Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, or Alteration) in Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico

Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque requires a building permit (new construction, addition, or alteration) for: Email Michelle Austin (maustin@losranchosnm.gov) with the property address, approximate added square footage, and proposed use (e.g., garage, main house, guest house) — the Village states this narrows down which of the 'two different types of residential building permits' applies before an application is issued; No online submittals accepted; two (2) complete sets of plans plus the filled-out application form must be dropped off in person (or in the after-hours drop box) at Village Hall, 6718 Rio Grande Blvd NW; If the parcel is a Middle Rio Grande Conservation District (MRGCD) Tract that is unimproved or undersized for its Applicable Zone, a Subdivision Plat and/or a Zoning Code variance is generally required before a Building Permit will issue (Village Code § 9.4.3); Compliance with the Village's directly adopted 2015 New Mexico Commercial/Residential Building Codes (and related plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and energy-conservation codes) under Village Code § 9.5.1; Contractor must hold a current New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) license appropriate to the scope of work. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Planning and Zoning Department (Director: Shanna Schultz, AICP) at (505) 344-6582 (fax (505) 344-8978) before starting work.

The Village itself publishes no flat fee. Bernalillo County, the Village's designee for issuing Building Permits, charges under its own Administrative Resolution 25-2009: $30.00 plus $4.00 per $1,000.00 of project valuation for the Building Permit itself, plus $30.00 plus $2.00 per $1,000.00 of valuation for plan review. Confirm applicability and current valuation methodology with Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, (505) 314-0350.

The Village itself publishes no review-timeline figure. Bernalillo County, which acts as the Village's designee for issuing Building Permits, states in its own Building Guide that its goal is to complete all reviews within 10 working days of application — but this is described as an internal goal, not a guaranteed or legally binding deadline.

You'll need: Pre-consultation email or in-person appointment with Village Planning & Zoning; Two (2) complete sets of construction plans. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Planning and Zoning Department (Director: Shanna Schultz, AICP) at 6718 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, Los Ranchos, NM 87107. Phone: (505) 344-6582 (fax (505) 344-8978), email: Shanna Schultz (Director): sschultz@losranchosnm.gov; Michelle Austin (Business Licenses & Building Permit intake): maustin@losranchosnm.gov; Brennon Williams (Public Hearing deadlines): bwilliams@losranchosnm.gov; Planning & Zoning general: pandz@losranchosnm.gov; Village general: info@losranchosnm.gov. Office hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. The Village does not accept online submittals for Planning & Zoning applications; two (2) complete sets of plans plus the filled-out application form must be dropped off in person at Village Hall, or in the after-hours drop-off box outside the main doors (the Village disclaims responsibility for documents left there). Effective September 1, 2025, all permit fees are collected at the time of a complete application's submittal rather than at issuance, per the Village's own 'Notice of Changes to Permitting Process' (Aug. 11, 2025).. Official information: https://www.losranchosnm.gov/planning-and-zoning.

Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico has adopted: Governance model, verbatim from the Village's own codified ordinances (Chapter 9, Article 4, § 9.4.2(L), hosted by American Legal Publishing at codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/losranchosnm): 'BUILDING PERMIT shall mean a permit issued by the Village or its designee for construction on an MRGCD Tract pursuant to the applicable ordinances in effect at the time a zone review and a Building Permit are applied for. Bernalillo County is currently the designee for the Village for the purpose of issuing Building Permits.' That definition sits within Article 4 (Middle Rio Grande Conservation District Tracts) and is drafted specifically for construction on MRGCD Tracts, a land classification covering a substantial share of Los Ranchos parcels — nearly every Village permit application form has a dedicated 'MRGCD Map No.' field. In practice the Village is the front door and pre-consultation point for a Building Permit application (email Michelle Austin with the property address, added square footage and proposed use; there are two different types of residential building permits), while Bernalillo County's Planning & Development Services Building Section (415 Silver SW / 111 Union Square SE, Albuquerque, (505) 314-0350) is the named designee for issuance on MRGCD Tracts. So expect two offices on a structural project. By contrast, the Village directly administers its own Zone Review Permits for fence and wall, pool and spa, re-roof, solar panel and demolition work — these are processed entirely at Village Hall with Village-printed fees and never routed to the County. Sources: codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/losranchosnm/latest/losranchos_nm (Chapter 9, Articles 3-5); losranchosnm.gov/forms/.; Pursuant to § 3-17-6 NMSA 1978 (2007) and the Village's own codified ordinances (Chapter 9, Article 5, § 9.5.1 'Code Adopted By Reference'), the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque has directly adopted, verbatim: (A) Building Codes in General — 2015 New Mexico Commercial Building Code (14.7.2 NMAC), 2015 New Mexico Residential Building Code (14.7.3 NMAC), 2015 New Mexico Earthen Building Materials Construction Code Phase III (14.7.4 NMAC), 2009 New Mexico Non-Load Bearing Baled Straw Construction Building Code Phase III (14.7.5 NMAC), 2009 New Mexico Energy Conservation Code (14.7.6 NMAC), 2015 New Mexico Existing Building Code (14.7.7 NMAC), 2015 New Mexico Historic Earthen Buildings (14.7.8 NMAC); (B) Plumbing Codes — 2015 New Mexico Plumbing Code (14.8.2 NMAC), 2012 New Mexico Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code (14.8.3 NMAC); (C) Mechanical Codes — 2015 New Mexico Mechanical Code (14.9.2 NMAC), Boilers (14.9.4 NMAC), Medical Gas Installation and Certification (14.9.5 NMAC), 2012 New Mexico Solar Energy Code (14.9.6 NMAC); (D) Electrical Codes — 2017 New Mexico Electrical Code (14.10.4 NMAC), 2012 New Mexico Electrical Safety Code (14.10.5 NMAC); (E) Miscellaneous — errata sheets to the adopted uniform/international codes, AND 'the Bernalillo County amendments to the International and New Mexico Codes known as the Uniform Construction Codes of Bernalillo County.' Because Bernalillo County is the named designee for actual Building Permit issuance (see governance note above), a project may in practice also be measured against Bernalillo County's own Chapter 10 Building Ordinance (Uniform Construction Codes of Bernalillo County). The county ordinance as posted (Ordinance 2011-12, repealing 2009-5) lists 2009-edition International Codes, but Bernalillo County's own Ordinances & Codes page indicates that ordinance chapter has since been further amended (most recently by County Ordinance No. 2024-18, effective 8-13-2024) — the county's current code editions under that amendment are not independently confirmed here and should not be assumed identical to the 2009 baseline. Sources: codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/losranchosnm (§ 9.5.1); bernco.gov/planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/58/2021/04/BuildingOrd.pdf; bernco.gov/planning/ordinances-codes/.; Village Code of Ordinances, Chapter 9, Article 2 (Zoning and Zone Map) governs zone-specific setbacks, height, and use requirements; Article 3 (Permits for the Sale, Construction and Remodeling of Property) requires a separate $35.00 realtor Parcel Permit for each property sold in the Village (not a construction permit, and out of scope for this record) and an annual business license for any contractor/developer performing work in the Village. Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/losranchosnm.. Local amendments apply — see the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque overview page for the full list.

Both play a role. The Village's own Planning & Zoning Department is the pre-consultation and intake point — you must email or visit Village Hall before applying, since no fillable Building Permit form is posted online. But per the Village's own codified ordinance (§ 9.4.2(L)), Bernalillo County's Planning & Development Services Building Section is the Village's designated authority for actually issuing Building Permits, at minimum for construction on Middle Rio Grande Conservation District (MRGCD) Tracts, which make up a large share of Los Ranchos parcels.