AboutAwardsListingsLifestyleFAQContact Jay 808-755-8132
Aerial view over Koloa town toward the Po'ipu coastline, Kauai, where new construction is underway

Poipu · Koloa · Kauai

New Construction on Kaua'i's South Shore

New construction in Po'ipu and Koloa runs from small single-family enclaves and custom homes inside established communities to multi-unit condominium projects. Individual homes and whole phases move through permitting, construction and sale at different paces, so what is genuinely available on any given week is narrower than the project names suggest.

New Construction Currently Listed

Front facade of 3064 — Po'ipu Mauka Village craftsman bungalow
3064 Poipu Rd #1
Po'ipu Mauka Village
$2,399,500

What’s Being Built

These projects were researched and last checked in August 2026. New construction status on Kaua'i's south shore changes quickly — contact Jay for the current position on anything below.

Po'ipu Mauka Village

Type
Single-family
How many
Not published — sources describe an enclave without stating a lot count
Price
See the home currently listed above for the asking price
Status
At least one home completed in 2025 and actively listed

A residential enclave in Koloa, described in listings as having a planned private gated entry and contemporary plantation-style design. The completed home was built by Pu'uwai Construction.

It is close enough to Old Koloa Town to walk there, which is unusual on the south shore and is the practical difference between this and the coastal subdivisions. No total lot or unit count appears in any source I could read.

Sources: Sotheby's International Realty · Redfin

Kauhale at The Village

Type
Condominium — one and two bedroom
How many
60 units
Price
From $705,000, as published in 2026
Status
Under construction and selling; a May 2026 project update expected construction to wrap by the end of summer 2026

The second phase of Koloa Village, by Koloa Village Residential LLC. Plantation-style one- and two-bedroom units with outdoor lanais, in historic Koloa Town near Old Koloa Town and the Hapa Trail.

Short-term vacation rentals are not permitted here — the minimum stay is six months. That is stated by the developer and it is the single fact most likely to change whether this project suits a given buyer, so it belongs in the first paragraph rather than the fine print.

Sources: Koloa Village — Kauhale · Redfin community page

Kauanoe o Koloa

Type
Condominium — two, three and four bedroom
How many
279 units planned across phases
Price
From $1,399,000 for two-bedroom units, per developer materials and listings
Status
Under construction, with progress photographed into early 2026. The developer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2026, and current availability and completion timing depend on those proceedings

A condominium project on roughly 25 acres beside Kiahuna Golf Course, with pools, spas, fitness facilities and a clubhouse in the plans. The land sits within a Visitor Destination Area.

Phase 1, of 72 units, was reported sold out on hard deposits before the filing. I have included this project rather than quietly dropping it because a buyer searching new construction in Po'ipu will find it, and the bankruptcy is public, reported by Hawaii News Now and others. Anyone with a deposit here or considering one should be taking advice on the current position rather than reading a website.

Sources: Kauanoe o Kaua'i · Hawaii News Now, 19 May 2026

Kukui'ula

Type
Custom homes and homesites within the community
How many
Ongoing — hundreds of homes built, with more under construction and in design review
Status
Active custom construction continues; the Na Hiku neighborhood was under horizontal construction as of early 2026 updates

A master-planned community on the south shore with its own design guidelines and club amenities, where homesites and completed or part-built custom residences come to market periodically.

Building here means clearing community design review in addition to County permitting, which is a second timeline running alongside the first. Worth understanding before a schedule is committed to.

Sources: Kukui'ula · Kukui'ula 2025 market update

Makahu'ena Estates

Type
Estate lots — homes built by individual owners
How many
10 homesites of approximately one acre each
Status
Some homes complete, lots 2, 3 and 5 noted as under construction, remaining lots available. Current prices for remaining lots are not published

Ten roughly one-acre estate lots at Kaua'i's southernmost point — eight oceanfront, two ocean-view. Infrastructure is in, and owners build to the subdivision's design guidelines rather than buying a finished house.

The developer's own marketing states that most lots fall within the Visitor Destination Area and that one is restricted to long-term use. That claim comes from the seller's site and I have not been able to verify it against County records, so treat it as unconfirmed: vacation-rental eligibility on Kaua'i is parcel-specific, and the only answer worth acting on is the one that comes back against the exact TMK from the County. Ask me and I will pull it.

Sources: Po'ipu Oceanfront (developer)

Po'ipu Beach Estates

Type
Single-family subdivision
How many
110 lots, of which 28 were vacant as of 31 December 2025
Status
Homes under construction and in permitting, per the Land Use Commission's annual report

Not a new project, but still absorbing. The State Land Use Commission's annual report for the docket is the primary source here and it is the reason this entry carries a hard number when several of the newer projects do not — the report is filed, dated and public.

Sources: Hawai'i Land Use Commission annual report, 2025

What Building Here Actually Involves

Timelines, and why they are what they are

Building on Kaua'i takes longer than it does almost anywhere on the mainland, and freight is most of the reason. Materials ship to Honolulu and then barge to Nawiliwili Harbour, which adds both cost and scheduling risk to every order rather than just to the large ones. Custom projects here commonly run eighteen to twenty-eight months from design through completion.

County plan review for a new single-family residence is measured in months rather than weeks — one published estimate puts it in the range of twelve to twenty-two weeks — and several departments review the same set of drawings, so a revision in one place can restart a wait somewhere else. A shoreline setback question or a Special Management Area determination adds public hearings on top of that. The island also has a limited pool of specialised trades, which is why two projects that look identical on paper can finish six months apart.

