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Commercial Building Permit in Unincorporated Bernalillo County, New Mexico

Required for new commercial construction, additions, and alterations/repairs (including tenant improvements) in unincorporated Bernalillo County. Unlike many New Mexico jurisdictions where the state Construction Industries Division (CID) issues building permits directly, Bernalillo County operates its OWN certified Local Enforcement Agency — the Planning & Development Services Building Program under a County Certified Building Official, per Building Ordinance No. 2024-8 — which issues commercial permits itself while adopting the current CID-adopted code editions by reference (Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34). The county publishes a dedicated COMMERCIAL BUILDING PACKET (rev. 8-29-2023, the packet currently linked from the county's own Getting Started page), separate from its Residential Building Packet. There is NO separate tenant-improvement permit type: the packet's single Building Permit Application carries 'New Construction,' 'Addition,' 'Modular,' 'Alteration/Repair,' and 'Demolition' as checkboxes on one form, the county's packet list (Residential, Commercial, Solar, Swimming Pool, Telecommunications, Re-Roof) contains no TI packet, and no TI-specific fee or timeline is published anywhere — interior tenant improvements are filed as an Alteration/Repair scope under this same permit with the same valuation-based Table 3-A fees.

Verified 2026-08-01 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A building permit is required for any structural change or alteration made in a building, or when any new construction is undertaken (county Building Services FAQ)
  • All permit documents must be signed and stamped by a New Mexico licensed architect and/or engineer with regard to that individual's discipline (Commercial Building Permit Requirements); per the county FAQ, commercial projects in general require construction documents prepared and stamped by a licensed New Mexico architect, and commercial projects with new plumbing, mechanical and/or electrical work require plans stamped by an NM-licensed engineer in the respective field
  • In all cases, a New Mexico licensed contractor holding no less than a GB98 license classification is required (Commercial Building Permit Requirements, restated verbatim in the county FAQ) Contractor
  • Submit one (1) copy of the site plan and one (1) copy of all other drawings AND an electronic copy on a CD or flash drive with each sheet individually labeled (e.g., C-1 Site Plan, A-1 Floor Plan); plans drawn to scale on minimum 11x17 paper
  • Zoning permits/approval are required PRIOR to application for building permit; complete landscaping plans may be required
  • Natural Resource Services approvals — water supply source and onsite wastewater permits, or an ABCWUA account — are required PRIOR to application for building permit
  • A completed IECC Commercial Compliance Certificate and the Storm Water Post-Construction Evaluation Form must be submitted with the application; an exterior lighting plan demonstrating energy-code compliance must be submitted with all commercial permit applications
  • Commercial Water Conservation Requirements (Bernalillo County Code Secs. 30-241 through 30-251) apply to all commercial and large multifamily (8+ units) development: plans must specify EPA WaterSense-level plumbing fixtures, and sites over one acre need an Outdoor Water Conservation Plan using four of seven listed measures
  • Grading and drainage plans, where applicable, must be submitted to and approved by Bernalillo County Public Works, the Floodplain Administrator, AMAFCA, and any other applicable agencies
  • Soil investigation report, compaction requirements/testing, and concrete testing may be required

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit FeeAdministrative Resolution 25-2009, Table 3-A, effective May 1, 2009 — full resolution PDF re-fetched and read 2026-08-01 (verbatim: '$30.00 plus $4.00 per $1,000.00 Valuation — Building Permit Fee'). The same valuation-based fee applies to new construction, additions, and alteration/tenant-improvement scopes; no commercial-specific or TI-specific fee table exists anywhere in Tables 3-A through 3-F.
$30.00 plus $4.00 per $1,000.00 of valuation
Building Plan Review FeeResolution 25-2009, Table 3-A, same verification (verbatim: '$30.00 plus $2.00 per $1,000.00 Valuation — Building Plan Review Fee').
$30.00 plus $2.00 per $1,000.00 of valuation
Preliminary and Integrated Plan ReviewResolution 25-2009, Table 3-A, Item 6.
$75.00 per hour
Additional plan review for changes, additions or revisions to plansResolution 25-2009, Table 3-A, Item 4. Outside consultants, where used for plan review, are billed at actual cost to the jurisdiction (Item 7).
$47.00 per hour (one-hour minimum)
Re-inspection FeeResolution 25-2009, Table 3-A, Item 2.
$47.00 each
Impact fees (new commercial square footage)County FAQ (fetched 2026-08-01), verbatim: impact fees 'are collected upon permit issuance for all new square foot additions for commercial structures, residences and mobile homes.' No flat commercial rate is published on the FAQ page, so none is stated here. Interior-only tenant improvements adding no new square footage would not trigger this per the FAQ's own 'new square foot additions' wording.
Not a single published dollar figure — assessed per the county's adopted Impact Fee Ordinance

