Albuquerque building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Last verified 2026-07-02 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- Plaza Del Sol Building, 600 2nd St. NW, Suite 190, Albuquerque, NM 87102
- Phone
- (505) 924-3320
- Office hours
- Building Permits & Plan Review: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday–Friday. Building/Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical Inspections & Trade Permits: 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday–Friday. The Building Safety permit counter is closed every Friday from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Albuquerque's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Albuquerque — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
New Mexico sets construction codes statewide by rule, not through home-rule discretion. Under the Construction Industries Licensing Act (NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-1 et seq.), the state's Construction Industries Commission and Division (CID, within the Regulation & Licensing Department) adopt the technical construction codes codified at New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC) Title 14 — including the state's own Building, Residential, Existing Building, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Plumbing, Solar Energy, and Swimming Pool codes, and the National Electrical Code (14.10.4 NMAC currently adopts the 2020 NEC; the CID Commission periodically updates individual code chapters, so confirm the current edition with the applicable authority). Per NMSA 1978 § 60-13-44(E), these state codes "constitute a minimum requirement" binding every political subdivision in New Mexico — no city or county may adopt anything less stringent, though a jurisdiction may adopt stricter local amendments. Enforcement authority runs through whichever entity is the project's Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ, defined at NMAC 14.5.1.7.B): under NMSA 1978 § 60-13-41(D)-(F), a municipality or county that employs its own full-time certified building official may self-administer permitting, plan review, and inspection locally (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, Farmington, and Roswell all operate this way); jurisdictions without a certified building official default to direct enforcement by a CID field office (e.g., Hobbs, Alamogordo). Some jurisdictions run a hybrid — locally certified for some trades while CID directly enforces others (Roswell's electrical permitting, for example, reverted to direct CID administration as of January 1, 2026). Always confirm with the specific jurisdiction whether it or the state CID is the acting AHJ for a given trade before submitting plans.
- 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code — adopted statewide by the NM Construction Industries Commission (NMAC Title 14), effective in Albuquerque December 14, 2023
- 2021 New Mexico Residential Building Code — adopted statewide by the NM Construction Industries Commission (NMAC Title 14), effective in Albuquerque December 14, 2023
- 2021 New Mexico Existing Building Code — effective in Albuquerque December 14, 2023
- 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code — effective in Albuquerque September 28, 2023
- 2021 New Mexico Mechanical Code, including Appendixes A, B, C, and D
- 2021 New Mexico Plumbing Code, including Appendixes A, B, C, D, E, F, I, K, and L
- 2012 New Mexico Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code
- 2012 New Mexico Solar Energy Code
- 2021 New Mexico Residential Energy Conservation Code (includes EV-charging-readiness requirements adopted by the Construction Industries Commission, required on new construction starting July 30, 2024)
- 2021 New Mexico Commercial Energy Conservation Code (includes EV-charging-infrastructure parking requirements, required on new construction starting July 30, 2024)
- 2021 New Mexico Earthen Building Materials Code
- 2021 New Mexico Historic Earthen Buildings Code
- New Mexico Boiler Code
- 2023 Uniform Administrative Code of the City of Albuquerque (ROA 1994, Chapter 14, Article 1) — the City's local administrative amendment governing permitting, fees, and inspections; effective February 2, 2024; a 2024 edition (Exhibit A) is the current administrative chapter on file with Building Safety
- City of Albuquerque Ordinance O-2022-024 (Council Bill O-22-23) — adopted the Uniform Administrative Code and technical codes, repealing the prior Chapter 14, Article 1, ROA 1994
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new single-family homes, duplexes, and other new residential structures in Albuquerque. Issued and inspected under the City's Uniform Administrative Code, which locally administers the statewide 2021 New Mexico Residential Building Code. Applications are submitted online through the ABQ-PLAN portal.
Residential Addition / Alteration / Remodel Permit
Required for additions, alterations, and remodels of existing residential structures in Albuquerque, including room additions, garage conversions, and structural remodels. Apply online through ABQ-PLAN.
Electrical Permit
Required for installation, alteration, or replacement of electrical appliances, devices, wiring, or equipment in Albuquerque. Governed by the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code as locally administered under the Uniform Administrative Code. Apply through ABQ-PLAN.
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
Required for installation of a residential electric vehicle charging circuit in Albuquerque. Filed as an electrical permit through ABQ-PLAN under the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code and the City's Uniform Administrative Code (UAC) fee table. The UAC's Table 112-B fee schedule has no EV-charger/EVSE-specific line item — a hardwired Level 2 EV charger (typically 30-50A) is billed under the table's 'Residential fixed appliances (30 amps or over)' category, plus the standard per-application administrative charge and 25% electrical plan review fee.
Plumbing / Mechanical Permit
Required for heating/cooling installation, exhaust hood installation, bathroom/kitchen piping work, ductwork/equipment installation, house sewer or water service work, and water heater installation in Albuquerque. Governed by the 2021 New Mexico Plumbing Code and 2021 New Mexico Mechanical Code as locally administered under the Uniform Administrative Code. Apply through ABQ-PLAN.
Re-Roof Permit
Required for re-roofing work on residential and commercial structures in Albuquerque. A general (building) permit is required for re-roofing. Residential re-roofing without truss repairs is eligible for same-day Express Permitting; drone-photo inspection is available.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit
Required for roof-mounted, ground-mounted, or awning-mounted photovoltaic system installations in Albuquerque. Both a building permit and an electrical permit are required. Roof-mounted residential systems under 50 kW are eligible for same-day Express Permitting.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU / Casita) Permit
Required for construction of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (locally called a 'casita') in Albuquerque. Zoning laws changed in 2023 to allow casitas in R-1 neighborhoods citywide. Requires a Site Plan approval followed by a building permit, both processed through ABQ-PLAN.
