Valencia County, NM Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Ch. 150, Building Codes
- Codes adopted
- 2009 NM Commercial, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical Codes
- Effective date
- July 1, 2011
- Permit issued by
- Valencia County Building Inspector
- Fee authority
- Board resolution under NMSA § 60-13-45
- Penalty
- General penalty: up to $300 or 90 days
Summary
Unincorporated Valencia County requires construction to follow the 2009 New Mexico Commercial, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Codes adopted in Chapter 150, effective July 1, 2011. The Valencia County Building Inspector issues the building permit, the certificate of compliance, and the Board of County Commissioners sets permit fees by resolution under NMSA § 60-13-45.
The following code editions are hereby adopted as the Building Codes of Valencia County, with the following effective dates: ... Beginning with the effective dates listed in § 150.02, or the effective date of this chapter, whichever occurs last, and until June 30, 2011, all construction documents submitted for plan review and building permitting shall have the option of using either the 2006 model year codes or the 2006/2009 model year codes adopted above, and must declare compliance with either the 2006 or 2009 codes. ... All construction documents submitted for plan review and building permitting on and after July 1, 2011 shall conform with all provisions of the 2009 codes listed above. ... BUILDING PERMIT. ... The certificate of compliance issued by the Valencia County Building Inspector.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 150 is the county's Building Code chapter. 02 adopts, by reference, the 2009 New Mexico Commercial Building Code (amending the 2009 International Building Code), the 2009 New Mexico Residential Building Code, the 2009 New Mexico Plumbing, Mechanical and Energy Conservation Codes, the 2008 New Mexico Electrical Code, the 2007 New Mexico Electrical Safety Code, the 2009 New Mexico Existing Building Code, and the 2009 New Mexico Earthen Materials and Non-Load Bearing Baled Straw Construction Codes, all effective July 1, 2011. 03, construction documents submitted for plan review and building permitting on or after that date must conform to the 2009 codes; the county gave a transition window before June 30, 2011 during which either the 2006 or 2009 model codes could be used, but not a mix of both, and plans drawn to the 2006 codes stopped being accepted after that date.
006: a BUILDING PERMIT is the certificate of compliance issued by the Valencia County Building Inspector, the official the county designates to enforce the applicable federal, state and county building codes. 04 has the Board of County Commissioners adopt a fee schedule by separate resolution under NMSA § 60-13-45, which the Board can amend from time to time. 99, which caps punishment at a $300 fine, 90 days imprisonment, or both, for each violation of a county ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 150 has no penalty clause of its own, so building without the required permit or with plans that fail to conform to the adopted 2009 codes falls under the county's general penalty, § 10.99: a fine of up to $300, up to 90 days imprisonment, or both, for each violation, enforced through prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What building codes does Valencia County use for permits?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Valencia County
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