The Chaves County Planning & Zoning Department, with its certified building official, at 1 St. Mary's Place, Suite 170, in Roswell (575-624-6606), permits and inspects construction in the unincorporated county — over 6,000 square miles of the Pecos Valley, the Llano Estacado escarpment and the plains east of it. It takes building and mechanical/plumbing permit applications online; the county has temporarily suspended electrical permits, so electrical permits and inspections come from the state Construction Industries Division (Las Cruces office, 575-524-6320). The state codes the division adopts apply throughout.
The county's binding constraint is water. It sits above the Roswell artesian basin, one of New Mexico's declared groundwater basins, where the Office of the State Engineer administers appropriation and a well cannot simply be drilled because the water is there. On an unserved rural parcel the availability of a legal water right, and the terms on which one may be obtained, determines whether a dwelling is possible at all — a question that precedes the building code entirely.
This guide covers unincorporated Chaves County. Roswell issues its own building and plumbing/mechanical permits (with electrical permits issued by the state since January 1, 2026), the county’s zoning ordinance does not apply inside Dexter, Hagerman or Lake Arthur or in the Roswell-Chaves County extraterritorial zone, and the county's eastern plains run to the Texas line with entirely separate requirements beyond it.
A declared basin means water is permitted, not found. The Roswell artesian basin is a declared groundwater basin administered by the Office of the State Engineer. A well requires a permit and an appropriation, not merely a drill rig — and on an unserved rural parcel the availability of a legal water right decides whether a house is possible. That question is answered before the parcel is bought, not after.
What requires a building permit in Chaves County?
Chaves County’s Building Code Ordinance No. 60, last revised on April 16, 2026 (Revision No. 6), requires building, plumbing/mechanical and electrical permits for all new development in the county. Two county permits sit beside the building code: a manufactured home placement permit, needed before the home is located on the property, and a metal container permit for each metal container placed.
Typically permit required
- Construction, alteration, relocation, enlargement, replacement, repair, change of occupancy or demolition in unincorporated territory
- County land use, zoning and subdivision approval ahead of the building permit
- A permitted well and appropriation from the State Engineer, plus on-site liquid waste approval, on unserved parcels
- New buildings, additions and structural work, under the commercial or residential code as applicable
- Alteration, relocation, enlargement, replacement and repair of a building or structure
- Any change of use or occupancy, which brings the existing building code into the analysis
Often exempt
- Minor repairs, and the small items the state permit rule (14.5.2 NMAC) lists as exempt
- Swings and other playground equipment at a house
- Small accessory structures below the threshold — zoning and any local amendment still apply
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Local building departments and what they change
Ordinance No. 60 adopts the New Mexico residential, commercial, existing building, earthen building materials, energy conservation, solar energy, electrical, fire, mechanical, plumbing and swimming pool codes in their current editions, and adds NFPA 1 for solar photovoltaic use together with NFPA 855, NFPA 69, UL 9540 and UL 9540A. Who issues the permit depends on where the parcel is:
- Unincorporated county: the county Planning & Zoning Department issues building, plumbing/gas piping and mechanical permits. Electrical permits and inspections are with the state Construction Industries Division (CID) while the county’s electrical program is suspended.
- Roswell-Chaves County extraterritorial zone (ETZ): unincorporated land around Roswell with its own zoning ordinance (ETZ Ordinance No. 80-1), posted on the county Planning & Zoning page. Its commission holds public hearings on the third Tuesday of the month at 10:00 am at 1 St. Mary’s Place, and submittals must reach the Planning Director 30 days before the meeting.
- Roswell (population 46,878): the city’s Building Inspections office, part of Community Development (575-637-6280), takes building and plumbing/mechanical applications through CloudPermit. Since January 1, 2026 the state has issued Roswell’s electrical permits.
- Hagerman (population 957): a two-step town. The Town Code requires review by the town’s Zoning Administrator, with an administrative review fee paid to the town, before a building is erected or a mobile home installed, and the building permit itself is issued by CID. Town Hall is at 209 E Argyle St. (575-752-3204).
- Dexter (population 1,049) and Lake Arthur (population 377): the county zoning ordinance stops at their municipal limits, and neither town publishes a permit page or code. The published sources do not say whether the county’s inspectors or CID permit inside them, so ask the county building official (575-624-6561) or CID’s Las Cruces office (575-524-6320) for a given address.
New Mexico adopts its building codes statewide; a city or county with its own certified building official issues its own permits, and elsewhere the state Construction Industries Division does. New Mexico rules
Who handles permitting in Chaves County?
