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Husband and wife home flippers Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama have a low tolerance for delays. 

On their HGTV reality show “Renovation Aloha,” a lag in a tile shipment or a contractor’s laziness threaten the profitability of turning Oahu eyesores into million-dollar listings. 

“Our margins are razor thin on this house, so we gave ourselves a timeline of 12 weeks max,” Tristyn said of a termite-infested property in Mililani. 

As the show has gained popularity and gears up for a second season, viewers have taken to social media to ask: On an island plagued by notoriously long permitting times, how is it that the Kalamas are getting their permits approved quickly enough to renovate, sell their properties and turn a profit? 

The answer is simple: They’re not. 

For each of the eight properties featured on the show’s first season, the couple began renovating before a single building permit was issued, according to a Civil Beat review of public records. Instead, they applied for permits but forged ahead with their work before the approval came in. In many cases, the homes were sold with sparkling new kitchens, glamorous bathrooms, new decks — none of it permitted. 

Even when permit applications were eventually approved by Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting, or DPP, some covered only part of the work the Kalamas broadcast to their , leaving buyers with unpermitted alterations and additions that could cause them headaches later. The unpermitted work featured in Season 1 includes major structural, electrical and plumbing upgrades.

Andrew Le and his wife Teri Fukuhara-Le, who purchased the Kalihi flip featured in the first episode, said they had no idea major elements of their renovation were not included on their permit. They’re now grappling with cracks in their concrete siding which they fear could be a sign of deeper problems with the house. 

“This is our first home,” Andrew Le said. “So we’re not well versed in the process of how it’s done, what we should be checking. It’s a lot of trust that’s placed onto our realtors and trusting that the seller is giving us a quality and safe and properly done home.” 

Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama declined repeated requests to be interviewed for this story and did not respond to a detailed list of questions. In response to Civil Beat’s inquiries, the couple emailed a brief statement:

“As we currently do, we encourage everyone to go through the process of pulling permits, work within guidelines set forth by DPP, and understand the processes in efforts to further advocate for themselves, their families, and the greater community, in order to effect long lasting positive change.”   

Given an opportunity to review the facts that would be published in this story, the Kalamas called them “factually inaccurate and unsubstantiated” but declined to specify what they believed was wrong.

Behind the scenes, the couple and their buyers are sometimes cited and fined, when violations are identified, but the penalties pale in comparison to the profits the Kalamas say they rake in. 

Four of the renovation projects featured throughout Season 1 were penalized with higher permit fees and violations amounting to about $20,000, according to totals provided by the city permitting department. That’s less than 2% of the $1.3 million in profits the couple touted on their show. 

In some cases, Civil Beat identified disparities between the construction shown on TV and the scope of work reported on permits, but the permitting department did not take action. The permitting department did not respond to a request to explain why.

The Kalamas have not faced the consequences designed to punish recurring violators because each of their violations has occurred on a different property, Honolulu permitting director Dawn Takeuchi Apuna told Civil Beat. The law is written, she said, to crack down on offenders with repeat offenses on the same parcel.

Meanwhile, the Kalamas have drawn a following as real estate influencers, another source of income.

On their Deals & Aloha, they tell budding investors they can “create money out of thin air” through real estate. Over the summer, they sold admission to a course at $3,000 a pop on “how to redevelop Hawaiian homes with Aloha and integrity.” And last month, they co-hosted an expo called at the Blaisdell with Honolulu City Councilwoman Andria Tupola that was attended by hundreds of people.

“They’re definitely doing what most people shouldn’t be doing, which is to not go through our process in order to start work.”

Honolulu permitting director Dawn Takeuchi Apuna

For the Kalamas, the repeated violations of the city’s building rules seem to be the cost of doing business. By the time the city permitting office notices, if they do notice, the Kalamas have already moved on to the next property. 

“They’re definitely doing what most people shouldn’t be doing, which is to not go through our process in order to start work,” the permitting director said.

