Building Guidelines – Kohala Ranch and Puakea Bay Ranch

Since I have prime ocean view lot listings at both Kohala Ranch and Puakea Bay Ranch, I recently have been asked multiple times for the design guidelines and CC&Rs governing building a home on these 3-10 acre lots. The details are complex, but often just understanding the basics is enough for prospective buyers to decide whether or not buying vacant land with the intention of building in one of these ocean view gated communities in North Kohala makes sense for them.

Home under construction at Kohala Ranch — the extensive rock retaining wall and the complex roof profile are typical of homes in the community meeting design standards.

Building a Home in Kohala Ranch

With Kohala Ranch lot prices currently ranging from $158,000 to $379,500, prospective buyers are often surprised that home prices in the community start at over $1 million. Those prices reflect the building costs of a home in compliance with the design guidelines and CC&Rs.

• Minimum home size is 2,000 sq ft for a lot under 10 acres (the lot size in the Heathers and Meadows sections); that increases to 2,500 sq ft for lots over 10 acres, which would be in the Summit section. There must be a garage and additional guest parking. Minimum landscape requirements also apply.
• Guest houses are allowed, but not an entire second dwelling.
• The design must adhere to detailed standards for colors, materials, roof design, retaining walls and fencing.
• The review process itself entails costs. All plans must be submitted to and approved by the Architectural Control Committee. This requires an initial retainer to pay for the costs of the review; the plans must be presented by a licensed architect, licensed civil engineer, and licensed landscape professional to be sure they meet details in the design standards.

The picnic table marks a building site with unobstructable views on this 5-acre lot in Kohala Ranch Meadows II

Building a Home in Puakea Bay Ranch

Current lot prices for 10-acre parcels at Puakea Bay Ranch range from $350,000 to $499,000. There is currently not a single active residential listing, but the three sales this year range from $1,700,000 to $5,900,000. Again, this is a function primarily of the design standards for the community, in particular a larger minimum dwelling than at Kohala Ranch.

• Minimum home size is 4,000 sq ft, although a credit can be given for covered lanai that effectively means one could build a 3,500 sq ft home with at least 1,000 sq ft of covered lanai. There are some restrictions as to materials and height.
• Guest houses of no less than 1,200 sq ft are allowed but not an entire second dwelling.
• Proposed new homes must not unreasonably obstruct the ocean view from an existing neighboring home.
• Plans must be submitted to the Environmental Control Committee for review and approval.

Puakea Bay Ranch 10-acre lots are arranged parallel to the ocean. Owners stagger their home sites to maximize the ocean, sunset, and Maui views.

If you have questions about either of these horse-friendly subdivisions, or would like to know about vacant lots in Kohala outside of the gated communities. feel free to contact me directly.