The county Planning & Zoning Department permits and inspects in unincorporated Chaves County, administering the state code alongside county land use and zoning; electrical permits are with the Construction Industries Division while the county’s electrical permitting is suspended. The Office of the State Engineer administers groundwater in the declared basin, the division licenses contractors statewide, and county zoning stops at the limits of the incorporated municipalities.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Chaves County Planning & Zoning Department |
| Office | 1 St. Mary's Place, Suite 170, Roswell, NM 88203 |
| Phone | (575) 624-6606 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (closed 12:00 to 1:00 pm) |
| Certified Building Official | Mike Christensen, 575-624-6561 |
| Mechanical inspector | 575-246-3512 |
| Planning and Zoning Director | Louis Jaramillo, 575-624-6562 (also the number homeowners call to schedule inspections) |
| Electrical permits | State Construction Industries Division, Las Cruces office, 575-524-6320 |
| Online applications | Chaves County permit portal (iWorQ) |
| Liquid waste (septic) | New Mexico Environment Department, Roswell field office, 1914 W 2nd, 575-624-6046 |
| Groundwater | Roswell artesian basin, administered by the State Engineer |
| Contractor licensing | Construction Industries Division, statewide |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →In 2025, building permits issued in unincorporated Chaves County authorized 21 new privately owned housing units, all of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Permit types
Residential permits
A house in unincorporated Chaves County starts with the water right: a permitted well with an appropriation from the State Engineer, or a connection to an approved system. Then county land use, then the building permit against the New Mexico Residential Building Code as amended, with an on-site liquid waste system approved alongside on unserved land.
County steps come with their own rules. A new address is requested through the online portal with a site plan, and the Planning and Zoning office does not assign addresses to accessory structures. A manufactured home needs a county placement permit before it is located on the property, and address verification from Planning and Zoning comes before the environmental signature on that application. Access onto a county road is permitted by the Chaves County Road Department (575-624-6610), and access onto a state road by NMDOT (575-840-9301).
Commercial permits
Commercial and agricultural work in unincorporated Chaves County — the irrigated farming of the Pecos Valley, the dairy industry and the highway corridors — clears county land use, then plan review against the New Mexico Commercial Building Code. Water-intensive operations face the appropriation question at a scale that can determine the whole project.
Which authority issues the permit
In unincorporated Chaves County the Roswell artesian basin governs groundwater appropriation under the State Engineer, the Pecos River corridor brings floodplain review into the file, and the eastern plains carry their own access and service constraints across a very large area.
New Mexico licenses contractors at state level through the Construction Industries Division, in classifications tied to a qualifying party. New Mexico rules
Chaves County permit costs and fees
Ordinance No. 60 charges every county permit under its Building Permit, Mechanical/Plumbing and Electrical fee schedules, which are attached to the ordinance as Exhibits A, B and C and can be amended by resolution of the Board of Commissioners. The ordinance itself fixes the figures below. The county emails a payment link with its reply to the application, and its portal asks plumbing and mechanical applicants not to pay until the inspector has finished processing, because refunds are not granted.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Building, mechanical/plumbing and electrical permits | Per the fee schedules attached to the ordinance as Exhibits A, B and C |
| New accessory structure with no electrical, mechanical or plumbing systems, on land registered with the County Assessor as agricultural | $110 building permit fee |
| Placement of a metal container | $80 per container |
| Work started without a permit | Double the permit fee |
| Inspections | One general inspection for each stage of development is included; each additional inspection is $50 |
| Permit renewal | Allowed once, at half the original permit fee |
| Electrical permits while the county program is suspended | Charged by the state Construction Industries Division |
| Water right and well permit | Through the Office of the State Engineer in the declared basin |
| On-site liquid waste permit | New Mexico Environment Department, Roswell field office |
| Roswell permits | Charged by the city under its own schedule |
The water right is the first asset. In a declared basin, the water right is often worth more than the land it serves and is bought and sold separately from it. A rural Chaves County parcel advertised as buildable may carry no right at all — and acquiring one, where it is possible, is a transaction in its own right with its own market and its own timescale.
Trade permits and who may pull them
The county portal has separate Plumbing/Gas Piping and Mechanical permit applications, reviewed by the county’s mechanical/plumbing inspector. Its page states that Chaves County has temporarily suspended electrical permit applications and inspections, so electrical work in the unincorporated county is permitted and inspected by CID. The portal still lists an Electrical Permit application beside the Building Permit one, but the department page is the County’s statement that it is not taking them.
Rather not deal with the Chaves County building department?
Get a free quote →Permit required
- Unserved parcels — a permitted well and appropriation from the State Engineer before design
- Electrical — state-licensed electrical contractor; separate permit and inspection
- Mechanical — state-licensed mechanical contractor; separate permit, covering heating, cooling and refrigeration
- Plumbing — state-licensed plumbing contractor; separate permit under the New Mexico Plumbing Code. Natural gas piping needs a gas-fitting licence and follows the New Mexico Mechanical Code
- Liquefied petroleum gas work, which the division regulates separately
Typically exempt
- Building, plumbing or electrical work a homeowner does on their own primary residence under a homeowner permit; heating, cooling and gas work need a licensed contractor
Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work is permitted separately and done by contractors holding the matching state licence. New Mexico rules
How to apply for a Chaves County building permit
Unincorporated county land follows County Zoning Ordinance No. 7. Land around Roswell may be in the extraterritorial zone with its own ordinance, and Roswell, Dexter, Hagerman and Lake Arthur are outside county zoning.
