Who can pull it
The City's New Residential Construction handout (Building Safety, rev. 29 May 2019, read 23 October 2026) is blunt: "A building permit can only be issued to a homeowner or contractor with at least a GB-2 license classification." GB-2 is the state's residential building classification (Albuquerque contractor license lookup).
The homeowner route runs through the City's homeowner affidavit (rev. 30 September 2025), which you sign before a notary. Among its statements:
| The homeowner affidavit says | What it means for a new house |
|---|---|
| "I plan to build a new home that will be owned and occupied by me." | The house must be yours to live in, not to sell |
| "No more than one homeowner's permit shall be issued to the same property owner within a 12-month period." | One project a year |
| "I must apply for my Homeowner's Residential Permit by myself and cannot delegate this task to anyone else." | No expediter |
| "I will call for inspections at the appropriate times" | You book every inspection |
| If you no longer plan to own and occupy the home, you "must cancel the permit and hire a licensed building or demolition contractor to finish the work." | A build-to-sell has to switch to a GB-2 contractor |
| "a New Mexico licensed contractor must obtain their own permit." | Licensed subs pull their own trade permits |
The City's homeowner flow chart shows the steps: apply online or by email, upload plans, review by a Planning Assistant, corrections online, pay, and "Permit issued must be kept on site, at all times."
The plan set
From the New Residential Construction handout:
| Sheet | Key requirements |
|---|---|
| Site plan | Setbacks from property lines and other buildings, driveway width and curb cut |
| Foundation | Footings, stem walls, rebar, perimeter insulation R-value |
| Floor plan | Heated area, garage, porches; window U-values; plumbing fixtures |
| Framing | Headers, joists, rafters; wall-brace layout; truss details stamped by a New Mexico engineer |
| Mechanical | Duct layout; ACCA Manual J load and Manual D duct calculations; equipment efficiency |
| Electrical | Receptacles, lights, smoke and CO detectors; over 200 amps needs a New Mexico registered electrical engineer's drawing |
| Elevations | Four, with heights, roof slope and grade |
| Wall sections, ventilation, stairs, air barrier | Load path, net free vent area, rise and run, energy-code air-barrier details |
"All metal / aluminum frame construction plans must be certified by a Registered New Mexico Professional Engineer." Plan status is checked online or on 505-924-3320; current permits are in ABQ-PLAN.
Inspections and the certificate of occupancy
The City's Inspections page says "All work must be inspected during different stages of the construction process", that the permit owner schedules online or on 505-924-3320, and that requests received before 4:15 p.m. "are generally scheduled for the next business day". Residential inspections include "Certificate of Occupancy Issuance - (for new home construction only)". Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work carry their own inspections; the page notes that ductwork and water heaters can "only be completed by a licensed contractor".
What it costs
From the City's posted Plan Review and Building Permit Fees ("Revised April 2010"), one- and two-family residential column:
| Valuation | Permit | Plan review |
|---|---|---|
| $156,001 to $157,000 | $656.48 | $426.71 |
| $181,001 to $182,000 | $726.48 | $472.21 |
| $305,001 to $306,000 | $1,073.68 | $697.89 |
| Every page also lists | Zoning: $25 under 4,000 sq ft, $45 over; Hydrology: $50 |
Those rows bracket the middle half of Albuquerque builders' usual home value ($156,784 to $300,000). A home at the usual $181,444 pays about $1,275 in building fees with zoning and hydrology. Trade permits, utility and impact fees are separate, and because the table dates from 2010, the ABQ-PLAN invoice is the final word.
