversation ends with us telling you it will not work, and we would rather say that in week one.
Design and Engineering
Once we know what the parcel supports, we develop plans sized to the county's development standards for your lot area. Structural engineering is part of this, and on Maui that includes wind loading and seismic requirements that mainland plan sets do not account for.
Permits
We prepare and submit the package to Maui County. Review commonly runs three to six months for a residential accessory dwelling, and applications are processed first come, first served. Some projects need review by an outside agency, such as the State Historic Preservation Division or the Department of Health, which adds time. We submit complete packages specifically to avoid revision cycles, because a returned application goes back into the queue.
Foundation, Framing and Utilities
Site work, foundation, framing, and coordination of the licensed electrical, plumbing and wastewater connections. Accessory dwellings need their own electrical service, and water and wastewater requirements vary by parcel and by whether you are on county sewer or a septic system.
Interior Finish and Final Inspection
Interior build-out, fixtures, finishes, and county inspections through to sign-off. You end up with a permitted, legal, inspected unit and the paperwork that proves it, which matters the day you sell or refinance.
By Town
ADU and Ohana Unit Building Across Maui
Every part of this island asks something different of an accessory dwelling project. Zoning, lot sizes, soils, wind exposure and wastewater infrastructure all shift as you move around Maui.
- Kahului and Central Maui — Residential zoning, county sewer in most neighborhoods, and relatively flat lots. Central Maui is where accessory dwelling projects tend to pencil out most cleanly under the new rules.
- Wailuku — Older residential neighborhoods with smaller lots and existing structures that were built in phases. Removing the minimum lot size opened up a lot of Wailuku parcels that were previously out of the running.
- Makawao and Upcountry — Larger parcels, but a significant share of upcountry land is agricultural rather than residential. Check your zoning here before anything else.
- Kula — Elevation, larger properties, and a high proportion of ag zoning. Water availability and wastewater capacity are the practical constraints as often as zoning is.
- Kihei and South Maui — Residential zoning with strong long-term rental demand. Salt air exposure drives material and hardware choices on the build itself.
- Wailea — Larger properties and higher finish expectations. Accessory dwellings here are often guest quarters or staff housing rather than rentals.
- Lahaina and West Maui — Rebuilding is the context for most West Maui work right now, and accessory dwellings are part of how families are getting back onto their land.
- Paia and the North Shore — Older beach and plantation-era homes, tight lots, and wind exposure that has to be engineered for.
- Haiku — Rural and agricultural zoning throughout, heavy rainfall, and septic rather than sewer on most parcels. Feasibility review matters more here than almost anywhere on the island.
FAQ
Common Questions About ADUs and Ohana Units on Maui
How many ohana units can I build on my Maui property?
Under rules Maui County adopted in July 2026, qualifying residentially zoned properties on Maui, Molokai and Lanai can be eligible for up to two accessory dwellings in addition to the primary residence. That is potentially three units on one lot. Whether your parcel qualifies depends on zoning, lot area, parking, setbacks and utility capacity. We check all of it against your specific property during the free feasibility visit.
Do I need a permit to build an ohana unit on Maui?
Yes. An accessory dwelling requires a building permit through Maui County, and the plans must satisfy Chapter 19.35 of the Maui County Code along with structural, electrical and wastewater requirements. Permit review commonly takes three to six months. We handle preparation and submittal, and our license is current and verifiable through the state at mypvl.dcca.hawaii.gov. Building an unpermitted second unit creates serious problems at resale and can trigger county enforcement.
Can I rent out my Maui ADU on Airbnb?
No. Accessory dwellings on Maui cannot be used as vacation rentals, short-term rentals or bed-and-breakfast operations. The county has been direct about this, and it is one of the conditions attached to the expanded allowance. Long-term rental is permitted, and with Maui rental rates where they are, that is where the return comes from.
Can I build an ohana on agricultural land in Kula or Haiku?
Usually not as an accessory dwelling. On agricultural-zoned parcels, a second residence is an accessory farm dwelling, which falls under different rules with an agricultural use requirement, and those rules were not changed by the July 2026 accessory dwelling ordinance. Plenty of upcountry land is ag-zoned. We verify your parcel's actual zoning classification before any design work starts.
How long does it take to build an ohana unit on Maui?
Plan on roughly a year from first conversation to final inspection. Design and engineering typically take one to two months, county permit review commonly runs three to six months, and construction of a detached unit runs another three to six months depending on size and site conditions. Garage conversions move faster because the structure and utilities already exist.
How big can my accessory dwelling be?
The maximum size is tied to the net area of your lot, and Maui County publishes a development standards table that sets the allowance by lot size. Rather than quote you a number that may not apply to your parcel, we pull your lot area during the feasibility review and size the plans to what your property actually permits.
Related Services
Find Out What Your Lot Can Support
The rules changed this summer, and a lot of Maui property owners do not know it yet. If you have been told no in the past, it is worth asking again. We will come out, look at your parcel, and give you an honest answer about what is possible before you commit to anything.
If you have been told no in the past, it is worth asking again.