Santa Fe building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Last verified 2026-07-02 · Source
Building department
- Address
- Santa Fe City Hall, 200 Lincoln Ave., 1st Floor (southwest entrance facing Marcy Street nearest the Convention Center), Santa Fe, NM 87501; Mailing: City of Santa Fe Building Permit Division, P.O. Box 909, Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909
- Phone
- (505) 955-6571 (Planning, Land Use and Housing Department main line); Building Permit Division direct: (505) 955-6588
- Office hours
- By appointment only, 8:00 a.m.–Noon and 1:00–4:00 p.m., Monday–Friday. Drop-off hours for revision/amendment submittals only: Monday–Thursday 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
- Website
- Official site
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.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new single-family dwellings, attached/detached units, and guesthouses in Santa Fe. Reviewed against the 2021 New Mexico Residential Building Code (2021 IRC as amended by the state) and the City of Santa Fe Residential Green Building Code, which mandates HERS and WERS energy/water performance ratings for all new residential construction.
Residential Addition / Remodel / Alteration Permit
Required for additions, interior remodels, and exterior alterations to existing residential structures in Santa Fe (the City's Building Permit Application lists 'Additions,' 'Exterior Alterations/Repairs,' and 'Interior Remodel' as distinct proposed-work categories on the same unified application form). Additions/remodels affecting conditioned space must comply with a Green Code Chapter 11 or Chapter 12 checklist depending on scope.
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical installations, service changes, and alterations in Santa Fe. Governed by the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code (2020 NEC as amended statewide) and the 2012 New Mexico Electrical Safety Code, enforced by the City's Building Division as the delegated Authority Having Jurisdiction under CID's statewide framework.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing and gas piping installations, alterations, and fixture work in Santa Fe. Governed by the 2021 New Mexico Plumbing Code (2021 Uniform Plumbing Code as amended by the State of New Mexico) plus City of Santa Fe UPC amendments.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and fuel-burning equipment installations in Santa Fe. Governed by the 2021 New Mexico Mechanical Code (2021 Uniform Mechanical Code as amended by the State of New Mexico).
Roofing Permit (Re-Roof)
Required for commercial and residential roof replacement in Santa Fe, submitted via a dedicated Construction Application & Checklist for Re-Roof Submittals. Commercial re-roof projects require professional (NM-licensed design professional) seals; residential projects follow the same online CSS submittal process.
Solar PV Permit
Required for roof-mounted or ground-/awning-mounted photovoltaic system installation in Santa Fe. The City publishes two distinct checklists (roof-mounted; ground- or awning-mounted) governed by the 2021 New Mexico Residential/Commercial Building Code, 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code, 2012 New Mexico Electrical Safety Code, and 2012 New Mexico Solar Energy Code.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (Guesthouse) Permit
Santa Fe's building-permit process refers to accessory dwelling units as 'guesthouses.' New guesthouses follow the same New Residential Dwellings submittal checklist and building permit application as new single-family homes, and are explicitly covered by the City's Residential Green Building Code, which lists 'guest houses' alongside new single-family attached/detached units as subject to HERS/WERS requirements.
Wall / Fence Permit
Required for construction of walls and fences in Santa Fe above grade, using a dedicated Permit Submittal Checklist. Residential walls/fences are limited to 6 feet high and commercial to 8 feet high under this checklist.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- 41units
41 buildings · $13.2M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 437units
8 of 12 months reported · #4 in New Mexico coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 122units
122 buildings · $45.7M valuation
5 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 495units
257 buildings · $132.5M valuation
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All New Mexico building activity
Tips & gotchas
- New Mexico's construction codes are state-mandated (Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 Chapter 60, Article 13), not locally written from scratch — Santa Fe enforces the 'New Mexico' editions of the I-Codes/Uniform Codes as a delegated Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ, defined at NMAC 14.5.1.7.B), with only narrow local amendments (plumbing, fire code) plus its own Green Building and Earthen Building codes on top.
- Santa Fe's Residential Green Building Code is a distinguishing local requirement: all new single-family homes and guesthouses (ADUs) need a HERS Index of 60 or less and a WERS score of 70 or less from City-approved raters — budget for rater fees and lead time on top of standard plan review.
- The City's five Historic Districts and the Escarpment (foothills) Overlay District both require pre-approval BEFORE building permit submittal for affected properties — check these first for any exterior work.
- All permit applications and inspection scheduling run through the City's Citizen Self-Service (CSS) portal — register early and ensure you're listed as a Contact on the permit to track status.
- Building Division hours are by appointment only (8am-noon, 1-4pm weekdays); separate drop-off-only hours exist for revisions/amendments to plans already in review.