However, the legal process has its own flaws. Permit applicants have had to wait months, and in some cases years, while costs for labor and materials continue to rise, a problem the Kalamas addressed in supporting a bill introduced by Tupola that would allow homeowners to build while permits are pending.  

“We should be allowed to work on our homes to meet our needs while waiting for an outdated and corrupt system to process our permits,” Tristyn Kalama wrote. 

Amid intense pressure to cut wait times, Takeuchi Apuna has ushered in technological upgrades, and residential code review time has dropped from an average of six months to nine days, DPP last month. However, that represents just one segment of the permitting journey, which can include reviews by agencies assessing impacts to wastewater, stormwater, fire hazards and historic preservation. 

Most of the permits Renovation Aloha did seek took an average of 10 months to obtain this year and last. is still waiting on an application submitted more than a year ago. 

The Kalamas held most of their Season 1 properties for an average of only eight and a half months. 

Still, Takeuchi Apuna said it bothers her when people cut the line. 

“It’s unfair to those doing the right thing,” she said. 

A Risky Proposition 

Beyond a matter of principle, unpermitted work can expose homebuyers to risks and hidden costs long after the cameras stop rolling.

The county’s review is designed to provide official inspections during construction that can catch safety hazards. Without that, buyers are left to rely on the contractors’ word that the build is up to code. 

“Buyer beware, for sure,” Dayna Robertson, a Big Island realtor, said of unpermitted work generally. “If you have someone doing your electrical work and they’re not a licensed electrician, and no one is inspecting their work, gosh, you know, I wouldn’t want your house to burn down.”

In one of the episodes, the Kalamas point out wobbly framing, which Kamohai calls “concerning AF,” and scold their contractor for the quality of his work. Those issues were later resolved, according to the show. But that’s the kind of problem mid-construction inspections are designed to catch, according to Robertson. 

During a real estate transaction, buyers typically hire a home inspector to assess the property. But they can only inspect what they can see, Robertson said.

“That’s why we have county inspectors who are supposed to inspect during various parts,” she said, “so they can see the wiring in the walls, before you put the sheetrock up, to make sure it’s being done properly.”

For the Le family, the purchase of their home was an exciting milestone. Now they’re considering a lawsuit. 

When the Kalamas bought the place, it had a tree growing out of it. The show’s premiere detailed its facelift, which involved elevating an entire section of the home several feet off the ground, installing a new roof and multiple kitchen and bathroom renovations. 

The Kalamas said on camera that they were concerned about the project’s safety. 

“You’re talking about jacking up a structure that’s not a solid structure to begin with,” Tristyn Kalama said on the show. 

“Yeah, we risk the walls falling down,” Kamohai Kalama responded. 

The Kalamas told viewers their work came with a price tag of $425,000. , however, suggests they simply replaced some windows and installed a new carport. The total cost reported to the county: $80,000. 

Within a year of moving into their Kalihi dream home, the Les said they noticed mold in their son’s room. When they ripped off the drywall, they discovered cracks in the concrete siding they said were significant enough that the light from outside was shining through. 

“I just want to be able to get some type of response; we feel like it’s the pono thing to do.”

Homeowner Andrew Le

The couple found their gutters were directing water toward the house, softening the soil and causing the house to sink. They are looking for a structural engineer who can help. 

The Les sent the Kalamas a letter to express their concerns this past summer but said they have not heard back. 

“I just want to be able to get some type of response; we feel like it’s the pono thing to do,” Andrew Le said, using a Hawaiian word for moral, “just to address an oversight or a mistake and try to make it right.” 

Buyers of unpermitted or underpermitted structures can find themselves on the hook for county penalties and after-the-fact permits, which are harder to obtain and cost three times the regular rate. 

If the work is later found to violate the county code, the new owners could be required to tear it out at their own expense. The new homeowners may also face liability and denials of insurance claims.

“At the end of the day it’s the person who purchases it who is on the line for the building that they own,” Roberston said. 

