Welcome to Hawaii Drafting — Home Building Drafting Services on the Big Island
At Hawaii Drafting (Accent Design Services), every project is a fresh opportunity to discover new perspectives and design possibilities. Based on the Big Island of Hawaii, we specialize in residential drafting services tailored to the unique lifestyles and preferences of our clients.
Over the years, we’ve learned that the key to effective design lies in truly understanding the people we work with. That’s why we take the time to get to know our clients — not just their ideas, but their personality, style, and how they envision living in their future home. This approach allows us to work efficiently and create drafting plans that are as thoughtful as they are functional.
While traditional drafting often stops at two dimensions, we take it further — thinking in three dimensions, with attention to depth, flow, and how a space feels in real life. It’s about seeing the whole picture, not just the lines on the page.
We’re proud to have built lasting relationships with many of our clients, and with each returning project comes the chance to refine and evolve their designs even further. From basic drafting to creative design input — and even full construction and project management — every project contributes to our passion for helping others bring their vision to life.
Thank you to all our clients for the continued trust in our services.
ABOUT
Big Island Hawaii Home Building Drafting Services
Established in 1994, Hawaii Drafting — also known as Accent Design Services — has proudly served the Big Island of Hawaii for over 30 years. Based right here on the island, we specialize in drafting services for custom homes and have designed and managed a wide range of residential projects across the island.
While custom home design is at the heart of what we do, our experience goes far beyond that. We offer a variety of construction-related services to support homeowners, builders, and businesses through every stage of the building process.
Our long-standing relationships with clients and local professionals reflect our commitment to quality, communication, and a deep understanding of island living. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing vision, we’re here to help bring your ideas to life with thoughtful, efficient design.
SERVICES
DRAFTING
DESIGN
PROJECT/
CONSTRUCTION/
MANAGEMENT
CONSTRUCTION
CONCIERGE
CUSTOM & SPEC HOMES
RENOVATION, REMODELS
& ADDITIONS
WOOD, STEEL & CONCRETE
SPACE PLANNING
PERMIT ROUTING
ZONING ISSUES, VARIANCES,
SPECIAL USE & PLAN
APPROVAL
SMA (SPECIAL
MANAGEMENT AREA)
EXPERIENCE
RESIDENTIAL
GOAL
OUR GOAL
At Hawaii Drafting (Accent Design Services), our goal is simple: to help you turn your vision into reality — from the first sketch to a permitted plan set. We focus on creating clear construction plan sets that are not only code-compliant but also practical for your builder to execute.
Every project presents unique challenges, and many elements can impact the final design — from site conditions to budget and local requirements. That’s why we work closely with you to find the best solutions that align with what you want, while keeping efficiency and cost in mind.
We know and understand that building codes in Hawaii continue to evolve and can be complex, especially with how they are enforced at the county level. However, we try hard to stay up-to-date with these changes. Our experience allows us to navigate those “growing pains” behind the scenes, ensuring a smoother permit route with the County. it still will take time. Please call us for a short narrative to help you better understand what we mean.
Designing and building in Hawaii is very different from the mainland. The Big Island, in particular, has the highest seismic risk zone of all the islands — a critical factor in every structural design. And wind zone hazard areas are also a concern. Our experience working on projects across multiple islands has also given us valuable insight into how various agencies operate, helping us better serve you wherever your project is located.
Our mission is to provide practical, well-informed design services that support you at every step — from concept to construction.
FAQ
What is CADD?
CADD is an acronym for Computer Aided Design and Drafting.
What's so great about CADD?
With manual drafting, corrections and revisions are a messy and time consuming process compared to a few clicks of the mouse on the computer. All changes and revisions are kept as computer files for later reference, use or record. Economical and computer based, the process is quick and efficient. Drafts sent via e-mail rather than having to meet and view physical drawings, saving time and/or postage making the process virtually “paperless”.
Why do I need someone to draw or draft plans for my house?
Building codes and regulations. Hawaii County Building Division does not accept unprofessional drawings. Plans not drawn to industry standards, as determined by Building Division will not be accepted to start building permit processing. And currently the County is switching to IBC 2018 (International Building Code).
What about the whole project?
We are able to assist in all aspects of the design and building process. This includes, but is not limited to; consultation for design and construction, coordination of all sub-contractors, oversight of project and providence of a local contact. If you desire a turn-key business or home – we can provide that for you.