What 1,370 Albuquerque new-home permits show
| Measure | Albuquerque new homes |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,370 |
| Builders | 136 |
| Builders with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 53 |
| Usual permit value (middle half of builders with 3+ permits) | $181,444 ($156,784 to $300,000) |
| Complete (permits a year or more old) | 59.7% |
| Builders with 10+ permits under 70% Complete | 8 of 9 |
| Share held by the busiest builder / five busiest | 24.5% / 78.4% |
| Builders on a single permit | 66.9% |
| Busiest / quietest month | December (127) / September (64) |
Albuquerque home building is a few tract builders and many one-house builders: five firms hold 78.4% of permits, while 66.9% of builders appear once. Completion is low across the board (8 of 9 big builders under 70%), partly because the City's 2025 records change expired open permits from its old system; a custom builder's own record matters more than the city figure. The filed value is the applicant's construction figure, not the sale price. National costs are in new home construction cost.
See every Albuquerque home builder by permits completed →
Next steps
Compare builders on the Albuquerque new-home builder list, check the GB-2 license with Albuquerque contractor license lookup, and look up permits on a lot with Albuquerque building permit search. Counts by year: Albuquerque permit statistics. Other cities' rules: do I need a permit to build a house.
What this does not tell you
Albuquerque's permit data has no completion date, so we cannot time a build. Our counts are City of Albuquerque permits only; homes built outside the city limits are not in them.
How we know this
Who may pull the permit, the plan set and engineer rules are quoted from the City of Albuquerque's New Residential Construction handout (rev. 29 May 2019) and homeowner affidavit (rev. 30 September 2025); the process from its homeowner flow chart; inspections from its Inspections page; fees from its posted Plan Review and Building Permit Fees table (revised April 2010), all read 23 October 2026. The fee estimate adds the permit, plan review, zoning and hydrology lines for the $181,001 to $182,000 row. Our figures are City of Albuquerque new single-family home permits, October 2023 to September 2026; completion uses permits a year or more old, and value is the median per builder.
Numbers come from City of Albuquerque building permits, data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Can I build my own house in Albuquerque?
Yes, on a homeowner's permit, if you will own and occupy the house. The City's affidavit says you must apply yourself, may get no more than one homeowner's permit in 12 months, and must cancel the permit and hire a licensed contractor if you stop planning to live there. Trade work needs its own permits.
- Who can pull a new home permit in Albuquerque?
The City's new residential construction handout says 'A building permit can only be issued to a homeowner or contractor with at least a GB-2 license classification.' GB-2 is New Mexico's residential building classification.
- How much is a building permit for a new house in Albuquerque?
It is priced on valuation. On the City's posted fee table, a one- or two-family home valued $181,001 to $182,000, about the usual Albuquerque new-home value, is $726.48 for the permit and $472.21 for plan review, plus $25 or $45 for zoning and $50 for hydrology.
- What plans do I need for a new house in Albuquerque?
Site, foundation, floor, framing, mechanical (with Manual J and D calculations), electrical and four elevations, plus wall sections, ventilation, stairs and energy details. Truss and metal-frame plans need a New Mexico engineer's stamp, and services over 200 amps an electrical engineer's drawing.
- How many Albuquerque new-home permits get finished?
59.7% of the City's new-home permits a year or more old were Complete in our file, and five builders held 78.4% of all new-home permits.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house? Yes. What 12 departments ask for, and how long it takes
- Arlington's 2,500-square-foot rule: when an addition or new house needs a Land Disturbing Activity and stormwater permit
- Austin new home permit: plan review, fees, inspections and how long a build stays open
- Do I need an electrical permit in Baltimore County? The registered-contractor rule, the $1,000 penalty, and 25,685 permits
For one city
- New Residential Construction: Plans & Permit Information (rev. 5-29-19) — City of Albuquerque Building Safety (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Homeowners' Responsibilities for Obtaining a Residential Permit (affidavit, rev. 9.30.2025) — City of Albuquerque (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Homeowner's Building Permit Flow Chart — City of Albuquerque (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Plan Review and Building Permit Fees (revised April 2010) — City of Albuquerque (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Inspections — City of Albuquerque Building Safety Division (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building Safety Resource Page — City of Albuquerque (accessed 2026-10-23)
- ABQ-PLAN SelfService public site (2026-10-23)