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Commercial Building Permit in Roswell, New Mexico

Required for new construction, additions, remodels, alterations, and demolition of commercial (non-residential) buildings in Roswell. Issued directly by the City of Roswell Community Development, Building & Inspections Division — not by the state Construction Industries Division (CID) — because Roswell operates its own certified local building program as the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) under NMAC 14.5.2 and the Construction Industries Licensing Act; only electrical permitting has (temporarily, since January 1, 2026) shifted to CID. Commercial projects use the same Building Permit Application form as residential, completing its dedicated Commercial Project Information section (construction type, use group, occupant load, square footage, number of stories, sprinkler-system and fire-alarm Yes/No, project contract cost), but follow the separate Checklist for Commercial Plans, are reviewed against the New Mexico Commercial Building Code (2021 IBC base), and carry commercial plan review fees on top of the valuation-based permit fee. Tenant improvements are filed through this same permit as a Remodel or Alteration scope — Roswell publishes no distinct tenant-improvement permit type, fee, or timeline.

Reviewed 2026-08-01 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Any required Planning & Zoning approval documents must be included with the submittal (Checklist for Commercial Plans, item 1; P&Z contacts: Merideth Hildreth (575) 637-6294, Miguel Martinez (575) 637-6218)
  • Plans must be submitted as 2 sets of hard copies, 24"x36", plus a digital copy on flash drive, and should include: current codes used, egress plans, occupant load, use group or groups, type of construction, site plans, civil plans, specifications, engineering calculations, soil investigation reports, exterior wall envelope in detail, floodplain data if required, landscape plans, sprinkler & fire alarm plans, plumbing plans, mechanical plans, electrical plans, COM-CHECK, RES-CHECK, and any other data or documents required by the AHJ for plan review clarifications (Checklist for Commercial Plans, item 2)
  • For an addition to an existing building, all information about the existing building must be submitted, and occupant load is calculated on the combined square footage of the existing structure and the new structure (Checklist for Commercial Plans, item 3)
  • Professional seal thresholds (NMAC 16.30.1.7): a single seal of either an engineer or architect suffices on non-residential projects that do NOT exceed $600,000 construction valuation OR a total occupant load of 50; BOTH an architect's and an engineer's seal are required when construction valuation exceeds $600,000 OR total occupant load exceeds 50; Day Care Facilities, H (Hazardous), or I (Institutional) occupancies must be certified by an architect or engineer regardless of occupant load
  • It is illegal to use an out-of-state architect's, engineer's, surveyor's, or landscape architect's seal on any New Mexico project — all sealing design professionals must be New Mexico registrants
  • Permits CANNOT be issued without a licensed New Mexico contractor; contractors and sub-contractors must also obtain a current City of Roswell Business License (Business License Clerk: (575) 637-6208)
  • Fire sprinklers, hoods, and fire alarms require separate permits through the Fire Marshal's Office (contact Esperanza De Leon, (575) 624-6830)
  • Plumbing and mechanical/gas work require separate City of Roswell permits; electrical work requires a separate STATE CID electrical permit (as of January 1, 2026, until further notice — see this file's electrical-permit entry)
  • Commercial accessory structures larger than 120 sq. ft. require this full building permit; at or under 120 sq. ft. the streamlined Placement Permit for Fence or Accessory Structure applies instead

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation $0-$549City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule (DocumentCenter/View/26127), re-fetched and verified verbatim 2026-08-01; same valuation-tiered table applies to residential and commercial building permits
$24.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $100,500-$200,499City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule — above $100,499 the table steps in $100,000 brackets
$1,554.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $500,500-$600,499City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule
$3,709.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $900,500 to $1,000,000City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule — top listed tier
$5,609.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation over $1,000,000City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule, listed under Commercial Plan Review Fees block
$3.65 per $1,000 over $1 million
Commercial Plan Review Fee — BuildingCity of Roswell Building Fee Schedule
10% of Permit Fee
Commercial Plan Review Fee — MechanicalCity of Roswell Building Fee Schedule
5% of Building Permit Fee
Commercial Plan Review Fee — ElectricalCity of Roswell Building Fee Schedule; note that since January 1, 2026 the electrical permit itself is issued by state CID with its own $96.00 commercial plan review fee (see this file's electrical-permit entry) — confirm with the City which electrical plan-review charge applies to your project during the CID transition
5% of Permit Fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Building 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

    Foundation / Density-Compaction

    Density/compaction tests are required prior to pouring foundation for any site including backfill, per 14.5.2.10(A)(1)(f) NMAC submittal requirements enforced by the City as AHJ; the City does not publish a commercial-specific full inspection sequence

  2. 2

    Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy

    Final inspection by the Building Division is required before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued; for qualifying commercial developments, landscaping per the approved Landscape Plan must be installed first, with only one Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (max. 60 days) available (Zoning Ordinance Article 52, Section 11.F)

  3. 3

    Annual Fire Inspection (post-occupancy)

    The Fire Prevention Division's inspector conducts annual inspections on every business in Roswell to verify continued fire code and life-safety compliance