Review timeline

Plan reviewUnincorporated Bernalillo County’s published plan-review target
10+ business days

How long did your Commercial Building Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Bernalillo County?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Soil, compaction, and concrete testing (as required)

    Per the Commercial Building Permit Requirements, soil investigation report, compaction requirements and testing, and concrete testing may be required.

  2. 2

    Duct leakage and building envelope air-leakage tests

    Test results must be provided to the building department throughout the project, per the Commercial Building Permit Requirements.

  3. 3

    HVAC test and balance

    A final test and balance of the building HVAC systems is required prior to final inspection.

  4. 4

    Final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy

    Final inspection approvals from all applicable county departments, then Certificate of Occupancy issuance per Building Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 111; for commercial and multi-family occupancies the CO must be posted conspicuously on the premises. Inspection request line: (505) 314-0351.

See the full Unincorporated Bernalillo County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • There is no separate tenant-improvement permit in unincorporated Bernalillo County — a TI is filed on the Commercial Building Packet's single Building Permit Application with the 'Alteration/Repair' box checked, pays the same valuation-based Table 3-A fees, and follows the same 'at least 10 working days' review guidance. For shell buildings, the county issues a Certificate of Shell Completion (Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 111.3.1) and each individual tenant space then needs its own Certificate of Occupancy once that space's improvements are finished.
  • Sequence matters: zoning approval AND Natural Resource Services water/wastewater approval (or an ABCWUA account) are both required BEFORE the county will take the building permit application.
  • The Commercial Building Permit Requirements sheet inside the packet is dated December 2015 (Rev. 2.0) and still cites the 2009 IECC / ASHRAE 90.1-2007 for energy compliance, but Building Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34 adopts the CURRENT CID-adopted code editions by reference (the 2021 IECC family per CID's adoption), and the packet's own IECC Commercial Compliance Certificate says it is 'based on the current adopted NMAC' — design to the currently adopted editions, not the stale 2009 citations on the requirements sheet.
  • Air quality is NOT a county function here: the City of Albuquerque's Air Quality Program has jurisdiction over ALL of Bernalillo County. Commercial renovation or demolition triggers a federal NESHAP asbestos inspection/notification through COA, a Fugitive Dust Control Permit may be required before ground disturbance, and equipment like emergency generators, boilers, and paint booths may need a COA stationary-source air permit — call (505) 768-1972.
  • Water Conservation Ordinance gotcha for remodels: any commercial remodel that affects more than 50% of the existing plumbing fixtures, or increases floor area by more than 50%, must upgrade ALL existing fixtures to EPA WaterSense-labeled fixtures — not just the new ones.
  • Interior-only TIs that add no new square footage avoid the county's impact fees, which the FAQ applies only to 'new square foot additions' for commercial structures.
  • The Resolution 25-2009 fee schedule has been in effect unchanged since May 1, 2009 — the valuation-based formulas are not inflation-adjusted and remain the fees actually charged; final valuation is set by the building official, so final fees are calculated after plan review.
  • Confirm jurisdiction first: this process applies only to the unincorporated county (South Valley, North Albuquerque Acres, East Mountains, etc.). Properties inside Albuquerque city limits go through the City of Albuquerque Planning Department instead.

