Building permits in Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Of the 13 common home projects we have verified in Bernalillo County, 4 need a permit outright and 9 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 13
- in Bernalillo County
Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Building Section
- 415 Silver Ave. SW, 2nd Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87102
- Phone: (505) 314-0350
- Email: permits@bernco.gov
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Bernalillo County
Bernalillo County permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history by record number or record type online.
What needs a permit in Bernalillo County
Of the 13 common home projects we have verified in Bernalillo County, 4 need a permit outright and 9 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Before moving or adding plumbing fixtures, adding circuits, or making structural changes | Building work is valuation-based under Resolution 25-2009 Table 3-A ("$30.00 plus $4.00... |
| Deck Permit | It depends | height of a platform above grade; also not over a basement or story below and not part of an accessible route | ...under Administrative Resolution 25-2009 (effective May 1, 2009), Table 3-A: "$30.00... |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Before adding or altering wiring, circuits, outlets, panels or services | Resolution 25-2009 Table 3-B Electrical Permit Fees: administrative charge $23.50 each |
| EV Charger Permit | It depends | Before installing a hardwired charger or a new 240-volt circuit or receptacle for an... | Resolution 25-2009 Table 3-B: administrative charge $23.50 each |
| Fence Permit | It depends | height of a fence or freestanding masonry wall above grade, measured on the lowest side; open-style fences such as chain-link any height as determined by the building official | ...footage of the wall." Otherwise building permits are valuation-based: "$30.00 plus... |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | Before installing or replacing a furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, boiler... | Resolution 25-2009 Table 3-C Mechanical Permit Fees: administrative charge $23.50 each |
| Patio Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...under Administrative Resolution 25-2009 (effective May 1, 2009), Table 3-A: "$30.00... |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | Before installing, altering or relocating plumbing or gas piping, fixtures, sewer or... | Resolution 25-2009 Table 3-D Plumbing Permit Fees: administrative charge $23.50 each |
| Pool Permit | It depends | prefabricated pool accessory to a Group R-3 dwelling, installed entirely above ground, capacity not over 5,000 gallons | ...under Administrative Resolution 25-2009 (effective May 1, 2009), Table 3-A: "$30.00... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...under Administrative Resolution 25-2009 (effective May 1, 2009), Table 3-A: "$30.00... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | one-story detached accessory building used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar use | ...under Administrative Resolution 25-2009 (effective May 1, 2009), Table 3-A: "$30.00... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...building permit (BRSP), valuation-based under Resolution 25-2009 Table 3-A ("$30.00... |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Any size | Plumbing (Table 3-D) and mechanical (Table 3-C) each carry a $23.50 administrative charge |
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Schedule an inspection in Bernalillo County
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. Schedule through an Accela Citizen Access account or the inspection line, (505) 314-0351; the application number is required when scheduling. Contractors must provide an OSHA-compliant extension ladder for inspections that need one.
Schedule or request a Bernalillo County inspection
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: (505) 314-0350.
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Bernalillo County permit fees compared with nearby New Mexico localities
| New Mexico locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernalillo County | ...25-2009 (effective May 1, 2009), Table 3-A: "$30.00... | ...Mechanical Permit Fees: administrative charge $23.50... | ...Electrical Permit Fees: administrative charge $23.50... |
| Albuquerque | ...BUILDING PERMIT FEES" by total valuation ("$1.00 to... | ...to all applications and additions to permit" $47.00... | ...to all applications and additions to permits" $47.00... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that New Mexico jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Bernalillo County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Bernalillo County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 13 permit types we have verified for Bernalillo County, 4 always require a permit (for example a patio permit), 9 depend on size or scope (a bathroom remodel permit, for instance). Each Bernalillo County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Bernalillo County?
- Bernalillo County publishes a fee for 13 of the 13 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Building Section; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Bernalillo County?
- Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Building Section issues permits in Bernalillo County, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at (505) 314-0350. The Bernalillo County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Bernalillo County pages were verified. 13 permit types, 4 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Building Section or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Bernalillo County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.
Permitting activity in Bernalillo County
In 2025, Bernalillo County authorized permits for 1,560 new residential housing units (668 single-family, 892 in multi-family buildings), valued at $314M , up from 1,316 the year before. That works out to about 2.3 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual data · population 667,601.