In unincorporated Valencia County, immediately south of Bernalillo County along the Rio Grande, the county’s Planning & Zoning Department at 444 Luna Avenue in Los Lunas issues the county zoning permit, and the state Construction Industries Division then issues the building permit, carries all the inspections and issues the final occupancy certificate. The county recorded the largest percentage population increase in New Mexico in the most recent estimates — growth driven almost entirely by housing demand moving south out of the Albuquerque metropolitan area onto cheaper land.
Most of that land is unserved. A new house in the unincorporated county typically needs a well and an on-site liquid waste system, and on the valley floor the high groundwater and the acequia network complicate both. The municipalities handle their own zoning — in Los Lunas the village approves a development plan and the Construction Industries Division issues the structural and trade permits; Isleta Pueblo land at the county's northern end is outside county jurisdiction entirely.
This guide covers unincorporated Valencia County. Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms, Peralta and Rio Communities handle their own zoning; Los Lunas sends structural and trade permits to the Construction Industries Division, so confirm the route with each municipality. Isleta Pueblo land is outside county jurisdiction.
Growth onto land without services. Valencia County recorded the fastest percentage population growth in New Mexico (about 1.4 percent in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimates), much of it onto land that is largely unsewered. A new house here typically needs a well and an on-site liquid waste system, and on the valley floor high groundwater and acequia easements complicate both — making the services question the real gate on most residential projects.
What requires a building permit in Valencia County?
In Valencia County the practical questions are which authority issues the permit, whether local amendments apply, and the county's zoning and its unserved rural land.
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- Construction, alteration, relocation, enlargement, replacement, repair, change of occupancy or demolition in unincorporated territory
- Zoning and platting approval from the county ahead of the building permit
- Well and on-site liquid waste approval where the parcel is unserved, which is most of the county
- 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
- Minor repairs, such as replacing a lamp or fixing a faucet
- Swings and other playground equipment at a house
- Small accessory structures below the threshold — zoning and any local amendment still apply
Local building departments and what they change
Valencia County's layer is therefore its status, any amendments it has adopted, its zoning and platting, its fee schedule, and the rapid growth onto unserved land and the valley's groundwater and acequia conditions.
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 Valencia County?
The Construction Industries Division issues building permits and carries all inspections in unincorporated Valencia County. The county Planning & Zoning Department issues the county permit first, covering zoning, platting and floodplain. The municipalities handle their own zoning, Isleta Pueblo land is outside county jurisdiction, and the division licenses contractors statewide.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Valencia County Planning & Zoning (county permit); Construction Industries Division (building permit and inspections) |
| Office | County: 444 Luna Avenue, Los Lunas, NM 87031 · Division: 5500 San Antonio Drive NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109 |
| Phone | County (505) 866-2050, Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm · Division (505) 222-9800 |
| Scope | Unincorporated Valencia County |
| Services | Well and on-site liquid waste on most rural parcels |
| Contractor licensing | Construction Industries Division, statewide |
Permit types
Residential permits
A house in unincorporated Valencia County takes its building permit from the Construction Industries Division against the New Mexico Residential Building Code as amended, with the county permit cleared first and, on most parcels, a well and an on-site liquid waste system approved alongside. On the valley floor the groundwater depth affects what waste system is possible, and the acequia easements affect where the house can sit.
Commercial permits
Commercial and industrial work in unincorporated Valencia County — the Interstate 25 corridor and the distribution and manufacturing development at the county's northern end — clears the county's zoning and site development, then the Construction Industries Division’s plan review against the New Mexico Commercial Building Code, with water supply and waste disposal capacity often the binding constraint on a larger site.
Which authority issues the permit
In unincorporated Valencia County the Rio Grande floodplain, high groundwater and the acequia network govern the valley land, Isleta Pueblo territory at the northern end is outside county jurisdiction, and most rural parcels depend on wells and on-site liquid waste systems.
New Mexico licenses contractors at state level through the Construction Industries Division, in classifications tied to a qualifying party. New Mexico rules
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Valencia County permit costs and fees
The county charges a fee for its own permit; building permit fees follow the Construction Industries Division’s schedule, with well and liquid waste approvals charged separately and contractor licensing charged by the state.
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Building permit | The Construction Industries Division’s schedule, after the county’s own permit fee |
| Zoning and platting | County approval ahead of the permit |
| Well and liquid waste | Separate approvals, needed on most rural parcels |
| Trade permits | Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits from the Construction Industries Division, for state-licensed contractors |
| Contractor licence | Issued by the Construction Industries Division, valid statewide |
| Municipal permits | Each handles its own zoning; Los Lunas sends structural and trade permits to the division |
Groundwater decides the waste system. On the valley floor the depth to groundwater determines what on-site liquid waste system is permissible — and in places rules out the conventional one entirely, requiring an engineered alternative at materially higher cost. That is established by site evaluation before design, not discovered at the permit counter.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Permit required
- Unserved parcels — well and on-site liquid waste approvals alongside the building permit
- 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
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Get a free quote →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 Valencia County building permit
A city or county with its own certified building official issues its own permits; elsewhere the Construction Industries Division does it directly.
Zoning and platting are always handled by the city or county, not by the division.
A city or county with its own building department may adopt local rules stricter than the state codes, which are the minimum.
The division licenses contractors statewide in the classification matching the work.
The commercial code, the residential code or the existing building code, depending on the building and the work.
Footing to final with the authority that issued the permit, then the certificate of occupancy.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
The Construction Industries Division reviews unincorporated work against the state code, after the county permit. What delays a file here is a waste system designed before the groundwater was evaluated, an acequia easement discovered after siting, and a parcel assumed to be inside one of the villages.
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Get a free quote →Inspections in Valencia 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. In unincorporated Valencia County the Construction Industries Division carries all the inspections and issues the final occupancy certificate.
Valencia County permit search and official resources
- Valencia County — the county government, planning and zoning
- New Mexico Construction Industries Division — the statewide codes and contractor licensing
- 14.7.3 NMAC — New Mexico Residential Building Code — the 2021 International Residential Code as amended by the state
- 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
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
Does the county permit inside Los Lunas or Belen?
No. The county covers unincorporated territory only, and there it issues the county permit while the Construction Industries Division issues the building permit. Inside Los Lunas and Belen, zoning is the municipality’s; Los Lunas sends structural and trade permits to the division.
Do I need a well and a septic system?
On most unincorporated parcels, yes — the county is largely unsewered, and both are separate approvals alongside the building permit.
How does groundwater affect the project?
On the valley floor the depth to groundwater determines what liquid waste system is permissible, and can require an engineered alternative at higher cost.
Which code applies?
The state code adopted by the Construction Industries Division, on the 2021 International Codes as amended.
Is pueblo land inside county jurisdiction?
No. Isleta Pueblo land at the county's northern end is outside county permitting jurisdiction.
Who licenses my contractor?
The Construction Industries Division, at state level, valid throughout New Mexico.
Simplify Valencia County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Valencia County's growth is landing on parcels without services. We evaluate the water and waste position before the design, because on this ground it decides the design.
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Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with Valencia County Planning & Zoning and the Construction Industries Division, 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 Valencia County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.