ADDITIONS, RENOVATIONS & REMODELS
This is a highly debated & confusying issue for many. We would like to provide our humble point of view, which we encourage you to cross reference and do research. Plain & simple, this type of construction is costly.
Why?
There are several reasons for this:
One, if you don’t have the original plans, don’t know who built it, and we as a company did not design, draw or manage the project, then there is no record of how or what was built. It may be possible to contact the City & County for a copy of the plans, but they are not required to keep them on file, and if so, only for a certain period of time. Another route is through a realtor. They have access to the prior owner or developer.
Two, by not having this information, it is very difficult to draw how the walls or structural beams are built, being that they have been covered by walls, sheet rock or plywood sheeting.
Three, given the two above conditions, we can do the best estimate and draft it, but things will change once you open the walls, because everyone builds differently and building code has changed over the years.
Lastly, we can only answer for our work, not someone elses and same as Pandora’s box, the moment you open those walls, you unleash a whole bunch of problems.
Taking these points and conditions into considerations, be careful of anyone bidding low either drawing, design, or building with these conditions involved. We all want to save money, but you get what you pay for.
FORECLOSURES
In a foreclosure, it is important that you get the complete picture, an appraisal does the market value, certified home inspection does the structural value. Who does the assessment for Building Code, open permits, illegal structures and other aspects that can help you make an informed decision?
We can, contact us and we can assist you. In order to improve the value of these homes, it is more than just window dressings and paint job.
Please visit the links on the FAQ page, as they have a balance of information that can help you to make an informed decision.
Please visit the links on the FAQ page as they have a balance of information that can help you to make an informed decision.
The below additional referral is also a friend who we assisted with this very type of situation, helping to provide plans and permitting to regain the illegal and unpermitted area that existed when they bought. These issues caused complications and delays for their financing too.
COMMON BUILDING DEFINITIONS:
Living area: Including, but not limited to; Bedrooms, Living Room, Dining Room, Bathrooms, Kitchen, Office/Den.
Non-Living area: Including, but not limited to; Garage, Carport, Lanai (Porch), Decks.[/vc_column_text]
HOW IT ALL WORKS:
Building in Hawaii OR anyplace is about Wants vs. Needs. In today market it is very hard to get to your goal. So when you pose the question of what do you want versus what to you need? It ends up a very good tool for anyone looking to build. Accent Design Services specializes in Big Island, Hawaii home building drafting services. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
RESOURCES
TESTIMONIALS
“Navigating our way through uncharted territories is how it felt like for us when we started our journey in our Hawaiian Homestead construction project. We didn’t know where to start, what questions to ask, or who would be involved in this process. Accent Design Services was that lighthouse, that beacon of light and aloha, who helped guide us to safe harbors while also warning us of dangerous areas to avoid. If you are navigating through uncharted territories, then you’ll want Accent Design Services to be your guiding light. They’re informative, thorough, trustworthy, and knowledgeable, and they do business with a true sense of aloha.”
– Leinaala L. – Social Worker – Hawaiian (or Pana’ewa) Homestead
“Solid design, great customer service, and very knowledgeable.”
– CHESTER C. (MECHANIC, HAWAII)
“I found Accent Design Services to be both prompt and knowledgeable regarding the construction field and its many processes. I liked their attention to detail, sincerity, and focus on completion when following up with their customers. All in all a great outfit of whom which I highly recommend.”
– ERIC C. – DEVELOPER / CITY PLANNER. OREGON TO HAWAII
“Being able to communicate clearly, completely, and often is so important in a project; Accent Design has proven worthy of our trust in this regard.”
– STEVEN J. – RETIRED TEACHER / STAIN GLASS ARTIST – ALASKA TO HAWAII
“Accent Design Services provides me with a complete cost, no hidden fees or added costs. And reliable referrals.”
– LESLIE B. – OWNER, LEKILI NURSERY, HAWAII
“Quick, cheap, good, pick any two” and is a very old saying among engineers. It embodies all the basic premises that we must live with in order to get this done, and done well. I wish folks could wrap their minds around that one good and solid….it applies to many, many things in this life.”
– “UNCLE” BOONE MORRISON, ARCHITECT/ARTIST – HANAI (ADOPTED) HAWAIIAN.
CONTACT US
Accent Design Services
P.O. Box 2026, Keaau, Hawaii 96749
808.936.5377
info@hawaiidrafting.com
Please visit our other webpages