Building Dept. FAQ

For building permit process, this is a basic reference to be familiar with, and outlines the normal process/hoops for building permits, including what department(s) are responsible for what elements:
http://www.hawaii-county.com/permits/Bldg%20permit%20FAQs.pdf
Engineers/architects are currently able to take direct responsibility for at least one aspect of some kinds of buildings (excerpt from above document):
“The design, engineering, construction and installation of pre-engineered roof trusses are the responsibility of Structural engineers or Architects.Pre-engineered roof truss drawings are not required to be submitted with a building permit application as of March 1, 2010.Instead, the architect or structural engineer of record accepts responsibility and liability for engineering, construction and installation of pre-engineered roof trusses in a letter to the building division.This change, which was suggested by design professionals and agreed to by the County, keeps the design/construction process moving forward, allowing for the solicitation of bids, hiring of a contractor and time to shop for pre-engineered roof truss drawings appropriate to the project.”
cheers,John S.
— John Schinnerer – M.A., Whole Systems Design——————————————— Eco-Living -Whole Systems Design ServicesPeople – Place – Learning – Integration