Las Cruces building permits

Building department

Address

700 N. Main St., Suite 1100, P.O. Box 20000, Las Cruces, NM 88001

Phone

575-528-3222

Email

inspectionrequest@lascruces.gov

Office hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM; Wednesday 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM (afternoon closed for admin/training); online access 24 hours

Website

Official site

Permit portal

Apply online at Las Cruces's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Las Cruces — 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.

• New Mexico is a statewide-minimum-code state under the Construction Industries Licensing Act (NMSA 1978 § 60-13-44(E)): 'All political subdivisions of the state are subject to the provisions of codes adopted and approved under the Construction Industries Licensing Act. Such codes constitute a minimum requirement for the codes of political subdivisions.' A county or municipality may become its own code-enforcement authority (operate independently of the state Construction Industries Division field offices) if it employs a certified building official and has adopted at least the current state minimum code standards (NMSA 1978 § 60-13-41(D)-(F)). The City of Las Cruces operates its own Building and Development Services / Community Development Department with its own building official and inspection staff (rather than routing permits through the state CID field office model used in unincorporated areas), enforcing the state-adopted codes as the applicable minimum within city limits.
• 2021 New Mexico Commercial & Residential Building Code (based on the 2021 IBC / 2021 IRC), per NM Construction Industries Division (CID) current adoption
• 2021 International Building Code (IBC), as adopted/amended by CID
• 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), as adopted/amended by CID
• 2021 New Mexico Energy Conservation Code (based on the International Energy Conservation Code, IECC) — addresses the New Mexico climate zone for energy conservation; applies to new and renovated residential and commercial buildings
• 2021 New Mexico Plumbing and Mechanical Code, incorporating the 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code (IAPMO) and 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO)
• 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code / 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted by reference at 14.10.4 NMAC, effective March 28, 2023 (permits issued only under this rule after September 28, 2023) — this is the current, in-force edition; it supersedes any references to a 2023 NEC edition found on third-party aggregator sites
• 2012 Solar Energy Code (IAPMO), as adopted by CID
• 2017 ICC/ANSI A117.1 (Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities), as adopted by CID
• 2012 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code, as adopted by CID
• Las Cruces Land Development Code, Chapter 30 (Buildings and Building Regulations) and Chapter 38 (Zoning) — local building-permit administration, fee schedule, and zoning provisions

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Construction)

  Required for new single-family dwellings, townhouses, and duplexes in Las Cruces. Reviewed against the 2021 New Mexico Commercial & Residential Building Code (2021 IBC/IRC) and 2021 New Mexico Energy Conservation Code. Applications submitted through the City of Las Cruces Citizen Portal (Accela).

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• Residential Addition / Alteration / Remodel Permit

  Required for additions, alterations, and remodels to existing single-family dwellings, townhouses, and duplexes in Las Cruces. Uses the same $0.20/sq ft fee structure as new residential construction, applied to the work area.

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• Residential Electrical Permit

  Required for electrical installations, alterations, and repairs in Las Cruces residential properties. Governed by the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code (2020 NEC), adopted by reference at 14.10.4 NMAC, effective March 28, 2023.

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• Residential Plumbing Permit

  Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in Las Cruces residential properties. Governed by the 2021 New Mexico Plumbing and Mechanical Code, incorporating the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO).

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• Residential Mechanical / HVAC Permit

  Required for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning installations in Las Cruces residential properties. Governed by the 2021 New Mexico Plumbing and Mechanical Code, incorporating the 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code (IAPMO).

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• Roofing Permit (Reroof)

  Required for roof replacement work in Las Cruces. Fee follows the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee schedule as general construction.

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• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  Required for installation of residential solar photovoltaic systems in Las Cruces. A single flat fee covers plan review, building inspection, and electrical inspection.