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

Tips

  • There is NO separate tenant-improvement permit in Roswell: the Building Permit Application's scope checkboxes are New Construction, Addition, Remodel, Alteration, Demo, Pool, Accessory Structure, and Other — a commercial TI/build-out is filed as a Remodel or Alteration on this same commercial building permit, with the same valuation-based fee table and commercial plan review fees.
  • Roswell issues its own building permits as a certified local jurisdiction (AHJ) — do not apply to the state CID for the building scope; CID currently handles only the electrical scope (since January 1, 2026, described as temporary).
  • Watch the $600,000-valuation / 50-occupant thresholds: crossing EITHER one triggers the requirement for both an architect's and an engineer's seal on the construction documents (NMAC 16.30.1.7), which materially affects design budget and schedule.
  • Projects at the Roswell Air Center (aircraft storage/maintenance industry) have an extra layer, not a separate city permit track: under the Air Center Minimum Standards (Section 3.05), construction of any Improvements on airport land must be approved in advance by the City via the Air Center Director/lease process and must comply with FAA regulations in addition to normal state/city building codes — budget time for that approval before the building permit submittal.
  • Fire sprinkler, hood, and fire alarm systems need separate permits from the Fire Marshal's Office ((575) 624-6830), and plumbing/mechanical scopes need separate City permits — the building permit alone does not cover them.
  • Jobs started without a permit are charged DOUBLE the standard permit and inspection rate.
  • Submit via CloudPermit (us.cloudpermit.com/gov/login), by email to permits@roswell-nm.gov, or hard copies to 500 N. Main St. Suite 100, Roswell, NM 88201; Building Official Miller Butts, (575) 627-6286.

Frequently asked questions

Roswell requires a commercial building permit for: Any required Planning & Zoning approval documents must be included with the submittal (Checklist for Commercial Plans, item 1; P&Z contacts: Merideth Hildreth (575) 637-6294, Miguel Martinez (575) 637-6218); Plans must be submitted as 2 sets of hard copies, 24"x36", plus a digital copy on flash drive, and should include: current codes used, egress plans, occupant load, use group or groups, type of construction, site plans, civil plans, specifications, engineering calculations, soil investigation reports, exterior wall envelope in detail, floodplain data if required, landscape plans, sprinkler & fire alarm plans, plumbing plans, mechanical plans, electrical plans, COM-CHECK, RES-CHECK, and any other data or documents required by the AHJ for plan review clarifications (Checklist for Commercial Plans, item 2); For an addition to an existing building, all information about the existing building must be submitted, and occupant load is calculated on the combined square footage of the existing structure and the new structure (Checklist for Commercial Plans, item 3); Professional seal thresholds (NMAC 16.30.1.7): a single seal of either an engineer or architect suffices on non-residential projects that do NOT exceed $600,000 construction valuation OR a total occupant load of 50; BOTH an architect's and an engineer's seal are required when construction valuation exceeds $600,000 OR total occupant load exceeds 50; Day Care Facilities, H (Hazardous), or I (Institutional) occupancies must be certified by an architect or engineer regardless of occupant load; It is illegal to use an out-of-state architect's, engineer's, surveyor's, or landscape architect's seal on any New Mexico project — all sealing design professionals must be New Mexico registrants; Permits CANNOT be issued without a licensed New Mexico contractor; contractors and sub-contractors must also obtain a current City of Roswell Business License (Business License Clerk: (575) 637-6208); Fire sprinklers, hoods, and fire alarms require separate permits through the Fire Marshal's Office (contact Esperanza De Leon, (575) 624-6830); Plumbing and mechanical/gas work require separate City of Roswell permits; electrical work requires a separate STATE CID electrical permit (as of January 1, 2026, until further notice — see this file's electrical-permit entry); Commercial accessory structures larger than 120 sq. ft. require this full building permit; at or under 120 sq. ft. the streamlined Placement Permit for Fence or Accessory Structure applies instead. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Roswell Community Development — Building & Inspections Division at (575) 637-6280 before starting work.

The permit fee is valuation-based, from $24.00 (projects valued $0-$549) up to $5,609.00 ($900,500-$1,000,000), plus $3.65 per $1,000 over $1 million. Commercial projects additionally pay plan review fees: Building 10% of the permit fee, Mechanical 5% of the building permit fee, and Electrical 5% of the permit fee, per the City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule.

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 (Commercial Project Information section); Checklist for Commercial Plans; Commercial plan sets — 2 hard copies (24"x36") plus digital copy (flash drive); COM-CHECK energy compliance report. Depending on your project, Roswell may also ask for: Planning & Zoning approval documents. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Roswell requires 3 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit, in order: Foundation / Density-Compaction, Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy, Annual Fire Inspection (post-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.

The City of Roswell. Its Building & Inspections Division runs a certified local building-permit program as the Authority Having Jurisdiction under NMAC 14.5.2, so commercial building, plumbing, and mechanical permits are issued by the City — not by the state Construction Industries Division (CID). The exception is electrical work, which CID has administered in Roswell since January 1, 2026 (until further notice).

No. Roswell publishes no distinct tenant-improvement permit, fee, or timeline. A commercial TI or build-out is filed on the standard Building Permit Application as a Remodel or Alteration, completing the Commercial Project Information section, and is billed under the same valuation-based fee table plus the 10% Building commercial plan review fee.

Sources & verification

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

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