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Change of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy Permit in Roswell, New Mexico

Required before a building may be occupied for the first time, after a remodel, or whenever its use/occupancy classification changes, per the City of Roswell Code of Ordinances Chapter 6 (Building Regulations) and, where a fire-protection-system threshold or structural load changes as a result, the New Mexico Existing Building Code (2021 IEBC) Chapter 10, 'Change of Occupancy' (already adopted per this file's codesAdopted list). Applications are made to the City of Roswell Building Division through the standard Building Permit process; no separate 'change of use' application form or fee schedule is published.

Reviewed 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Any owner, authorized agent, or contractor who wants to change the occupancy of a building or structure must first apply to the City of Roswell Building Division and obtain the required permit before the change (Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6, Building Regulations)
  • A Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) is required before an owner may occupy a newly erected building, an existing building that has been remodeled, or after any change in use/occupancy of an existing building
  • Where a change of occupancy classification triggers a different fire-protection-system threshold under IBC Chapter 9, or affects structural tributary loads, compliance with the New Mexico Existing Building Code (2021 IEBC) Chapter 10, 'Change of Occupancy,' is required, including means-of-egress and structural (IBC Section 1607) verification
  • For qualifying commercial/multi-family developments, all landscaping and irrigation must be installed per the approved Landscape Plan before a permanent Certificate of Occupancy is issued; only one Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, capped at 60 days, may be granted to finish landscaping (Zoning Ordinance 20-08, Article 52, Section 11.F)
  • The City's general Building Permit Application has no distinct 'change of use' checkbox — a change-of-occupancy project is filed using the same Building Permit Application, selecting the applicable scope (e.g., Remodel, Alteration, or Other)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee (change of occupancy)City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule (DocumentCenter/View/26127); no dedicated change-of-use or Certificate-of-Occupancy fee line item is published — same general table already documented in this file's residential-building-permit entry
Valuation-based per the City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Roswell?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final Inspection

    Required by the Building Division before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued

  2. 2

    Fire Marshal Review (commercial changes of occupancy)

    The Fire Prevention Division's Fire Marshal reviews new business/construction plans for fire code compliance, which extends to occupancy-classification changes with different fire-protection thresholds

See the full Roswell inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Roswell's own Code of Ordinances Chapter 6 (Building Regulations) could not be directly retrieved from Municode during this update (the site returned HTTP 403 to automated tools) — the change-of-occupancy requirement described here is a paraphrase corroborated by multiple independent secondary sources, not a verbatim citation; confirm current wording directly with the Building Division at (575) 637-6280 before relying on exact phrasing.
  • If your change of occupancy affects fire-protection-system requirements or structural loads, expect review against the New Mexico Existing Building Code (2021 IEBC) Chapter 10, in addition to the general Building Permit process.
  • Commercial or multi-family projects: budget time for landscaping installation — the City will only issue one Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (max. 60 days) to finish landscaping before the permanent C-of-O prerequisites must be met.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Per the City of Roswell Code of Ordinances (Chapter 6, Building Regulations), an owner, agent, or contractor must apply to the Building Division and obtain the required permit before changing a building's occupancy, and a new Certificate of Occupancy is required.

In Roswell, the published Building Permit Fee (change of occupancy) is: Valuation-based per the City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Roswell does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Roswell Community Development — Building & Inspections Division at (575) 637-6280 for current turnaround.

You'll need: City of Roswell Building Permit Application. Depending on your project, Roswell may also ask for: Approved Landscape Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Roswell requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of occupancy / certificate of occupancy permit, in order: Final Inspection, Fire Marshal Review (commercial changes of occupancy). Schedule each through City of Roswell Community Development — Building & Inspections Division ((575) 637-6280).

Apply through City of Roswell Community Development — Building & Inspections Division at 400 W. 2nd St., Roswell, NM 88201 (mailing: PO Box 1838, Roswell, NM 88202-1838). Phone: (575) 637-6280, email: permits@roswell-nm.gov. Official information: https://www.roswell-nm.gov/1279/Building-Inspections.

Roswell, New Mexico has adopted: 2021 International Building Code, adopted as the New Mexico Commercial Building Code (NMCBC); 2021 International Residential Code, adopted as the New Mexico Residential Building Code (NMRBC); 2021 International Existing Building Code, adopted as the New Mexico Existing Building Code (NMEBC); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC); 2020 National Electrical Code, adopted as the New Mexico Electrical Code (NMEC); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, adopted as the New Mexico Energy Conservation Code (NMECC); 2017 ANSI A117.1 (Accessibility); 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code, adopted as the New Mexico Mechanical Code (NMMC); 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted as the New Mexico Plumbing Code (NMPC). Local amendments apply — see the Roswell overview page for the full list.

No standalone form was found. Change-of-occupancy projects are filed through the same City of Roswell Building Permit Application used for other construction permits.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.

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 Roswell building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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Change of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy Permit in other cities

Bernalillo, New MexicoCarlsbad, New MexicoClovis, New MexicoDeming, New MexicoHobbs, New MexicoLas Cruces, New MexicoButte-Silver Bow, MontanaDouglas County, Nevada

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