Santa Fe building permits

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

Email

permitcounter@santafenm.gov

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

Permit portal

Apply online at Santa Fe's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Santa Fe — 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 Building Code (2021 IBC as amended by the State of New Mexico)
• 2021 New Mexico Residential Building Code (2021 IRC as amended by the State of New Mexico), plus the City of Santa Fe Residential Green Building Code
• 2021 New Mexico Existing Building Code (2021 International Existing Building Code as amended by the State of New Mexico)
• 2021 New Mexico Plumbing Code (2021 Uniform Plumbing Code as amended by the State of New Mexico), plus City of Santa Fe UPC amendments
• 2021 New Mexico Mechanical Code (2021 Uniform Mechanical Code as amended by the State of New Mexico)
• 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code (2020 National Electrical Code as amended by the State of New Mexico)
• 2012 New Mexico Electrical Safety Code (2012 National Electrical Safety Code as amended by the State of New Mexico)
• 2021 New Mexico Earthen Building Materials Code
• 2021 New Mexico Historic Earthen Buildings Code
• 2021 New Mexico Energy Conservation Code (2021 International Energy Conservation Code as amended by the State of New Mexico)
• 2012 New Mexico Swimming Pool, Spa, and Hot Tub Code (2012 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code as amended by the State of New Mexico)
• 2012 New Mexico Solar Energy Code (2012 Uniform Solar Energy Code as amended by the State of New Mexico)
• 2021 International Fire Code, plus City of Santa Fe IFC amendments
• New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC) Title 14, Chapter 5: 14.5.1 General Provisions, 14.5.2 Permits, 14.5.3 Inspections
• 2017 ICC A117.1-2017 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities

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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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).

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• EV Charger / EVSE Permit (Electrical Permit)

  The City of Santa Fe has no dedicated EV charger/EVSE permit checklist or fee line — confirmed by reviewing the City's full Construction Permit Submittal Checklists page, which lists dedicated Solar (roof-mounted and ground-/awning-mounted) checklists but nothing for EV chargers. An EV charging station (Level 2 or DC fast charger) installation is processed and billed as a standard Electrical Permit, governed by the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code (as amended statewide) and, where applicable, the 2012 New Mexico Electrical Safety Code, under the same fixed-fee-by-work-type schedule documented in this file's electrical-permit entry.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• Sign Permit (Free-Standing, Wall-Mounted, Temporary, and Price Reduction Signs)

  Required for construction or placement of free-standing signs, wall-mounted signs, temporary event signs, and Historic District price-reduction signs in Santa Fe. Processed through the Building Permit Division using a dedicated Sign Permit Checklist, reviewed against minimum compliance requirements including the 2015 New Mexico Commercial Code.

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• Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System Permit

  Required for installation of new or modified automatic fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, and commercial hood fire suppression systems in Santa Fe. Plans are reviewed and stamped by the City of Santa Fe Fire Department Fire Marshal's Office (SFFD FMO) under the 2021 International Fire Code (as amended statewide, per this file's codesAdopted list), either alongside the primary building permit or as a deferred submittal.

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• Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit

  Santa Fe publishes no standalone 'change of use' or 'change of occupancy' checklist among its Construction Permit Submittal Checklists (confirmed by reviewing the full checklist page: only Residential, Commercial, Solar, and Miscellaneous categories exist). Instead, a change in occupancy type, occupant load, or use is processed under NMAC 14.5.2 as an amended building-permit submittal — typically filed using the Commercial Interior/Exterior Remodel/Addition Building Permit Checklist, which requires stating the occupancy classification of building spaces and is reviewed under the state-adopted Existing Building Code — culminating in a Certificate of Occupancy.

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• Commercial Building Permit (New Construction)

  Required for new commercial buildings (including multi-family residential) in Santa Fe, submitted via the City's dedicated New Commercial Construction Building Permit Checklist to the Building Permit Division at 200 Lincoln Avenue. Santa Fe runs its own certified local building department as a delegated Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) under NMAC 14.5.1.7.B — the state Construction Industries Division (CID) does NOT issue building permits inside city limits. Reviewed against the New Mexico Commercial Building Code (the checklist document, revised 3/6/2020, cites the 2015 NM Commercial Code; the City's Adopted Construction Codes page now lists the 2021 NM Commercial Building Code as current).

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• Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit (Commercial Interior/Exterior Remodel/Addition)

  Santa Fe's tenant-improvement vehicle is its dedicated Commercial Interior/Exterior Remodel/Addition Building Permit Checklist (revised 5/28/2021) — genuinely distinct from the New Commercial Construction checklist. It is governed by the International Existing Building Code as adopted by New Mexico (the checklist document cites the 2015 NM Existing Building Code; the City's Adopted Construction Codes page now lists the 2021 edition), carries IEBC-specific accessibility-upgrade rules with a 20% disproportionality cap, and — because much of downtown commercial Santa Fe sits inside the City's five Historic Districts — frequently requires Historic Preservation Division approval before the building permit can even be submitted.

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