From an insurance perspective, having unpermitted work is “definitely a very risky move,” according to Jing Ai, a professor of finance, risk management and insurance at the University of Hawaii’s Shidler College of Business. 

“Even if you have homeowners insurance, you may not be protected in the case of a loss,” Ai said. 

Other buyers also appear to be unaware of the potential risks they’ve taken on. 

The permit for the Mililani home shown on Episode 6 did not include the new retaining wall installed against a hill in its backyard. It likely should have, according to the city permitting director. 

The seller’s disclosure form asked the Kalamas whether there was any unpermitted work on the property. The document, reviewed by Civil Beat, shows they checked off a box labeled NTMK – “not to my knowledge.” 

Sellers are to fully and accurately disclose all material facts about the property to their buyers. According to state law, sellers who fail to do so may be liable to buyers who incur costs.

Civil Beat contacted each of the buyers of the homes featured on the show. Most did not respond to requests for comment. Others declined to talk about it. 

Steven Lipton, who purchased the Kailua property featured in Episode 7, said he is happy with his purchase. He did receive a violation notice from the county, but said he heard through his realtor that the Kalamas have agreed to take care of it. He is now looking for a lawyer to help him sort it out.

Profiting Without Permits

As Renovation Aloha’s first season was filmed and as it aired, complaints started rolling in to the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting. 

“Caller stated this property was featured on the Hawaii tv renovation show,” a county employee wrote in notes about the Enchanted Lake home featured in the finale. “This house was completely gutted, roof removed, rear deck removed and completely remodeled without a permit. The show admitted they spent over $300,000 on the renovation but they were able to do that with a repair permit?”

DPP produced violation notices for six of the eight projects for starting work before a permit was issued.

But when the potential upside is anywhere from $80,000 to $350,000, according to profit totals shared on the show, taking a chance on a $4,000 to $6,000 hit per home may be a risk worth taking, at least for the flippers. 

“Following the letter of the law for every permit and everything you do as permit times stack up, it really becomes not possible to turn around the investment in any reasonable time, ” said Justin Tyndall, a University of Hawaii economist who specializes in housing policy. 

“You set up a system where the only way you can make money is to break some rules, you attract a certain type of person who’s willing to do that.”

For the Les’ home, the Kalamas’ company, Stand Firm Developments, was assessed a tripled building permit fee and a $2,800 fine for building before a permit was issued, according to the city. The department has not issued a violation notice for exceeding the scope of the permit. 

That project netted a $200,000 profit, according to the show. 

That home wasn’t the only one for which there was a disconnect between the numbers broadcast on the show and those on public records.

In the second episode, the Kalamas added a bedroom and bathroom to a bee-infested fixer upper which are not reflected on The show reported a $350,000 renovation cost, but the permit covers only $20,000 of alterations and does not mention any plumbing work. 

The Kalamas reported a $350,000 profit. 

At a Kaneohe property on Pahia Road, one of several on the street that the Kalamas have flipped, the couple only permitted the carport, which says cost $30,000. On the show, Kamohai Kalama said “no extra permitting” was needed because they weren’t adding square footage. 

However, the Kalamas featured what they said was $205,000 worth of work, including lifting up part of the house and moving the kitchen – activities that meet the city’s criteria for a permit.

The Kalamas bought and sold the Pahia Road house within six months. The carport permit didn’t come in until the following year. 

The show reported an $88,000 profit.

Apart from “Renovation Aloha,” the couple, via two companies – Stand Firm Developments and – has flipped numerous homes on Oahu in the past several years, and has been cited at least six times for building without or beyond the scope of permits, public records show. 

At earlier this year, Stand Firm Developments was ordered to stop work after it “partially demolished a house, dug trenches and rerouted plumbing and has poured a slab,” according to the permitting department. Records show the home hasn’t gotten a permit in more than 30 years. 

Purchased in February for $980,000, it is currently for $1.5 million. 

