Prefab and kit homes, shipped to every island.
A cottage on the Big Island, a family home on Oahu, a retreat above a Maui beach. We have been building and shipping kit home packages to Hawaii for over 20 years, borate treated against termites and engineered for the county you are building in.
The islands punish a badly built envelope
Hawaii carries the highest residential electricity rates in the United States. That single fact changes the maths of a house here: a wall that reduces cooling demand is worth considerably more over twenty years in Kailua than the identical wall in Portland, and it is the argument most island builders never make.
Every package is built on the Pacific SmartWall®, with insulation routered into the framing so heat is not conducting straight through the studs. It works in both directions, and in a cooling-dominated climate the direction that matters is keeping heat out.
The second constraint is supply. Lumber, skilled trades and time all carry an island premium. A package that arrives pre-cut, labelled and sequenced means your crew is assembling rather than measuring, cutting and waiting on deliveries.
Every island, by ocean container
Panelized packages ship flat inside standard containers rather than as finished boxes, so an island destination is a scheduling question rather than an engineering one.
Hawaii Island, the Big Island
Our most frequent island destination, from Kona and Waimea to Hilo and Puna. Wide variation in rainfall, elevation and district requirements, so each package is engineered to the specific site.
Oahu
Honolulu, the North Shore and the windward side. Tight lots, high land costs and a strong case for building something efficient rather than something large.
Maui
Upcountry and coastal builds, including rebuilds. Wind exposure and elevation both change what the structure has to do.
Kauai
High rainfall, serious wind exposure and a limited local supply chain, which is precisely where a complete shipped package earns its value.
Molokai and Lanai
Small populations and almost no local building supply. A container of pre-cut, labelled components solves most of the problem before the crew arrives.
Remote and off-grid sites
Flat panels reach parcels that finished modules cannot, including sites with limited road access. How delivery works.
Construction here is genuinely different
Which is why it matters that your manufacturer has done it before. Over 20 years of Hawaii packages has taught us what the islands ask for that the mainland does not.
Borate treated lumber, as standard
All lumber in the building components of a Hawaiian package is borate treated against termites. Not an upgrade and not an option. Untreated lumber in the islands is a false economy.
Engineered to your county
Hawaii's counties adopt and amend building code separately. Your package is engineered to meet or exceed the code where you are building, including wind loading for your exposure.
Shipped in ocean containers
Wall panels, trusses and floor systems are packed into containers and shipped across the Pacific. We have been sending packages over this ocean since 1989.
Assembled by a local contractor in about a week
Our network contractors put the shell up quickly because the components arrive pre-cut and sequenced. Less island labour, less time exposed to weather.
Tropical designs, and anything else you want
Our tropical house plans are drawn for the Hawaiian climate and the way people live in it: large open spaces, wrap-around decks and lanais built to be used year round. Modern plans have gained ground in the islands too, and both work.
Pacific Homes has been building our kit homes in Hawaii for over 20 years. Our projects are designed to withstand the local climate and conditions, and also to meet and exceed all local building codes and requirements.
Plans run from compact 1,000 square foot homes to layouts well past 2,000, and every one can be changed. Unlike modular construction, which is limited by what fits in a finished box, a panelized package can be customized in any direction: floor plan, finishes and fixtures.
Browse all nine plan collections, or filter by bedrooms and size.
Where a Hawaii budget actually goes
Island building punishes budget surprises harder than mainland building, because every correction involves freight. Your package price is locked in before construction begins, so the largest single line is fixed at order rather than exposed to local supply pricing. The site side is quoted by your Hawaii contractor and varies considerably by island and district.
In your Pacific Homes package
- Borate treated engineered SmartWall panels
- Roof trusses and structural floor system
- Windows, exterior doors, siding, roofing
- Insulation, drywall, stairs, decking
- Design, estimating and engineering
Quoted locally in Hawaii
- Land, site prep and excavation
- Foundation and utility connections
- County permits and fees
- Container drayage from port to site
- Assembly labour, plumbing, electrical, finishes
A practical way to size a project early is to divide your total budget by the going cost per square foot on your island, then work backward to a plan that fits. Your Build Specialist will be straight with you about what is realistic before you get attached to a design.
What island buyers ask
Yes. Packages ship by ocean container to Hawaii Island, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai. Because a panelized package ships flat inside standard containers rather than as finished modules, inter-island delivery and difficult access sites stay workable where modular construction does not.
A modular home arrives as finished three dimensional boxes that must be craned into place, which limits size, shape and the routes it can travel. A Pacific Homes package is panelized: panels, trusses and floor systems ship flat and are assembled on your foundation by a local contractor. The finished house is built to your county's code and treated as site-built, and unlike modular it can be fully customized. The full comparison.
All lumber in the building components of a Hawaiian kit home is borate treated against termites. It is a standing specification on every Hawaii package rather than an upgrade, because termite pressure in the islands makes untreated lumber a false economy.
The package price is locked before construction begins, which fixes the largest line in the budget at order rather than leaving it exposed to island supply pricing. Land, site prep, foundation, utilities, permits, drayage from port and assembly labour are quoted separately by your Hawaii contractor and vary by island and district. See how the full budget breaks down.
Once containers reach the job site, one of our network contractors can typically assemble the shell in as little as a week. Components arrive pre-cut, labelled and sequenced, so the crew assembles rather than measures and cuts, which matters more in Hawaii than most places given what island labour and lumber cost.
Yes. Hawaii's counties adopt and amend code separately, so your package is engineered to meet or exceed the code and wind loading requirements for the specific county and district you are building in, rather than to a statewide assumption. Designs are engineered for the local climate and conditions before manufacturing begins.
Tell us which island, and what you have in mind.
Send us your island, your lot and a rough budget. Your Build Specialist will come back with what a package looks like on your site, engineered for your county, with the price locked before construction begins.