Honolulu Express Plan Check: How to Qualify and What to Expect

What is Express Plan Check?

The DPP Express Plan Check Program (EPC) provides accelerated first-review turnaround for a premium fee. Rather than waiting in the standard queue, express submissions are assigned to a dedicated reviewer who commits to completing the first review within a shorter timeframe — typically 10 business days for residential projects, compared to 15–30 business days under standard review.

Express review does not mean automatic approval. The reviewer still conducts a full plan check, and corrections are issued if the plans are non-compliant. The difference is the speed of the first review cycle, not the outcome.

Eligible project types

Express Plan Check is available for a subset of project types. Eligibility requirements vary and are periodically updated by DPP. As a general guide, express review is typically available for:

• Single-family residential alterations and additions
• New single-family dwellings on conforming lots
• Accessory structures including ohana units
• Commercial tenant improvements within an existing building shell

Projects not typically eligible for express review include: new multi-family construction, high-rise projects, projects requiring special use permits, projects in the SMA or Historic District, and projects with pending variance applications.

Confirm current eligibility criteria directly with DPP at the plan check counter or via their online pre-check inquiry system before submitting.

Express Plan Check fees

Express Plan Check carries a premium over standard plan check fees. The premium is typically a multiple of the base permit fee — historically in the range of 1.5× to 2× the standard fee, though the exact multiplier is set by DPP fee schedule and subject to change.

The express fee is paid at the time of submission and is not refundable if the plans are rejected for incompleteness. This is why submission quality matters: a poorly prepared set burns the premium fee and still requires resubmittal at the standard pace.

What makes an express-ready submission?

The projects that move cleanly through express review share common characteristics: they address all code issues before submission, the plans are internally consistent, and the submittal package is complete.

Specific checklist items that prevent first-cycle corrections:

• Current code edition references on all sheets (IBC 2018, Hawaii amendments)
• Lot coverage calculation table on the site plan, showing all covered structures
• Parking compliance table with stall dimensions on the site plan
• Setback dimensions shown from all property lines to all proposed structures
• Construction type declared consistently across architectural, structural, and fire protection sheets
• Energy code documentation (ASHRAE 90.1 or Hawaii Energy Code) on mechanical and architectural plans
• Structural calculations stamped by a Hawaii-licensed PE, coordinated with the architectural framing notes

Running an Ikena Permit pre-check before submitting to express review catches the issues on this list and more — specifically the construction type inconsistencies and code edition errors that DPP reviewers flag in the first minutes of review.

SCP as an alternative to express review

For architects who qualify for DPP's Self-Certification Program (SCP), self-certification provides faster issuance than even express review — typically 3–5 business days from a complete submission, compared to 10 days for express review. SCP is not available for all project types, and requires the architect to carry E&O insurance and accept full professional responsibility for code compliance.

Read our guide to the Self-Certification Program for details on the qualification process and what SCP participants use Ikena Permit for.