People are “almost forced in the direction of doing unpermitted work just to stop financial hardship and complete improvements on their homes.”

Tristyn Kalama, co-host of “Renovation Aloha”

The Kalamas outlined their point of view in their for Tupola’s bill, which .

“The people who submit permits are trying to do things right way and only get penalized for it, it is not right,” Tristyn wrote. “Because of the penalizations, peope (sic) are almost forced in the direction of doing unpermitted work just to stop financial hardship and complete improvements on their homes.”

Kamohai agreed, writing in his testimony: “As business owners, We employ and stimulate, support the local economy, many mouths are fed through our line of work. And to not be able to do that in a timely manner is detrimental to our business, to owners, to workers, and the over all community.”  

In an interview, Tupola said the Kalamas may have experienced a learning curve when it comes to the permits they need. 

“If they’re saying ‘We’re going to proceed and pay fines,’ ‘kay. They’re rectifying whatever they need to rectify, and they’re doing what DPP is asking. That’s complying, right?” she said. 

“Aside from the Kalamas, I have told this to DPP numerous times: The longer you guys take to expedite these processes, the more people are just not going to come to you.” 

Takeuchi Apuna said she is focused on reducing her department’s wait times so that people don’t feel a need to build without permits in the first place. 

“We’re going to get to a point where people should be able to put in an application and get their permit – so long as they do a good job addressing comments and putting in quality plans – in less than a month,” she said. “I think that it’s coming soon.” 

A Tale Of Two Permits

Kailua homeowner Rhonda Burk tried to approach the permitting process the right way. 

When her elderly dad needed help around the house, Burk envisioned putting an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, in her backyard so her daughter could move in and help as a caregiver. 

She started preliminary county paperwork in 2021 and submitted a permit application in early 2022. 

It took two and a half years for the permit to be issued. By then, her father had died.

So when Burk started watching “Renovation Aloha,” she was confused. 

“My first thought was, why is it that it looks like they purchased the house and then within days they’re demoing and building it?” she said. “Why is it taking me three years? Why did it take them what looked like three days, three weeks? What’s going on? I don’t understand it.” 

With each delay to Burk’s own project, the cost kept rising. With labor and material cost increases, she said she’s paying $40,000 more today than she was quoted three years ago. 

“It’s getting me upset,” she said. “I went from $160,000 to close to $200,000 because of the time that it took.” 

Burk finally got her permit in August. A few days later, the Kalamas bought the property across from Burk’s backyard. Soon after, construction workers and a film crew appeared, and Burk recalls hearing demolition begin inside the house.

“My first thought was, why is it that it looks like they purchased the house and then within days they’re demoing and building it?”

Kailua homeowner Rhonda Burk

the Kalamas applied for a permit to alter the property in early October, but it hasn’t been approved yet. 

“Now that I know there are no permits, I just think, what if we were all to do that?” she asked. “You know, I could have gone through with my project just because I needed care for my dad, but then I didn’t because I’m doing it the right way. These guys are just recklessly doing it their own way.”

A Civil Beat reporter and photographer visited Burk on a recent Friday afternoon. As she stood on the freshly poured concrete slab she waited more than two years to install, Kamohai Kalama and a construction crew could be seen from over Burk’s fence, working on the neighboring property. 

Talking through the fence, Kamohai Kalama chastised Civil Beat for tracking down the couple’s latest project. 

“I don’t understand what this has to do with anything,” he said as his workers’ equipment buzzed and hummed in the background. 

Civil Beat could have asked permission to come onto the property and take photos, he said. Our photographer then asked if we could do just that. Kalama said no. 

An HGTV producer who identified herself only as “Shelly” said the production would rather Civil Beat not report on the property so as not to “ruin all of the reveals for the show we’re all working really hard on.”

“Let’s set up a time to speak on the record versus having a conversation through a fence,” she said. “We’re shooting right now. We’re filming.” 

Shelly took a Civil Beat reporter’s business card but has not contacted us.