Request a new address in the county portal with a site plan, and arrange road access with the County Road Department or NMDOT.
A well needs a State Engineer permit in the Roswell artesian basin, and a septic system needs a liquid waste permit from the Environment Department’s Roswell field office.
Choose Building Permit, Plumbing/Gas Piping, Mechanical, Manufactured Home Placement or Metal Container, fill in the required fields and upload the documents. Submitting an application is not issuance of a permit.
Staff notify the applicant when plan review is complete or changes are needed. Permits are issued after plan approval and payment of all fees.
Contractors request inspections in the portal with their contractor code number; homeowners call 575-624-6562.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
Chaves County reviews unincorporated work against the state code alongside its land use requirements. What delays a project here is a parcel bought without the water right established, a liquid waste system designed before the site evaluation, and the sheer distance an inspector covers across a county this size.
Permit life is set by Ordinance No. 60: a permit with no progress or inspection for more than 180 calendar days is suspended until it is renewed, and one with none for more than 360 calendar days is terminated and needs a new permit. The portal adds that a permit expires if work does not begin within 180 days of issuance or is not completed within one year, with six-month extensions on a written request showing just cause.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Chaves County
Inspections follow the adopted codes' sequence — footing, foundation, framing, rough trades, insulation and final — and are requested from whichever authority issued the permit, with the trades inspected on their own permits. Work that passes final receives a certificate of occupancy for new buildings and changes of occupancy. Chaves County inspects the work it permits; the county's size means inspection scheduling repays being planned rather than assumed.
Inspection status shows against the permit in the county portal. A contractor who does not know the contractor code number gets it from the Planning & Zoning Department.
Chaves County permit search and official resources
- Chaves County — the county government and building inspections
- New Mexico Office of the State Engineer — groundwater appropriation and well permitting in declared basins
- New Mexico Construction Industries Division — the statewide codes, contractor licensing and the division's own permitting
- 14.7.2 NMAC — New Mexico Commercial Building Code — the 2021 International Building Code as amended by the state
- 14.7.3 NMAC — New Mexico Residential Building Code — the 2021 International Residential Code as amended by the state
- Chaves County Planning & Zoning Department — staff, hours, ordinances and the online application links
- Chaves County permit portal — building, plumbing/gas piping, mechanical, manufactured home placement and addressing applications
- Chaves County Building Code Ordinance No. 60, Revision No. 6 (PDF) — adopted April 16, 2026
- Chaves County Zoning Ordinance No. 7 (PDF) — where county zoning applies
- Chaves County Planning & Zoning information — addressing, manufactured home and driveway permit contacts
- New Mexico Environment Department liquid waste contacts — the Roswell field office
- Town of Hagerman — Town Hall contact and the Town Code
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
Can I drill a well on my land?
Not without a permit and an appropriation. The Roswell artesian basin is a declared groundwater basin administered by the Office of the State Engineer.
Does the county permit inside Roswell?
No. Roswell permits its own construction (electrical permits there come from the state), and the county covers unincorporated territory only.
Which code applies?
The state code adopted by the Construction Industries Division, on the 2021 International Codes as amended.
What should I check before buying rural land?
Whether a legal water right exists or can be acquired — a parcel advertised as buildable may carry no right at all, and the right trades separately from the land.
Do I need a liquid waste approval?
On unserved parcels, yes — an on-site system is approved alongside the building permit.
Who licenses my contractor?
The Construction Industries Division, at state level, valid throughout New Mexico.
Does Chaves County issue electrical permits?
Not at present. The county has temporarily suspended electrical permit applications and inspections, and its Planning & Zoning page sends electrical work to the state Construction Industries Division’s Las Cruces office on 575-524-6320.
How do I schedule an inspection in Chaves County?
Contractors request inspections through the county permit portal using their contractor code number. Homeowners call 575-624-6562. One inspection for each stage is included in the permit, and each additional inspection costs $50.
How long is a Chaves County permit good for?
Under Building Code Ordinance No. 60 a permit is suspended after more than 180 calendar days without progress or an inspection, can be renewed once at half the original fee, and is terminated after more than 360 days without progress.
Who issues building permits in Dexter, Hagerman and Lake Arthur?
In Hagerman the town’s Zoning Administrator reviews the project first and the state Construction Industries Division issues the building permit. Dexter and Lake Arthur publish nothing on permits, so ask the county building official on 575-624-6561 or the state division which of them covers the address.
Simplify Chaves County permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Chaves County the water right decides whether there is a project at all. We establish it before the land is committed to, then design to the code around it.
Ready to break ground in Chaves County sooner?
Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the Chaves County Planning & Zoning Department, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.
More New Mexico permitting guides
More New Mexico permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Chaves County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.