Hobbs, New Mexico Building Permit Guide

The City of Hobbs runs its own permit office. Building Safety & Permitting Services, part of the Planning and Engineering Department at 200 E. Broadway, reviews plans and issues building and trade permits inside the city limits and across the extraterritorial zone that reaches 5 miles beyond them. Fees are written into the city code: a flat step for each valuation band, for example $380 for work valued between $150,001 and $200,000. Plans are preferred as PDFs sent to hobbs.permits@hobbsnm.org.

Projects that need a Hobbs permit

The city code makes it unlawful to erect, enlarge, alter, repair, roof, move, convert or demolish a building, structure or sign, or to do mechanical, plumbing or electrical construction, without a permit. That applies in the city and in the extraterritorial zone.

Exempt work can still need its own electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit.

Who issues permits in Hobbs?

Building Inspections is a unit of the City’s Planning and Engineering Department. It issues general building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for homes and commercial buildings, reviews plans for all construction and inspects the work. Scott Shed is the Building Official, and the unit has separate building, electrical and plumbing/mechanical inspectors.

Its area is wider than the city. Hobbs’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) runs 5 miles out from the city limits, and the City is the permit office there too. For a site in the ETJ, Lea County must first approve its Address & New Construction application, and the City will not issue the permit without it.

Hobbs applications and the over-the-counter program

Applications are picked up at City Hall or downloaded, then emailed, faxed or delivered. The City posts these forms and guides:

• Building Permit Application, plus a homeowner version with instructions.
• Electrical Permit Application.
• Residential and Commercial Mechanical/Plumbing Permit Applications.
• Residential Construction Guide (the plan review checklist, revised August 2024) and Commercial Construction Guide (revised June 2024).
• Residential Re-Roof Guidelines.

Over the counter, by phone: state-licensed contractors can get residential permits for a set list of small jobs without plan review. The list covers re-roofs, window replacements, service changes and temporary poles, pool wiring, low voltage, water heaters, sewer and water mains, yard sprinklers, backflow devices, gas piping and most HVAC equipment swaps. Send the application to hobbs.permits@hobbsnm.org or fax it; the office calls for payment, and the approved permit is printed and kept on site. For replacement windows the program sheet lists a U-factor of 0.50 and a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.30.

Homeowner permits: an owner can take out the building permit with the notarised Homeowner’s Responsibilities form. It cannot be used where a general contractor is running the job, and the owner cannot do electrical, plumbing or mechanical work without passing the state exam for that trade.

Hobbs building permit fees

Chapter 15.28 of the Hobbs Municipal Code is the fee schedule. The building fee is a flat amount for each band of total valuation, and valuation counts materials, labour, electrical, mechanical and plumbing. The City’s construction guides say the fee covers plan review, the permit notice and the required inspections; the code adds a plan review fee of 20% of the permit fee for commercial new builds, remodels and additions.

So a house valued at $240,000 pays $480, and a $600,000 commercial building pays $800 plus $200, or $1,000, with a $200 plan review fee on top.

Refunds are 80% of the permit fees paid. The signed owner–contractor contract goes in with the application to support the valuation.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Hobbs

The City issues all three trade permits and inspects them with its own staff. Residential plumbing and mechanical work is charged per item with a $10 administration fee; commercial work uses a separate per-item list with a $37.50 administrative fee.

Electrical plan review is 20% of the permit fee when plans are submitted separately. The Fire Marshal works alongside the Building Official under the 2021 International Fire Code.

Plans to submit and review times

Hobbs prefers plans as a PDF emailed to hobbs.permits@hobbsnm.org. Paper is accepted: the code asks for 2 sets of plans and specifications, and the Residential Construction Guide wants paper plans in ink, legible, with no 3-D drawings. If you are mailing a final set, call first for the fee.

Sealed drawings from a New Mexico architect or structural engineer are required for prefabricated and component structures, retaining walls over 4 feet, a second story added to an existing house and any alternative construction method. A carport of 600 sq ft or less needs approved plans but no seal.

