Which license each job needs in Albuquerque
| Work | CID classification to look for | Albuquerque permits (firms) | Usual filed value |
|---|---|---|---|
| New home, addition, remodel | GB-2 Residential or GB-98 General building | new homes 1,370 (136); additions 227 (169); remodels 409 (180) | $181,444; $40,000; $25,000 |
| Solar | Electrical (EE-98 or ER-1) for the wiring; ask which classification covers the mounting | 1,973 (60) | $16,363 |
| Windows and doors | GS-14, or a GB license | 692 (51) | $5,075 |
| Patio covers, walls | GB-2 or the GS specialty for the work | 187 (73) | $15,241 |
| Pools | GS-25 for the shell, MM-1 for the plumbing, electrical for the pump circuit | 151 (29) | $70,000 |
| Plumbing, gas, HVAC | MM-1, MM-2, MM-3 or MM-98 | not in the City's published data | — |
The letters on a CID license describe the work: "Classification GB-2 indicates the contractor is licensed in the General Construction field (G), Building Construction type of work (B), Residential Building (2)" (14.6.6.8 NMAC, read 23 October 2026). The same rule lets a firm take a job as prime contractor only if "the major portion of the work, based on dollar amount" falls in its classification, so a pool builder with GS-25 alone cannot also run the plumbing and wiring.
A handyman without a license is limited to $7,200 a year of "casual, minor or inconsequential" work and may not do any "installation, connection or repair of electrical wiring, plumbing or gas fitting" (14.6.2.8 NMAC). The usual Albuquerque remodel permit carries $25,000, so a remodeler cannot work under that exemption.
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Ask for the CID license number and the number of each sub who will do electrical, plumbing or gas work.
- Search PSI's license search. Under Search Company, set the company type to Contractor and search by license number or business name.
- Read the classifications on the record, not just the status. GB-2 for a kitchen, ER-1 or EE-98 for a panel, MM-1 for a water heater line.
- Permits: look the address up on ABQ-PLAN (below).
- Track record: open the firm on our Albuquerque solar list, new-home builder list or remodeler list.
How to search Albuquerque permit records
The City says "ABQ-PLAN is an improved software platform that has replaced our POSSE and ePlan systems with a new user-friendly public portal" (ABQ-PLAN, read 23 October 2026). Its public SelfService site is where current permits live. The City's Building Safety resource page also posts permit reports back to 2008, but its "All Building Safety Permit Search Tool" link still points to the old POSSE server, which did not resolve when we tried it on 23 October 2026; use ABQ-PLAN instead. Building and trade permits: 505-924-3320.
The City also says that "If the contractor has pulled the permit, they are required to schedule the inspection" (Building Safety FAQs). If your contractor tells you to book inspections yourself, ask whose name is on the permit.
The portal is organised by permit. Ours is organised by firm, on the Albuquerque permit statistics page and the compare lists.
What 5,009 Albuquerque permits show
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Usual permit value | Completed | Five busiest firms' share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1,973 | 60 | $16,363 | 83.4% | 70.9% |
| New home | 1,370 | 136 | $181,444 | 59.7% | 78.4% |
| Windows & doors | 692 | 51 | $5,075 | 57.1% | 90.6% |
| Remodel | 409 | 180 | $25,000 | 28.7% | 28.1% |
| Patio & walls | 187 | 73 | $15,241 | 64.8% | 55.6% |
| Pools | 151 | 29 | $70,000 | 49.5% | 58.3% |
"Completed" is the share of permits a year or more old the City marked complete, compared within the same trade and quarter. Albuquerque's markets are concentrated: the five busiest window firms filed 90.6% of window permits, and one solar firm filed 26.7% of solar permits. Remodel is the exception, with 64.4% of remodel firms filing a single permit, and only 28.7% of remodel permits show as completed. Among the 14 solar firms with 10 or more permits, the completed share runs from 58.1% at the 10th percentile to 96.6% at the 90th.
See every Albuquerque solar installer by permits completed →
Red flags in Albuquerque
- A license whose classification does not fit the job, such as a GS-21 roofer quoting a kitchen remodel.
- A handyman quoting wiring, plumbing or a gas line. The exemption excludes all three at any price.
- You are asked to schedule inspections on a permit the contractor says it pulled.
- A business name on the PSI record that differs from the one on your quote.
- A firm that has gone quiet: 21 solar firms and 9 remodelers with 5+ permits filed none in the last 12 months of our data.
What this lookup does not tell you
We have not matched Albuquerque firms to CID licenses, so our pages show no license status; a blank there says nothing about the firm. The City publishes no electrical, plumbing, mechanical or roofing permits after 2016, so only building trades are here. Since a 2025 change in the City's records, many permits name a person instead of a company, so recent activity is understated, and the data has no completion dates, so no speeds are shown. Our data stops at September 2026. CID's bond, qualifying-party and enforcement rules are in How to check a contractor's license in New Mexico.
How we know this
Permits are City of Albuquerque residential building permits, 2023-10 to 2026-09, grouped into the trades above. Usual values are the middle filed value. "Completed" uses permits a year or more old, compared with permits of the same trade issued in the same quarter. No license status is shown. Rules are quoted from the New Mexico Administrative Code, the RLD and City of Albuquerque pages, read 23 October 2026.
Numbers come from City of Albuquerque building permits, data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Who licenses contractors in Albuquerque?
The State. New Mexico's Construction Industries Division (CID), part of the Regulation & Licensing Department, licenses contractors by classification. The City of Albuquerque issues permits and sends contractor-license questions to the RLD.
- Where do I look up an Albuquerque contractor's license?
On PSI's license search at public.psiexams.com/search.jsp, which the RLD's Verify a License page names as the place to verify a CID license. Choose Search Company, set the company type to Contractor, and search by license number or business name.
- Which license should a remodeler have in Albuquerque?
For a house, GB-2 (General construction, Building, Residential) or the broader GB-98. Electrical work needs EE-98 or ER-1, and plumbing, gas and HVAC need the MM classifications.
- How do I find permits on an Albuquerque address?
Search ABQ-PLAN, the City's public portal at cityofalbuquerquenm-energovweb.tylerhost.net, which replaced POSSE and ePlan. Building and trade permit questions go to Building Safety on 505-924-3320.
- How do I report a contractor working without a permit?
Call the Building Safety Division complaint line, 505-924-3319. The City says only the address and a short description of the work are needed, and the information is confidential.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- How to check a contractor's license in New Mexico
- Home improvement costs in Albuquerque, NM (2026): what 6 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Scottsdale building permit search: SPUR, eServices and permit history
- Austin contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- Baltimore City contractor license lookup: MHIC, City-registered trade licenses and the permit record
- Baltimore County contractor license lookup: MHIC, county electrical registration and county plumbing licenses
For one city
- Verify Professional Licenses — NM Regulation & Licensing Department (2026-10-23)
- PSI License Management search (Construction Industries Division) (2026-10-23)
- 14.6.6 NMAC Classification of licenses (2026-10-23)
- 14.6.2 NMAC General provisions (handyman exemption) (2026-10-23)
- ABQ-PLAN — City of Albuquerque (2026-10-23)
- ABQ-PLAN SelfService public site (2026-10-23)
- Building Safety Resource Page (forms, reports, permit searches) — City of Albuquerque (2026-10-23)
- Building Safety & Permits FAQs — City of Albuquerque (2026-10-23)