Wall / Fence Permit
Required for walls and fences over six (6) feet high in Albuquerque; walls and fences under six feet require a permit from the Zoning Counter instead of Building Safety. Fee is based on wall/fence type and height per lineal foot.
Sign Permit
Required for installation of signs in Albuquerque. Fee is based on sign size. Electrical signs require a separate electrical permit in addition to the sign permit.
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of a building or structure in Albuquerque, including homeowner-occupied demolitions performed by the owner. Fee is based on the floor area being demolished.
Fire Alarm & Automatic Sprinkler System Permit (Albuquerque Fire Rescue)
Required for installation of or modification to an automatic fire-extinguishing (sprinkler) system, or a fire alarm/detection system, anywhere in Albuquerque. Reviewed and permitted by the Albuquerque Fire Rescue Fire Marshal's Office Plans Review Section (separately from, but in parallel with, the Planning Department Building Safety Division's building-permit review), under Section 105.7 of the City's Fire Code and the Chapter 50 fee schedule of the Fire Prevention Code.
Certificate of Occupancy / Change of Occupancy
Required before any building, structure, or portion thereof may be used or occupied in Albuquerque, and before any change in the existing occupancy classification or use of a building may be made. Issued by the Building Official under UAC Section 115 after final inspection approvals are secured from every City department or division involved in code enforcement (Building Safety trades, Zoning, Hydrology, Solid Waste, Environmental Health, and the Fire Marshal's Office, as applicable).
Commercial Building Permit (New Construction & Additions)
Required for new commercial buildings, commercial additions, and first-time or change-of-occupancy projects in Albuquerque. Issued by the City's Building Safety Division under the Uniform Administrative Code, which locally administers the statewide 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code. Plans are routed through a formal multi-division review (IBC/building, Zoning, Fire Prevention, Solid Waste, Environmental Health, Transportation Development, and Hydrology) and applications are submitted through the ABQ-PLAN electronic plan review portal.
Commercial Tenant Improvement / Alteration Permit
Required for interior alterations, remodels, and tenant improvements of existing commercial buildings and tenant spaces in Albuquerque. The City publishes a dedicated Commercial Alterations submittal track with its own plan requirements and a shorter review routing (IBC, Zoning, Fire Prevention, Environmental Health) than new commercial construction. Fees use the same valuation-based commercial schedule; projects involving first-time occupancy or a change of occupancy are instead reviewed under the New Commercial Construction track.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- No data reported
- Trailing 12 months
- 1,308units
8 of 12 months reported · #2 in New Mexico coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 735units
270 buildings · $125.2M valuation
3 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 1,417units
553 buildings · $219.3M valuation
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All New Mexico building activity
Tips & gotchas
- New Mexico is a statewide-mandated code state: the NM Construction Industries Division/Commission (NMAC Title 14, under the Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-1 et seq.) sets the technical codes, and Albuquerque — a home-rule municipality — separately adopts and administers its own Uniform Administrative Code (ROA 1994, Chapter 14, Article 1) for local permitting, fees, and inspections.
- Effective December 14, 2023, Albuquerque adopted the 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code, 2021 New Mexico Residential Code, and 2021 New Mexico Existing Building Code. The 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code took effect September 28, 2023. The 2023/2024 Uniform Administrative Code of the City of Albuquerque took effect February 2, 2024.
- All permit applications are submitted online through ABQ-PLAN. The Building Safety permit counter (Plaza Del Sol, Suite 190, 600 2nd St. NW) is closed every Friday from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM, but ABQ-PLAN and inspection scheduling remain available.
- The City publishes a live Permit Timeline Dashboard of average issuance times (January 1, 2026 to present): Commercial Building Permits 18 business days, Residential Building Permits 13 business days, Express Permits same day, Electrical Permits next day, Plumbing/Mechanical Permits next day.
- The Express Permitting System currently covers: residential re-roof without truss repairs, roof-mounted solar under 50 kW, residential water heater replacement, and small repairs/minor alterations (e.g., window/door replacement) — all can be issued the same day.
- Homeowners may obtain their own electrical or plumbing permit by passing a written exam (75% or better, 4-hour limit, max two attempts 30 days apart, one passing exam per year); a building or re-roof permit is limited to one per property owner per 12-month period.
- Building permit fees are valuation-based (UAC Table 112-A) using a City-scheduled ICC Building Valuation Data table (February 2018 edition through June 30, 2026, per the Regulation Governing Building Valuation), with an Albuquerque regional modifier of 0.50 for one- and two-family dwellings or 0.67 for apartments/commercial applied to the resulting fee.
- Plan review fees are separate from and in addition to permit fees: 65% of the permit fee for building/sign permits, 25% of the permit fee for electrical/mechanical/plumbing permits — due at submittal, while the permit fee itself is due after plan approval.
- FasTrax is an optional expedited plan review service costing three times the standard plan review fee (excluding zoning/hydrology fees) and guarantees a specified completion date.
- Accessory Dwelling Units ('casitas') up to 750 sq. ft. have been allowed in R-1 zones citywide since a 2023 zoning change; they require a Site Plan – Administrative approval before the building permit, plus public notice to the affected Neighborhood Association.
- Walls and fences over 6 feet require a Building Safety permit priced per lineal foot by material/height (UAC Table 112-F); 6 feet or under is handled by the Zoning Counter instead.
- Working without a required permit triggers a stop-work order, then a notification letter (30–45 days to comply), a final notice (10 days), and potential pre-criminal summons if still non-compliant; an investigation fee equal to the permit fee is also assessed.