Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Application and plans submitted via the Citizen Self-Service (CSS) portal or in person at the Building Permit Division (by appointment); Must comply with the 2021 New Mexico Residential Building Code (2021 IRC as amended by the State of New Mexico); City of Santa Fe Residential Green Building Code applies: requires a Home Energy Rating Certificate (HERC) showing a HERS Index of 60 or less, a 2018 IECC Building UA Compliance Report showing 'as designed' performance better than 2018 IECC levels, an Air Leakage Report demonstrating ASHRAE 62.2-2010 ventilation compliance, and a WERS Preliminary Rating Report showing a score of 70 or less — all attached to the plan set and emailed to the City's Green Code submittal address; Professional heating/cooling sizing calculations required (ACCA Manual S and J long-form, or equivalent such as Energy-10 for passive solar homes; Manual D required if ductwork is present) — emailed to the City but not necessarily attached to the plan set; Pre-requisite approvals required if applicable: Historic Preservation District approval (if in one of the City's five historic districts) and/or Escarpment Overlay District approval (if in the foothills overlay); At project completion and before Certificate of Occupancy, the HERS rater must submit final (not preliminary) documents plus a Source Energy and Emissions Report, and the WERS rater must submit the final WERS rating, both by email to the City. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Santa Fe Planning, Land Use and Housing Department — Building Division (Permitting) at (505) 955-6571 (Planning, Land Use and Housing Department main line); Building Permit Division direct: (505) 955-6588 before starting work.

In Santa Fe, the published Administrative Fee is: $40.00. Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee — construction valuation $1 to $500 — $25.00; Building Permit Fee — construction valuation $501 to $2,000 — $25.35 for the first $500 plus $3.05 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof, up to and including $2,000; Building Permit Fee — construction valuation $2,001 to $25,000 — $69.25 for the first $2,001 plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, up to and including $25,000; Building Permit Fee — construction valuation $25,001 to $50,000 — $391.75 for the first $25,001 plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, up to and including $50,000; Building Permit Fee — construction valuation $50,001 to $100,000 — $643.75 for the first $50,001 plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, up to and including $100,000; Building Permit Fee — construction valuation $100,001 to $275,000 — $993.75 for the first $100,001 plus $5.93 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, up to and including $275,000; Building Permit Fee — construction valuation $275,001 to $500,000 — $1,830.00 for the first $275,001 plus $7.30 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, up to and including $500,000; Building Permit Fee — construction valuation $500,001 to $1,000,000 — $3,518.37 for the first $500,000 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, up to and including $1,000,000; Building Permit Fee — construction valuation $1,000,001 and up — $5,893.37 for the first $1,000,001 plus $4.40 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Residential Plan Review Fee — 50% of the Building Permit Fee; Green Building Code — Early Consultation — $100.00 per permit; Green Building Code — Building Permit Review (Residential) — $60.00 per hour; Building Without a Permit — Double the original permit fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Plan review for a residential building permit (new construction) in Santa Fe typically runs 10–15 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with City of Santa Fe Planning, Land Use and Housing Department — Building Division (Permitting) at (505) 955-6571 (Planning, Land Use and Housing Department main line); Building Permit Division direct: (505) 955-6588.

You'll need: City of Santa Fe Building Permit Application; Home Energy Rating Certificate (HERC) and Green Code Energy Reports; WERS Preliminary Rating Report; Construction Drawings and Site Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Santa Fe requires 7 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Footing and Foundation, Concrete Slab or Under-Floor, Frame and Masonry, Weather-Resistive Barrier, Energy Efficiency, Lath and Gypsum Board, Final Inspection. Schedule each through City of Santa Fe Planning, Land Use and Housing Department — Building Division (Permitting) ((505) 955-6571 (Planning, Land Use and Housing Department main line); Building Permit Division direct: (505) 955-6588).

Apply through City of Santa Fe Planning, Land Use and Housing Department — Building Division (Permitting) at 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.. Official information: https://www.santafenm.gov/land-use/building-permits.

No. New Mexico's Construction Industries Division adopts uniform statewide construction codes under the Construction Industries Licensing Act (NMSA 1978, Chapter 60, Article 13). Santa Fe operates as a delegated Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) that enforces these state codes through its own Building Division, with only narrow local amendments (plumbing, fire code) plus its own Green Building and Earthen Building codes layered on top.