The Albuquerque rule
The City's roof-mounted PV submittal checklist (Building Safety, revised 20 July 2020, linked from the Building Safety resource page; read 23 October 2026) sets the minimum submittal:
| Part | What the City asks for |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite | Historic Preservation District approval, if the house is in one (505-924-3342) |
| Application | Size of system, square footage of work and type of roof in the work description |
| Site plan | Array configuration, sub panels, the main service location, equipment clearances |
| Building | Framing plan showing attachment points, existing roof type and number of coverings, how penetrations are weatherproofed, an equipment schedule |
| Electrical | One-line diagram for systems under 10 kW, three-line above; labels; disconnects for AC and DC; conductor sizes; point of connection to the utility |
| Fire department | Street access, array and disconnect locations, ridgelines and eaves, other roof objects |
When an engineer has to sign. For residential projects the checklist requires "Documentation of a New Mexico Structural Engineer's review of existing roof structure (signed and sealed)" when any of these occurs:
- more than one existing roof covering;
- a ballasted array adding more than 5 pounds per square foot;
- a single point load of more than 45 pounds;
- more than 200 pounds added to any one truss, rafter or joist;
- a mounting design "not listed for the installation";
- over-spanned trusses, rafters or roof joists.
Separately, "PV systems that connected to a service that exceeds 200 amps shall be prepared and stamped by a State of New Mexico licensed electrical engineer." If the roof already has two coverings, a tear-off before the panels go on removes that trigger. Ground-mounted systems have their own checklist on the same resource page.
Who pulls it
Usually the installer. New Mexico's Construction Industries Division licenses contractors by classification; the wiring falls under an electrical classification, which you can check on the state's license lookup (steps in the Albuquerque contractor license lookup). The City says "If the contractor has pulled the permit, they are required to schedule the inspection" (Building Safety FAQs).
How to apply
- Submit online. The checklist says plans "are to be submitted online"; current permits live in ABQ-PLAN. Questions: 505-924-3320, option 2.
- Plan review, including the fire department items above.
- Inspections. The permit owner schedules online or on 505-924-3320; requests received before 4:15 p.m. "are generally scheduled for the next business day" (Inspections).
- Complete. The permit closes when the final inspection passes. Interconnection with the utility is a separate step.
What it costs
Albuquerque prices the building permit on valuation. From the City's posted Plan Review and Building Permit Fees (headed "Revised April 2010"), one- and two-family residential column:
| Job value | Permit | Plan review |
|---|---|---|
| $14,001 to $15,000 | $125.63 | $81.66 |
| $16,001 to $17,000 | $139.63 | $90.76 |
| $25,001 to $26,000 | $200.93 | $130.60 |
Those three rows bracket the middle half of Albuquerque solar jobs ($14,430 to $25,883). The electrical permit fee is not on this table. Because the schedule is dated 2010, confirm the figure on your ABQ-PLAN invoice.
What 1,973 Albuquerque solar permits show
| Measure | Albuquerque solar |
|---|---|
| Residential permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,973 |
| Installers | 60 |
| Installers with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 15 |
| Usual permit value (middle half of installers with 3+ permits) | $16,363 ($14,430 to $25,883) |
| Complete (permits a year or more old) | 83.4% |
| Installers with 10+ permits under 70% Complete | 4 of 14 |
| Share held by the busiest installer / five busiest | 26.7% / 70.9% |
| Installers with 5+ permits and none in the last 12 months | 21 |
| Busiest / quietest month | October (192) / April (58) |
Albuquerque solar has thinned out: 60 installers filed in three years, only 15 filed in the last twelve months of the window, and 21 with five or more permits had stopped. A quiet installer is a warranty question as much as a permit one. Filing is very seasonal, peaking in October (index 192) against 58 in April. Prices by home value are on Albuquerque solar cost; national figures in solar panel installation cost.
See every Albuquerque solar installer by permits completed →
Next steps
Compare installers on the Albuquerque solar list, look up past permits with Albuquerque building permit search, and see counts by year on Albuquerque permit statistics. Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for solar panels.
What this does not tell you
Albuquerque's permit data has a status but no completion date, so we cannot say how long permits take to close. The City's 2025 records change expired a block of open old-system permits, which lowers completion rates across the board; our completion figures compare like with like by quarter. Permit value is the applicant's figure.
How we know this
Submittal and engineer requirements are quoted from the City of Albuquerque's roof-mounted PV checklist (revised 20 July 2020), fees from its posted Plan Review and Building Permit Fees table (revised April 2010), and scheduling from its Inspections page, all read 23 October 2026. Our figures are City of Albuquerque residential solar permits, October 2023 to September 2026; completion uses permits a year or more old, and permit value is the median per installer.
Numbers come from City of Albuquerque building permits, data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit for solar panels in Albuquerque?
Yes, two. The City's roof-mounted PV checklist opens with 'Building and Electrical Permits are required.' Plans are submitted online, and a house in a historic preservation district needs that approval first.
- How much is a solar permit in Albuquerque?
The building permit is priced on the job's value. On the City's posted fee table, a one- or two-family job valued $16,001 to $17,000, where the usual Albuquerque solar permit falls, is $139.63 for the permit plus $90.76 for plan review. The electrical permit is separate.
- When does a solar install in Albuquerque need an engineer's stamp?
For houses, the City wants a New Mexico structural engineer's signed review of the roof if there is more than one existing roof covering, over-spanned framing, a point load over 45 pounds, more than 200 pounds added to any truss or rafter, or an unlisted mounting design. Systems on services over 200 amps need a New Mexico electrical engineer's stamp.
- How long does an Albuquerque solar inspection take to schedule?
The City says inspection requests received before 4:15 p.m. are generally scheduled for the next business day. The permit owner books them online or on 505-924-3320.
- How many Albuquerque solar permits get finished?
83.4% of the City's residential solar permits a year or more old were Complete in our file, and five installers held 70.9% of all solar 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
- Do I need a solar permit in Anaheim? The online small-rooftop permit, the 10 kW line and the City utility
- Do I need a solar permit in Bend, OR? The prescriptive checklist, the 2026-27 fees and how fast permits final
- Do I need a solar permit in Bernalillo County? The solar packet, the engineering exception and the PNM step
- Do I need an electrical permit in Baltimore County? The registered-contractor rule, the $1,000 penalty, and 25,685 permits
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Baltimore County? Yes for all of it: who can pull one, and 22,473 permits
For one city
- Albuquerque contractor license lookup: the CID license, its classification and the City permits
- Home improvement costs in Albuquerque, NM (2026): what 6 kinds of jobs were filed at
- The New Mexico solar tax credit for Albuquerque homes: 10% up to $6,000, the EMNRD certificate, the $30 million cap and the deadline
- Building Permit Submittal Checklist: Photovoltaic Systems, Roof Mounted (rev. 07-20-2020) — City of Albuquerque Building Safety (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building Safety Resource Page — City of Albuquerque (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Plan Review and Building Permit Fees (revised April 2010) — City of Albuquerque (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building Safety & Permits FAQs — City of Albuquerque (2026-10-23)
- Inspections — City of Albuquerque Building Safety Division (accessed 2026-10-23)
- ABQ-PLAN SelfService public site (2026-10-23)
- Verify a License — New Mexico RLD (2026-10-23)