By Benjamin Finnerty (S), REALTOR® (RS-83812) with Keller Williams Realty Maui · Kīhei, Maui · 808-481-9748

Quick Answer: As of Maui County’s update ahead of the August 8, 2026 fire anniversary, nearly 600 Lahaina homes had been rebuilt and occupied, about 400 were under construction and more than 1,200 units were in permitting. Commercial and larger multi-family projects lag furthest, with less than 6% finished, and one recovery nonprofit estimates a full rebuild could take another four years.

I’m Benjamin Finnerty, a REALTOR® in Kīhei with Keller Williams Realty Maui, and three years after the Lahaina fire, people watching Maui from a distance often ask me whether the market has found its new normal. It hasn’t, not quite. Whether Lahaina itself is on your radar or you’re trying to make sense of how the wider Maui market is behaving in late 2026, the rebuild numbers, the burn-zone sales and the insurance picture all matter.

How Far Along Is the Lahaina Rebuild in 2026?

Recovery is real but slower than most expected. Here’s where Maui County’s numbers stood ahead of the August 8, 2026 anniversary:

Measure	Status
Lahaina homes rebuilt and occupied	Nearly 600
Lahaina homes under construction	About 400
Units moving through permitting	More than 1,200
Kula homes rebuilt (of 21 destroyed)	5, with 11 more permitted

An analysis of more than 3,000 rebuilding permits issued through mid-July 2026 adds detail. Roughly a quarter of the single-family homes destroyed in the fire have been completed. Multi-family construction has reached about 38% completion, though that’s a little misleading: one large pre-fire project accounts for over 200 of the roughly 313 finished units. Take that project out, and the pace of new multi-family housing looks considerably thinner.

Why Is Commercial Rebuilding in Lahaina So Slow?

The hotels, shops and larger residential buildings that once anchored Lahaina’s economy are the furthest behind, with less than 6% of those projects finished and about 14 commercial permits in process as of the county’s August update.

Jennifer Gray Thompson of the wildfire recovery nonprofit After the Fire has estimated that a full rebuild could still take another four years. If you’re picturing a fast return to Lahaina’s pre-fire character, that’s a sobering timeline. It’s also useful information if you’re planning a purchase, a sale or a move around realistic expectations rather than hope.

For owners still deciding whether to rebuild, my post on the expanded rebuilding aid for Lahaina and Kula homeowners covers what changed.

How Has the Lahaina Fire Changed Housing Demand on Maui?

It pushed demand outward across the island. A University of Hawaiʻi study found that over 1,000 former Lahaina residents relocated elsewhere on Maui, more than 120 moved to other Hawaiian islands, and roughly 240 left the state entirely.

That shift has rippled into rental markets and housing across Maui, from Kahului to Kīhei to Upcountry. For buyers looking outside West Maui, it’s part of the story behind tighter competition and firmer pricing in some parts of the island over the past couple of years. It isn’t only visitors and investors driving demand; it’s also people who already lived here.

Who Is Buying Lahaina Burn-Zone Lots?

As of July 2026, 212 properties within the Lahaina burn zone had sold, and about one in five of those sales went to out-of-state buyers or corporate entities rather than owners rebuilding in place.

The pre-fire median home value in Lahaina was around $1.7 million. Add today’s rebuilding costs, insurance realities and construction timelines, and it’s easy to see why some owners are choosing to sell rather than rebuild, while others are holding on for the long haul. If you’re weighing a burn-zone lot, or deciding whether to sell or rebuild, that number is worth sitting with.

How Are Insurance Costs Affecting Maui Real Estate?

Insurance is the factor complicating everything. Statewide, home insurance rates have jumped somewhere between 32% and 54% over the past year alone, and non-renewals have climbed roughly 216% since 2018.

This isn’t just a West Maui problem. Older homes built with single- or double-wall wood construction have been especially hard hit. In one widely reported case, a Hawaiʻi homeowner’s premium more than doubled, from $2,800 to over $5,600, after their insurer declined to renew coverage on a wood-frame home.

I go deeper on this in the hidden insurance cost of buying a Maui home in 2026.

My Take: What I’m Telling Buyers, Sellers and Investors

A “wait and see” approach to Lahaina specifically may mean waiting several more years. With commercial projects under 6% finished and a full rebuild estimated at another four years, I’d plan around that timeline rather than a quick turnaround. Meanwhile, the rest of the island is still absorbing shifted demand and a tighter insurance market.

For buyers, I’d get insurance quotes early in the process, not after you’re under contract, especially on older or wood-frame homes. For sellers, I’d get ahead of coverage questions before they come up in escrow. For anyone looking at a burn-zone lot, permit status, insurance availability, ownership history and a realistic rebuild timeline belong in the math right next to construction bids.

None of this is a reason to sit on the sidelines. Maui’s long-term appeal hasn’t changed. It just rewards people who check the details first.

This is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Please confirm your coverage with a licensed insurance agent and your situation with a Hawaiʻi attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Lahaina homes have been rebuilt?

Nearly 600 Lahaina homes were rebuilt and occupied as of Maui County’s update ahead of the August 8, 2026 anniversary, with about 400 under construction and more than 1,200 units in permitting.

How long will the Lahaina rebuild take?

Jennifer Gray Thompson of After the Fire has estimated a full rebuild could take another four years. Commercial and larger multi-family projects were less than 6% finished as of August 2026.

How many Lahaina burn-zone properties have sold?

As of July 2026, 212 properties within the burn zone had sold, with about one in five going to out-of-state buyers or corporate entities.

How much have Hawaiʻi home insurance rates gone up?

Statewide rates have jumped somewhere between 32% and 54% over the past year, and non-renewals have climbed roughly 216% since 2018.

Ask Benjamin

If you’re trying to figure out what this means for a burn-zone lot, a home in Kīhei or Kahului, or the timing of your move to Maui, I’m happy to talk it through with you. I’m Benjamin Finnerty, and you can call or text me at 808-481-9748 or email benjamin@the808team.com. No pressure, just a straight answer about where things stand.