Does the City of Gallup still issue building permits?

Not for general construction, as of July 6, 2026. Per the City's June 8, 2026 contractor notice, the City's only Certified Building Official retired and the City could not hire a replacement, so 'the City of Gallup will no longer accept building permit applications for general construction.' All IBC/IRC/IEBC/ADA-related building permits now go through the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID). The City continues to issue a Site Development Permit covering zoning, fire, utilities, drainage, and safety infrastructure review, plus permits for fencing, retaining walls, and signs.

Who handles plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits in Gallup?

The New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), both before and after the July 2026 transition — this routing did not change. Source: City of Gallup Homeowner's Building Permit Application and the City's CID Transition notice.

Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Gallup, New Mexico

Verified

Required for new single-family residential construction in Gallup. Effective July 6, 2026, the actual building permit for new construction (governed by the International Residential Code as adopted into the 2021 New Mexico Residential Building Code) is issued by the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), not the City of Gallup. The City of Gallup's Planning & Development Department first issues a mandatory Site Development Permit covering zoning compliance and municipal infrastructure review, which is a prerequisite before CID will accept the project for building-permit review and issuance — the same two-step model already used in other NM municipalities without a certified local building official (e.g., Alamogordo).

Verified 2026-07-03 · Source

From$15City of Gallup Site Development Permit fee — see all 6 fees below

When you need this permit

City of Gallup Site Development Permit required first: covers zoning compliance, fire, water, wastewater, electric services, solid waste, drainage, and pedestrian/vehicular safety infrastructure review, per the City's July 2026 CID Transition notice
A storm drainage plan stamped/approved by the City Engineer is required prior to building permit issuance (may be waived by the City Engineer for residential development under 1 acre)
Surveyor's stamped site/plot plan showing setbacks from all property lines, off-street parking, access cut design, curb/gutter/sidewalk locations, and street names, per the City's Homeowner's Building Permit Checklist, Section I
Utility site/plot plan showing existing utility mains, water meter location/size, sewer main/manhole location, and electrical service entrance location/size
Building floor plan, elevations, floor framing plan, roof framing plan, and foundation plan drawn to scale
Once the City's zoning/site-development review is complete, the application and City-approved plans are submitted to a CID office (Albuquerque is the nearest permanent CID office to Gallup/McKinley County) for the actual building permit, plan review, and CID fee calculation, per N.M. Admin. Code 14.5.2.8
Sidewalk, curb, and gutter are required for all new construction, built to City standard drawings
Water-conserving fixtures required in all construction
Plans must be 24" x 36" for new residential projects (18" x 24" minimum accepted for additions/alterations/demolition per the City's checklist, though this size guidance predates the July 2026 CID routing change and should be confirmed with both the City and the CID office at time of submittal)

Required documents

Required
City of Gallup Site Development Permit Application
Prerequisite zoning-compliance and municipal-infrastructure review application submitted to the City of Gallup Planning & Development Department before CID will accept the state building-permit application; replaces the City's pre-July-2026 general-construction Building Permit Application for this scope
Required
Multi Purpose State Building Application / CID Building Permit Application
State of New Mexico CID application form submitted to a CID office (Albuquerque nearest) after City site-development sign-off
Required
Surveyor's Stamped Site/Plot Plan
Required per the City of Gallup Homeowner's Building Permit Checklist, Section I — shows setbacks, access, parking, and utility locations
Optional
Storm Drainage and Grading Plan
Required for projects exceeding one acre, or where the City Engineer determines one is necessary for smaller residential development

