ROH Chapter 21

A-3 Medium-High Density Apartment

Honolulu's highest-density base apartment district, allowing 55% lot coverage, a 2.50 FAR, and a 55-ft height limit. A-3 enables true mid-rise residential development — five to six story buildings on standard-size lots. The FAR limit, not height, is typically the binding constraint on smaller lots.

Common locations: Makiki, Pawaa, upper Nuuanu, portions of Moiliili, and transitional areas between Honolulu's urban core and the A-2 corridors.

Development standards

Standard	Requirement
Minimum lot area	3,500 sf
Front yard	10 ft min
Rear yard	10 ft min
Interior side yard	5 ft min
Street-side yard	10 ft min
Max lot coverage	55%
Max building height	55 ft
FAR limit	2.50

FAR of 2.50 on a 5,000 sf lot allows 12,500 sf of total floor area — typically achieved with a 5-story building at 55% coverage. Mechanical penthouse and parking podium inclusions in floor area calculation are the most common compliance issues.

Source: ROH §21-3.30 (A-3 apartment district standards)

Sample calculation

Lot area5,000 sf

Max FAR (2.50)12,500 sf total floor area

5-story building, 2,500 sf per floor12,500 sf (FAR 2.50) — AT LIMIT

Coverage (footprint / lot)2,500 / 5,000 = 50% — PASS under 55%

Common DPP plan-check violations

1FAR exceeding 2.50 when parking garage floor area included without applicable exemption

2Height measurement at 55 ft where rooftop mechanical equipment or parapet is not accounted for

3Open space requirements for multi-unit buildings not documented on site plan

4Rear yard at 10 ft minimum — significantly deeper than residential districts

Key exceptions and reliefs

—Parking structure floor area may be excluded from FAR calculation under specific conditions — verify with current ROH text

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← All zoning districts

Development standards are based on ROH Chapter 21 as of May 2026. Verify all values against the current DPP-adopted code before relying on them. Overlay districts (SMA, flood zone, historic), special area requirements, and neighborhood-specific provisions may impose additional standards not reflected here.