What the code requires that mainland buyers do not expect

Three requirements catch people out. New homes need a continuous load path — hurricane clips and hold-downs tying roof to walls to foundation — which has been required on Kaua'i for homes built since roughly 1993. Termite treatment of the soil, or an approved barrier system, is mandatory under the building code. And Hawai'i state law, HRS §196-6.5, requires a solar water heating system on a new single-family dwelling unless the State Energy Office grants a variance.

None of these are options a builder offers at the upgrade meeting. They are enforced at permit and at inspection, and they are a large part of why a new house here costs what it does. Corrosion-resistant fasteners and exterior hardware are not a code item but are a practical necessity within sight of the water, and their absence is the first thing that shows.

The continuous load path that holds a Kauai house down in a hurricaneA cutaway through the eave of a wall and roof showing four metal connections in an unbroken chain: a hurricane tie joining the rafter to the top plate, a strap from the top plate to the wall stud, a hold-down from the stud to the sill plate, and an anchor bolt fixing the sill plate into the concrete foundation. Wind lifting the roof pulls on every link at once, so the chain is only as strong as its weakest connection.UPLIFTUPLIFT1Hurricane tierafter to top plate2Stud straptop plate to stud3Hold-downstud to sill plate4Anchor boltsill plate into concretethe load pathOne unbroken chain, roof to slab.Wind pulls every link at once, so theweakest connection is the one that decides.
How a modern Kauaʻi home resists hurricane uplift: a continuous load path of metal connectors from the roof framing down to the foundation. Illustration, not a photograph of a specific property.

New build or resale

A new home on the south shore is built to current County and State code for wind resistance, energy and termite protection. A resale home may pre-date some of those requirements and may need work to bring the load path, glazing or water heating up to where a new house starts.

New homes usually carry a builder's limited warranty — commonly a year on workmanship and longer on structure, though the term is whatever the contract says. A resale buyer relies instead on inspection, seller disclosures and whatever manufacturer warranties are left. Insurance underwriting and premiums can differ on construction date, flood and high-wind zone, and whether the house meets current standards.

The choice is between a finished product built to today's rules and an existing house whose systems, materials and remaining life have to be assessed one at a time. Which is better depends entirely on the two specific properties in front of you, and no forward-looking claim about value is being made here either way.

On the Ground

Front exterior of a completed 2026 plantation-style new-construction home in Po'ipu Mauka Village, Koloa, Kauai
A completed 2026 build in Po'ipu Mauka Village — the home Jay currently lists at 3064 Poipu Rd.
Covered lanai of a new-construction home in Po'ipu Mauka Village, Koloa, Kauai
Covered lanai on the same house. Indoor-outdoor space is designed in here rather than added later.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to build a custom home in Po'ipu or Koloa?

Eighteen to twenty-eight months from initial design to certificate of occupancy is the range that comes up consistently, and it is realistic rather than pessimistic. That covers architecture and engineering, County permitting — often several months on its own — material lead times driven by inter-island shipping, and the build itself. Shoreline sites and anything needing a Special Management Area determination run longer. If a timeline you have been quoted is materially shorter than this, it is worth asking what part of it has been left out.

What building requirements surprise buyers from the mainland?

Continuous load-path connections — hurricane clips and hold-downs — have been required on Kaua'i for many years. Soil termite treatment or an approved barrier is mandatory. New single-family homes must include solar water heating under HRS §196-6.5 unless the State Energy Office approves a variance. Salt-air corrosion resistance in fasteners and exterior materials is not a code requirement but is a practical one anywhere near the water. These are code and state law, not builder upsells, and they are enforced at permit and inspection.

Can new construction in Po'ipu or Koloa be used as a short-term rental?

This is the most consequential question on the south shore, and it is the one you should get in writing rather than from any website, including this one. Short-term rentals of under 180 days are permitted by right only inside a designated Visitor Destination Area. Outside a VDA, new single-family transient vacation rentals are not allowed — only limited nonconforming-use certificates pre-dating the County's cutoffs continue, subject to annual renewal. Eligibility is parcel-specific. Ask me for the exact TMK and I will get you the County's current position before you write an offer.

What is the position with Kauanoe o Koloa?

The project planned 279 units, had Phase 1 in escrow and construction underway, and the developer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2026. Construction progress was photographed into early 2026, but completion and delivery now depend on the bankruptcy process. Anyone holding a deposit or under contract should be getting current information through counsel rather than from a marketing page. Other south-shore projects are unaffected and continue on their own schedules.

How does new-construction warranty coverage work in Hawai'i?

Builders commonly provide a limited warranty covering workmanship for a year and structural elements for longer, often up to ten years, though the exact terms are whatever the contract says and they vary more than buyers expect. Hawai'i also has an implied warranty of habitability, and the Contractor Repair Act, HRS Chapter 672E, requires notice and an opportunity to repair before certain claims can be brought. Read the actual warranty document for the specific home rather than relying on what is typical.

Why do build costs and timelines differ so much from the mainland?

Nearly all materials travel by ship to Hawai'i and then by barge to Kaua'i, which adds freight cost and scheduling risk to everything, including the small items that hold up an inspection. The island has a limited pool of specialised trades, so scheduling a subcontractor can be the constraint rather than the work itself. County plan review runs through several departments and can require revisions. These are structural features of building here and they show up consistently in how local contractors describe south-shore projects.

Why work with me on new construction

I walk the active sites, look at the permits and the actual construction progress, and tell you where what a listing portal is showing differs from what is happening on the ground in Po'ipu and Koloa. That is the part you cannot get from a feed.

Sources

Project statuses, prices and county rules change. Nothing on this page is a representation about a specific parcel — confirm the details that matter to your purchase before relying on them.