Fee schedule

Fee type	Amount	Notes
City of Gallup Site Development Permit fee	GENUINELY UNPUBLISHED as of lastVerified — the City's transition notice (posted June 8, 2026) announces the new Site Development Permit but the City had not yet published a specific fee schedule/amount for this new permit type as of this review; the pre-transition Resolution R2004-40 Zoning Check Fee ($15 residential / $25 commercial) governed the zoning-review component of the old process and may inform (but does not confirm) the new fee	Avenues exhausted: City of Gallup Building Permits pages (779, 781, 794), Fee Schedule page (338 — returned unrelated Fitness Center rates), News Flash detail page (1309), FAQ page (TID=21), Land Use & Zoning Applications page (798); no updated fee resolution or ordinance publishing a Site Development Permit fee schedule was located as of 2026-07-03. Contact narchie@gallupnm.gov to confirm the current fee before applying.
CID General Construction Building Permit Fee — up to $15,000 valuation	$3.00 per $1,000.00 valuation	N.M. Admin. Code 14.5.5.11(A)(1), New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Title 14 Chapter 5 Part 5
CID General Construction Building Permit Fee — over $15,000 valuation	$1.00 per $1,000.00 valuation (for the portion over $15,000)	N.M. Admin. Code 14.5.5.11(A)(2)
CID Plan Review Fee	20% of the building permit fee	N.M. Admin. Code 14.5.5.11(B)
CID Commercial Construction Individual Discipline Plan Reviews (each)	5% of the building permit fee per discipline (general construction, accessibility, electrical, mechanical/plumbing)	N.M. Admin. Code 14.5.5.11(E)
CID Homeowner's Permit fee (new residence or major addition/remodel)	$200.00	N.M. Admin. Code 14.5.5.14(I)(1)

Review timeline

3–3 business days

Gallup’s published plan-review target

Inspection process

1
Foundation Inspection
Made after excavations for footings are complete and required reinforcing steel is in place, before concrete placement; conducted by CID under the same statewide inspection framework applied in other NM CID-administered jurisdictions
2
Concrete Slab / Under-Floor Inspection
Made after all in-slab or under-floor building service equipment, conduit, and piping are in place, but before concrete is placed or floor sheathing installed
3
Frame Inspection
Made after roof, framing, fire blocking, and bracing are in place; the City's Homeowner's Building Permit Application confirms general-construction (frame/final) inspections will not proceed until plumbing, electrical, and mechanical inspections have passed CID
4
Final Inspection
Made after finish grading and building completion; final electrical, plumbing, and mechanical inspections must be conducted first. CID issues the Certificate of Occupancy after approving the final inspection

Tips

Gallup's building-permit authority changed abruptly: the City's only Certified Building Official retired July 2, 2026, and after a failed multi-state hiring search, the City stopped issuing general-construction building permits effective July 6, 2026 — verify current routing directly with the City of Gallup Planning & Development Department ((505) 863-1240) before applying, since this is a very recent transition.
Budget for two potential fee payments: a City of Gallup Site Development Permit fee (amount not yet published as of this review — confirm with narchie@gallupnm.gov) and the separate CID building-permit fee (valuation-based per NMAC 14.5.5.11), paid to whichever CID office processes the application (Albuquerque is the nearest permanent CID office to Gallup).
MEP (mechanical/electrical/plumbing) permitting in Gallup was already routed to CID before this transition and is unchanged — only general construction/building permitting is newly transitioning to CID as of July 6, 2026.
The City held two contractor information sessions (June 11 and June 25, 2026) to explain the transition; contact the Planning & Development Department directly for current step-by-step guidance, as published web content may still reflect the pre-transition process.

Frequently asked questions

Does the City of Gallup still issue building permits?: Not for general construction, as of July 6, 2026. Per the City's June 8, 2026 contractor notice, the City's only Certified Building Official retired and the City could not hire a replacement, so 'the City of Gallup will no longer accept building permit applications for general construction.' All IBC/IRC/IEBC/ADA-related building permits now go through the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID). The City continues to issue a Site Development Permit covering zoning, fire, utilities, drainage, and safety infrastructure review, plus permits for fencing, retaining walls, and signs.
Who handles plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits in Gallup?: The New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), both before and after the July 2026 transition — this routing did not change. Source: City of Gallup Homeowner's Building Permit Application and the City's CID Transition notice.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-03.

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

Other permits in Gallup

Residential Addition / Alteration / Remodel Permit Electrical Permit Plumbing Permit Mechanical / HVAC Permit Roofing Permit (Reroof)Fence Permit Sign Permit Demolition Permit

Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in other cities

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