Aztec building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Aztec, New Mexico.
Last verified 2026-07-18 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 209 South Oliver Drive, Aztec, NM 87410
- Phone
- (505) 334-4313 (Building Division, permit/inspection scheduling); (505) 334-4550 (San Juan County Community Development main line); (505) 334-7605 (City of Aztec Community Development / Planning & Zoning, for the City's own Land Use Permit)
- Office hours
- San Juan County Community Development: Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM, closed Friday. City of Aztec Community Development: Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Some permit types are available online via the County's SmartGov Community portal at https://permitting.sjcounty.net/ (redirects to co-sanjuan-nm.smartgovcommunity.com); others remain paper applications submitted to the Building Division at 209 South Oliver Drive.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Aztec's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Aztec — 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.
- 2021 New Mexico Commercial & Residential Building Code
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — 14.7.3 NMAC
- 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — 14.7.2 NMAC
- 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — 14.7.7 NMAC
- 2021 New Mexico Energy Conservation Code — 14.7.6 NMAC (residential) / 14.7.9 NMAC (commercial)
- ICC/ANSI A117.1-2017 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
- 2021 New Mexico Plumbing and Mechanical Code — 14.8.2 NMAC (plumbing) / 14.9.2 NMAC (mechanical)
- 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC)
- 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC)
- 2021 International Fire Code (IFC)
- 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC)
- 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code — 14.10.4 NMAC
- 2012 Uniform Solar Energy Code — 14.9.6 NMAC
- 2012 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code — 14.8.3 NMAC
- 2017 NFPA 58 (LP-Gas Code)
- 2018 NFPA 54 (National Fuel Gas Code)
- All codes are adopted and amended by the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) and apply statewide, per the San Juan County Building Department's own published Construction Codes list, which explicitly states its scope covers the City of Aztec.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration)
Required for new single-family residential construction, additions, alterations, detached accessory/storage buildings, decks, patios, and agricultural buildings (e.g., hay barns) within Aztec city limits. Plan review and permit issuance are performed by the San Juan County Building Department under its interlocal agreement covering the City of Aztec, applying the 2021 New Mexico Commercial & Residential Building Code (2021 IRC as amended).
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical wiring, service changes, and installations within Aztec city limits, reviewed and inspected by the San Juan County Building Department under the interlocal agreement covering the City of Aztec, applying the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code (2020 NEC as amended).
EV Charger / EVSE Installation Permit
Aztec (and San Juan County generally) has no separate permit type, application form, or published fee line for electric vehicle charging station (EVSE) installation. A new dedicated circuit or hardwired connection for a home or commercial EV charger is permitted under the same Electrical Permit issued by the San Juan County Building Department (which administers all building/electrical permitting within Aztec city limits under the interlocal agreement), applying the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code (2020 NEC as amended). The County's Electrical Permit Application (revised 04/11/2023) prices circuit work under a 'Feeder and Branch Circuits' formula ($0.03 per heated sq ft, residential) rather than a flat per-circuit EV-specific fee, plus a flat $40.00 Administrative Fee and, if a new/upgraded service is required, the Electric Service amperage-tier fee (minimum $60.00 for services under 100 amps).
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs within Aztec city limits, reviewed and inspected by the San Juan County Building Department, applying the 2021 New Mexico Plumbing Code (2021 UPC as amended).
Mechanical Permit
Required for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and other mechanical equipment installations within Aztec city limits, reviewed and inspected by the San Juan County Building Department, applying the 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC).
Residential Roofing, Windows, and Residing Permit
San Juan County Building Department publishes a distinct, dedicated permit application specifically for residential re-roofing, window replacement, and re-siding projects within Aztec city limits, separate from its general Commercial Building Permit and New Residential Building Checklist forms.
City of Aztec Land Use Permit
A City of Aztec-issued Planning Permit required in parallel with the San Juan County-issued Building Permit for new dwellings and commercial development within city limits. It governs allowable land use, setbacks, lot coverage, and site-plan compliance under the City's own Municipal Code (Chapters 9, 18, and 26), and is administered entirely by the City's Community Development Department — genuinely distinct from the County-administered structural Building Permit.
Solar PV Permit
Aztec issues no separate solar-PV permit type; the City has no professional building-inspection staff of its own and instead contracts with the San Juan County Building Department (interlocal agreement) to review plans and conduct inspections for all residential and commercial construction within city limits, including building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work. A rooftop or ground-mounted solar PV installation would be permitted as a combined Building Permit (structural/racking) and Electrical Permit (wiring/interconnection) through San Juan County, applying the 2007/2009 IBC and 2020 NM Electrical Code as adopted.