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Bernalillo County requires a commercial building permit for: A building permit is required for any structural change or alteration made in a building, or when any new construction is undertaken (county Building Services FAQ); All permit documents must be signed and stamped by a New Mexico licensed architect and/or engineer with regard to that individual's discipline (Commercial Building Permit Requirements); per the county FAQ, commercial projects in general require construction documents prepared and stamped by a licensed New Mexico architect, and commercial projects with new plumbing, mechanical and/or electrical work require plans stamped by an NM-licensed engineer in the respective field; In all cases, a New Mexico licensed contractor holding no less than a GB98 license classification is required (Commercial Building Permit Requirements, restated verbatim in the county FAQ); Submit one (1) copy of the site plan and one (1) copy of all other drawings AND an electronic copy on a CD or flash drive with each sheet individually labeled (e.g., C-1 Site Plan, A-1 Floor Plan); plans drawn to scale on minimum 11x17 paper; Zoning permits/approval are required PRIOR to application for building permit; complete landscaping plans may be required; Natural Resource Services approvals — water supply source and onsite wastewater permits, or an ABCWUA account — are required PRIOR to application for building permit; A completed IECC Commercial Compliance Certificate and the Storm Water Post-Construction Evaluation Form must be submitted with the application; an exterior lighting plan demonstrating energy-code compliance must be submitted with all commercial permit applications; Commercial Water Conservation Requirements (Bernalillo County Code Secs. 30-241 through 30-251) apply to all commercial and large multifamily (8+ units) development: plans must specify EPA WaterSense-level plumbing fixtures, and sites over one acre need an Outdoor Water Conservation Plan using four of seven listed measures; Grading and drainage plans, where applicable, must be submitted to and approved by Bernalillo County Public Works, the Floodplain Administrator, AMAFCA, and any other applicable agencies; Soil investigation report, compaction requirements/testing, and concrete testing may be required. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services — Building Services (Building Safety Division) at (505) 314-0351 (Building Services / Inspection Line); (505) 314-0350 (Planning & Development Services main line / Permitting & Development Center) before starting work.

In Unincorporated Bernalillo County, the published Building Permit Fee is: $30.00 plus $4.00 per $1,000.00 of valuation. Additional published fees: Building Plan Review Fee — $30.00 plus $2.00 per $1,000.00 of valuation; Preliminary and Integrated Plan Review — $75.00 per hour; Additional plan review for changes, additions or revisions to plans — $47.00 per hour (one-hour minimum); Re-inspection Fee — $47.00 each; Impact fees (new commercial square footage) — Not a single published dollar figure — assessed per the county's adopted Impact Fee Ordinance. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per the county's own Building Services FAQ: 'please allow at least 10 working days for a commercial building permit' — a published floor with no published upper bound. Complex projects requiring grading/drainage agency approvals, COA air-quality permits, or outside plan-review consultants can run longer.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Commercial Building Packet); Architect/engineer-stamped plans and specifications (one site-plan copy, one copy of all other drawings, plus electronic copy on CD/flash drive); IECC Commercial Compliance Certificate; Storm Water Post-Construction Evaluation Form. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Bernalillo County may also ask for: Grading and Drainage Plans; Asbestos NESHAP Notification (City of Albuquerque Air Quality Program). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services — Building Services (Building Safety Division) at 415 Silver Ave SW, 2nd Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Phone: (505) 314-0351 (Building Services / Inspection Line); (505) 314-0350 (Planning & Development Services main line / Permitting & Development Center), email: permits@bernco.gov (Building Services); zoning@bernco.gov (Planning & Development Services main). Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Building Services page separately lists 8–5 p.m.; the FAQ and Residential Building Packet both confirm 8:00 AM–4:30 PM for permit submittal). Official information: https://www.bernco.gov/planning/building-services/.

Bernalillo County itself. Unlike New Mexico jurisdictions without a certified local building program (where the state Construction Industries Division issues permits directly), Bernalillo County operates its own Local Enforcement Agency under a County Certified Building Official per Building Ordinance 2024-8, and issues commercial permits through Planning & Development Services at 415 Silver Ave SW. The ordinance adopts the current CID-adopted code editions by reference, with county amendments.

No. The county publishes no distinct TI permit type, packet, fee, or timeline. A tenant improvement is filed on the Commercial Building Packet's Building Permit Application with the 'Alteration/Repair' box checked and pays the same valuation-based fees: $30.00 plus $4.00 per $1,000 of valuation for the permit, plus $30.00 plus $2.00 per $1,000 for plan review (Resolution 25-2009, Table 3-A).

Commercial construction documents generally must be prepared and stamped by a New Mexico licensed architect, and commercial projects with new plumbing, mechanical, and/or electrical work need plans stamped by an NM-licensed engineer in each respective field. All commercial projects must be performed by a New Mexico licensed contractor holding no less than a GB98 license classification.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-01.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Unincorporated Bernalillo County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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Other permits in Unincorporated Bernalillo County

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Commercial Building Permit in other cities

Alamogordo, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New MexicoArtesia, New MexicoBernalillo, New MexicoBloomfield, New MexicoCarlsbad, New MexicoClovis, New MexicoDeming, New Mexico

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