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• EV Charger / EVSE Permit

  Electric vehicle charging equipment (EVSE) installation in Las Cruces is an electrical permit, governed by the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code (2020 NEC), adopted by reference at 14.10.4 NMAC. The City's 2023 Schedule of Fees (effective February 1, 2023), reviewed page-by-page in full, has no distinct EV-charger/EVSE line item. The Residential Electrical Permit Fees table lists a flat $150.00 'Residential Electrical/Pool Permits' base category alongside a separate $75.00 'Service/Low Voltage/Mobile Home Service/Temporary Service/Alternate Energy System (does not include Photovoltaic)' line. EVSE installation is governed by NEC Article 625 (Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System), a load/branch-circuit article, not by the NEC's generation-side articles (690 Solar PV, 694 Wind, 705 Interconnected Power) that 'Alternate Energy System' tracks -- the schedule's own parenthetical excluding Photovoltaic confirms that line targets on-site generation/backup-power hookups, not load additions like an EV charger. On that NEC-article basis, a standalone EV charger circuit with no service change is billed under the general $150.00 Residential Electrical/Pool Permits base fee; the $75.00 line would apply only if the installation also requires a service/low-voltage change.

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• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit

  Construction of an accessory dwelling unit in Las Cruces is permitted through the standard residential building permit process (no separate ADU fee category is published by the City), subject to the statewide zoning floor established by New Mexico House Bill 425 (2023), codified as an amendment to NMSA 1978 § 3-21-1.

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• Sign Permit

  Required for installation, alteration, or reconstruction of most signs within Las Cruces city limits, under Land Development Code Chapter 36 (Signs), unless the specific sign type is exempted under LDC Sec. 36-9(b). Fee is based on sign type (attached, pole, monument, multi-sign site plan, or billboard) rather than project valuation; an additional electrical permit is required separately for illuminated signs.

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• Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm Systems Permit

  Required for installation, alteration, or tenant-improvement modification of automatic fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, fire pumps, and commercial kitchen hood suppression systems in Las Cruces. Plan review is performed by the Las Cruces Fire Department's Fire Prevention Division (Automatic Fire Sprinkler Plan Review and Testing; Fire Alarm Plan Review and Testing) as part of the Community Development Department's One Stop Shop 'Fire Code Review' function, against the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — the Department states 'Fire plan submittals must be submitted utilizing the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC).' The Fire Prevention Division's public page does not itemize a fire-system-specific application checklist beyond the services listed, so the documents/inspections below reflect standard IFC/NFPA-referenced acceptance-testing practice for these system types rather than a city-published permit-specific checklist; the fee figures and code edition themselves are directly sourced and confirmed.

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• Change of Occupancy Permit (Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy)

  Required when the use classification of an existing commercial building or tenant space changes in Las Cruces. The City calls this a 'Change of Occupancy Fee' for the change-of-use analysis, billed at one of two tiers depending on whether a site inspection is needed. A Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is issued on completion of a change of occupancy or new construction project; a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) or a same-day CO are also available as separate, related products.

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• Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Shell)

  Required for new commercial construction, commercial additions, and shell buildings in Las Cruces. The City of Las Cruces runs its own certified local building program (Community Development Department — Building and Development Services, One Stop Shop) rather than routing permits through the state Construction Industries Division field-office model, per NMSA 1978 § 60-13-41(D)-(F). Plans are reviewed against the 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code (2021 IBC as adopted by CID), the 2021 New Mexico Energy Conservation Code, and 2017 ICC/ANSI A117.1 for accessibility. The permit fee is valuation-based: the building official determines valuation from the City's adopted Valuation Table (February 2020 ICC Building Valuation Data, square-foot cost by occupancy group and construction type), adjusted by a scope modifier (New 100%, Addition 100%, Shell 75%) and an 88% local area modifier, then run through the City's Fee Table.

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• Commercial Tenant Improvement / Alteration Permit

  Required for alterations, remodels, and tenant improvements (TI) within existing commercial buildings in Las Cruces. This is a genuinely distinct track from new commercial construction in the City's own fee schedule: the Fee Table's scope-modifier table lists 'Alteration/TI/Remodel' at 50% of value (versus 100% for New), with the footnote 'See International Existing Building Code definition of work area for guidance in how to calculate alteration work areas,' and the Fire Systems fee section carries separate, lower 'Tenant Improvement Fire Sprinkler' tiers. The application, review agencies, timeline tiers, and ProjectDox submittal process are shared with the general commercial track (the City's Commercial Construction Process guide covers 'Commercial New, Alteration, Addition' together), but a TI's valuation — and therefore its fee — is computed at half the ICC square-foot value of the work area.

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