Sign Permit
Required for new permanent or temporary signs, or for significant modifications (costing 50% or more of the original sign's replacement cost) to existing signs, anywhere within Aztec city limits. Administered entirely by the City of Aztec's own Community Development Department under the City's Sign Code (Aztec City Code Chapter 20, revised 2025 Sept 11, Ord. 2025-560) — this is a City-only permit, not routed through the San Juan County Building Department that handles Aztec's structural building permits.
Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit
Aztec has no dedicated local fire-sprinkler/alarm permitting office, application form, or published fee schedule of its own. Fire protection system (sprinkler and/or alarm) installations within Aztec are governed by the statewide New Mexico Fire Code (10.25.5 NMAC) and by the City's adoption of the International Fire Code under Aztec City Code Chapter 8 (enforced by the Fire Chief as the local Authority Having Jurisdiction). Construction drawings for fire protection systems are submitted per NMAC 10.25.5.18 to the New Mexico State Fire Marshal's Fire Code Enforcement Bureau or to the local Fire Marshal/AHJ as applicable, and the SFM charges no fee for this review. The underlying structural/electrical installation work is separately permitted through the San Juan County Building Department (which issues all building-related permits within Aztec city limits under the interlocal agreement).
Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy
Neither the City of Aztec nor the San Juan County Building Department publishes a standalone 'change of use permit' application or fee schedule distinct from the existing Building Permit and City Land Use Permit processes already documented in this file. A change in a building's occupancy classification is governed technically by the New Mexico Existing Building Code's Change of Occupancy provisions (2021 IEBC Chapter 10, adopted at 14.7.7 NMAC), reviewed through the same San Juan County Building Department Building Permit that covers new construction and alterations, and concludes with issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy (or approved final inspection) once all required inspections are approved, per NMAC 14.5.3.13. Separately, if a change in use also shifts the property's City of Aztec impact-fee category (e.g., commercial to residential), Aztec City Code Chapter 16, Sec. 16-56(6) requires the applicant to pay the difference between the impact fee payable for the prior use and the fee payable for the new use.
Tips & gotchas
- The City of Aztec does NOT operate its own building department. San Juan County's Building Department (209 South Oliver Drive, Aztec, NM 87410 — physically in Aztec, but a COUNTY office) performs all structural/life-safety plan review, building-permit issuance, and inspections within Aztec city limits under an interlocal agreement, confirmed independently on both the County's own Building Department page and the City's own Development Handbook. Do not mail or route a building-permit application to City Hall expecting it to be processed there.
- Two genuinely separate permits and fee schedules apply to most new construction in Aztec: (1) the County-administered Building Permit (fee = valuation × 0.5%, plus a 0.12%-of-valuation Plan Review Fee for architect/engineer-sealed projects), and (2) the City-administered Land Use Permit ($25 new SFR / $50 new multi-family / $100 new commercial, plus a $10 administrative fee and a separate $500-per-unit residential impact fee). Budget for both.
- San Juan County's Building Department page explicitly states its jurisdiction: 'the unincorporated areas of San Juan County and also...the City of Aztec and the City of Bloomfield and the Town of Kirtland' — the same County Building Department also serves Bloomfield (a separate PermitBase jurisdiction) and Kirtland.
- Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits each have their own fee schedule per the County's own page, but specific dollar figures are not published online as of 2026-07-18 — contact the Building Division at (505) 334-4313 for current trade-permit fees before budgeting.
- No numeric plan-review or permit-issuance turnaround time (business or calendar days) is published by either the City of Aztec or San Juan County for any permit type covered in this file as of 2026-07-18 — every permitType here carries reviewTimelineDays: null with a note documenting the chase, consistent with New Mexico's statutory silence on review deadlines for CID-administered/self-administered permits (NMAC 14.5.2).
- A building permit will not be issued without prior E9-1-1 physical address verification through San Juan County Rural Addressing, (505) 334-4314 — budget time for this step before applying.
- Some County permit types are available through the SmartGov Community online portal (https://permitting.sjcounty.net/, redirects to co-sanjuan-nm.smartgovcommunity.com); others remain paper-only applications submitted at 209 South Oliver Drive as of 2026-07-18.
- Building permits expire 1 year from issuance; a 1-year extension is available for 50% of the original permit fee, per the County's published FAQ.
- A storage shed under 120 sq ft does not need a building permit in San Juan County/Aztec; a carport does, per the Building Department's published FAQ.
- Mobile/manufactured home foundation permitting and inspection is administered by the New Mexico State Manufactured Housing Division, NOT the San Juan County Building Department, per the Department's own FAQ ('The County Building Division has no jurisdictional authority for mobile home foundations'). Separate County offices handle E9-1-1 addressing, floodplain determination, and mobile-home MOVING permits (valuation via the County Assessor, then the permit via the County Treasurer) for manufactured housing — these are distinct multi-office processes not modeled as building-permit types in this file.