Albuquerque Building Permit Timelines & Delays
In 2023 the average house plan in Albuquerque took almost four months to get through review. Residential plan review averaged 112 days, and in FY2023 about 800 plan reviews sat in the queue for more than 30 days before a first review. By September 2025 the City reported a 15-day average and no backlog, and its permit page now posts 12 days for a residential building permit and 17 for a commercial one (updated November 9, 2026). Simple jobs such as reroofs without truss repairs, rooftop solar under 50 kW and water heater swaps can be permitted the same day. The catch: no rule we found makes the City keep that pace. New Mexico’s construction rules set no deadline for plan review, so the posted times are the City’s own report, not a legal clock.
Albuquerque permitting, the figures
The key published figures for this jurisdiction — each cited to its official source.
What the data shows
Average residential plan review in Albuquerque fell from 112 days in 2023 to 15 days by September 2025, and the City reported commercial review times falling from 121 to 37 days (City of Albuquerque Planning, 2025).
In FY2023 about 800 plan reviews waited more than 30 days for a first review; the City reported that backlog “reduced to zero” in September 2025, and its permit page now posts 12 days for residential and 17 days for commercial building permits (City of Albuquerque, 2025–2026).
Since October 1, 2025, a privately contracted third-party review agency can review a project’s building code compliance, while zoning, fire, transportation and hydrology reviews stay with the City, and express permits for jobs such as residential reroofs are approved the same day (City of Albuquerque Planning, 2025).
New Mexico’s construction rules set no deadline for plan review, but a permit expires if work does not start within 180 days of issuance, and the building official may extend an active permit by up to 180 days on a written request showing delays beyond the permit holder’s control (14.5.2.14 NMAC, 2023).
Most delay accumulates before technical review
The data points to the same lever everywhere: most delay accumulates before technical review, in completeness and resubmittal cycles. Permavia's Permit Review Diagnostic checks your plans against applicable codes and common reviewer issues before you submit — so your package is more likely to clear on the first pass.
Albuquerque permitting: FAQ
How long does it take to get a building permit in Albuquerque?
The City’s Building Safety Division posts 12 days for a residential building permit and 17 days for a commercial one, plus 1 day for plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits and the same day for express permits (City of Albuquerque, Building Safety Division, updated November 9, 2026). The page does not say whether these are averages or what period they cover, and the City’s FAQ still says residential plan review “typically takes approximately two and a half weeks.” In 2023 the City’s average residential plan review was 112 days; it reported 15 days in September 2025 (City of Albuquerque Planning, 2025).
How do I apply for a building permit in Albuquerque?
Apply online through ABQ-PLAN, the City’s permitting system, where you submit applications, upload plans, read review comments and pay fees (City of Albuquerque, Online Planning Services and ABQ-PLAN FAQs). ABQ-PLAN replaced the City’s older POSSE and ePlan systems (City of Albuquerque, ABQ-PLAN FAQs). The Building Safety Division of the Planning Department issues building and trade permits and inspects new construction, additions and remodels. Plan review fees are paid when you submit and are 65% of the permit fee, plus zoning and hydrology fees; the permit fee is due after every required division approves the plans (City of Albuquerque, Building Safety FAQs).
Can I get a faster building permit review in Albuquerque?
Yes, in three ways. FasTrax is the City’s fee-based expedited review: it has an average turnaround of ten days for the first review, guarantees the date of that first review only, and costs three times the regular plan review fee, with a $1,000 minimum (City of Albuquerque, FasTrax). Since October 1, 2025, you can hire a privately contracted third-party review agency to review building code compliance, while the City still reviews zoning, fire, transportation and hydrology (City of Albuquerque Planning, October 2, 2025). Express permits are approved the same day for residential reroofs without truss repairs, roof-mounted solar under 50 kW, residential water heater replacements, and small repairs such as window and door replacements (City of Albuquerque Planning, October 15, 2025).
Which building codes apply in Albuquerque?
New Mexico adopts construction codes statewide, and local building departments enforce them. The state’s codes in force include the 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code and 2021 Residential Building Code, the 2021 energy codes (effective July 30, 2024) and the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code (New Mexico Construction Industries Division). The 2024 New Mexico Plumbing and Mechanical Codes took effect August 1, 2026; until January 1, 2027 a permit may use either the 2021 or the 2024 plumbing and mechanical codes, and after that only the 2024 codes (New Mexico Construction Industries Division). A city or county that enforces the codes may enact ordinances stricter than the state minimum codes (14.5.1.9 NMAC).
Sources
All figures on this page are drawn from Building Safety Division: permit timelines, inspections and plan review, City of Albuquerque Planning Department. The Building Safety Division page (posted permit timelines and inspection shares, updated November 9, 2026), its FAQs and FasTrax page, the ABQ-PLAN pages, and the Planning Department’s releases of September 29, 2025 (review times and backlog) and October 2 and 15, 2025 (third-party review and express permits); supplemented by New Mexico’s construction rules (14.5.1 and 14.5.2 NMAC), the Construction Industries Division’s list of codes in force, and U.S. Census Building Permits Survey figures for Bernalillo County. Read the Building Safety Division page (City of Albuquerque). Specific tables, reports, and pages are cited inline with each figure above.
Three kinds of figures appear here. Posted: the 12- and 17-day permit timelines and the inspection shares are what the City’s Building Safety Division page showed when it was updated on November 9, 2026; the page does not say whether they are averages, medians or targets, what period they cover or how many permits they include, so read them as the City’s own report. Measured as reported by the City: the 112-to-15-day residential average, the 121-to-37-day commercial review times (the release does not say whether these are averages or give their years) and the FY2023 backlog of about 800 plan reviews come from the City’s September 29, 2025 release; no independent audit of review times was found, and the City’s own dashboard measures could not be opened for this guide. Rules: New Mexico’s construction rules set no plan review deadline; the 180-day permit expiration is in 14.5.2.14 NMAC as amended effective July 14, 2023. The FasTrax figure is an average for the first review only, not a promise for the whole permit. The housing unit counts are Census Building Permits Survey figures for all of Bernalillo County, including Albuquerque; they count units authorized by permits, not homes started or review times. Figures from different cities are measured differently and are not directly comparable.
- City of Albuquerque, FasTrax expedited plan review
- City of Albuquerque Planning, New Options for Faster Construction Permits (Oct 2, 2025)
- City of Albuquerque Planning, City Achieves Significant Improvements in Permitting (Sep 29, 2025)
- New Mexico Construction Industries Division, rules, laws and building codes