The City says most residential applications are processed without delay and commercial permits in 1 to 10 working days, depending on what was submitted. New commercial projects can go to the Design Review Team, a Thursday meeting of City division directors that works like a pre-application conference; call 575-391-8158 to be put on the agenda.

How to apply in Hobbs

Hobbs inspections

Request inspections by email to hobbs.permits@hobbsnm.org, by phone on 575-391-8158 or, once arranged with the inspector, by text. The City says 24 to 48 hours’ notice is normally needed. The inspections a project needs are marked on the permit.

For a house the Residential Construction Guide lists: slab or under-floor; footing and foundation; frame and masonry, after the rough trades are approved and the duct sealing checklist is done; roof assembly, including re-roofs and coatings; exterior wall openings and window flashing; weather-resistive barrier; energy efficiency, with the thermal bypass checklist; gypsum board; and final. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical finals come before the building final, and the inspector then issues the Certificate of Occupancy to the contractor.

A re-inspection costs $60. If the Building Official finds work without a permit, the site is red-tagged and the permit fee doubles.

Things specific to Hobbs

No zoning ordinance: Hobbs has not adopted zoning, so a current or proposed land use is treated as a use by right. Setbacks, the Major Thoroughfare Plan, subdivision regulations, flood zone and fire zone rules, landscaping regulations and the building code still apply, and the Planning Division posts a General Zoning Letter that sets this out.

Dilapidated commercial buildings: the building permit fee for renovating a commercial property that the City has declared ruined, damaged and dilapidated may be waived by the City Manager.

Construction fencing: during commercial construction or demolition the code requires a 6-foot fence or wall on the street side of the site unless the Building Official releases it in writing.

House numbers: the Engineering Department assigns addresses in the city and its 5-mile planning radius.

Re-roofing: the City’s guidelines do not allow a new roof over wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, over 2 or more existing layers, or over pumice or other granular fill.

Septic and asbestos: liquid waste permits come from the New Mexico Environment Department, whose Hobbs field office is at 2120 N Alto (575-393-4302), and the City refers suspected asbestos to the state Air Pollution Control Bureau before a remodel or demolition.

New Mexico building code

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

Official Hobbs permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Hobbs Building Safety & Permitting Services
• Hobbs Municipal Code, chapter 15.28: building permit fee schedule
• Hobbs Residential Construction Guide and plan review checklist
• Hobbs Commercial Construction Guide
• Hobbs over-the-counter call-in permit program
• Hobbs Residential Re-Roof Guidelines
• Hobbs homeowner building permit application
• Hobbs Planning Division (land use and zoning statement)
• New Mexico Environment Department liquid waste field offices
• New Mexico Construction Industries Division

Hobbs building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Hobbs?

The City of Hobbs, through Building Safety & Permitting Services at 200 E. Broadway. It covers the city and the extraterritorial zone 5 miles around it, and issues the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits as well.

How much is a building permit in Hobbs?

The code sets a flat fee per valuation band: $120 for $10,001 to $20,000, $320 for $70,001 to $100,000, $380 for $150,001 to $200,000 and $800 for $350,001 to $400,000, then $1 per $1,000 above $400,000.

How long does a Hobbs permit take?

The City says most residential applications are processed without delay and commercial permits take 1 to 10 working days.

Do I need a permit to re-roof my house?

Yes. All re-roofs and roof coatings need a building permit and inspections. Licensed contractors can get a residential re-roof permit through the over-the-counter call-in program.

Does Hobbs have zoning?

No. The City has not adopted a zoning ordinance, but setbacks, subdivision, flood, fire zone and landscaping rules still apply.

My lot is outside the city limits. Is it still a Hobbs permit?

If it is within 5 miles of the limits, yes, after Lea County approves its Address & New Construction application.

How do I request an inspection?

Email hobbs.permits@hobbsnm.org or call 575-391-8158, normally 24 to 48 hours ahead.

Simplify Hobbs permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in New Mexico. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Hobbs permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.