Roswell building department

The City of Roswell Building & Inspections Division, part of Community Development, issues building, plumbing/mechanical, and re-roofing permits and inspects construction inside Roswell city limits. Electrical work is different. As of January 1, 2026, and until further notice, the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) reviews electrical plans, issues electrical permits, and performs electrical inspections in Roswell. Building, plumbing, and mechanical permits are applied for, tracked, and inspected through the city’s Cloudpermit portal. New users have to register with an email address.

Electrical work goes to the state

CID’s December 30, 2025 notice to Roswell says CID will handle all electrical permits and inspections for the city until further notice. The details:

• Each electrical permit the city had already issued must be converted to a CID conversion permit, at a minimum fee of $45.
• New electrical work pays CID’s regular permit and inspection fees.
• Contractors can apply online or at a CID office in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, or Las Cruces.
• If you file a conversion permit online, contact a CID office when you reach the payment screen so staff can change the fee to $45.
• Schedule electrical inspections through your CID account, by calling the CID inspection center at (505) 222-9813 or 1-877-243-0979, or by emailing [email protected].

The city’s building page names a CID inspector as the primary electrical inspector for the Roswell area.

What needs a permit

Roswell’s residential permits page lists the following:

Project	Permit required?
Fence	Yes
Storage shed or carport	Yes
Renovations or additions	Yes
Patio cover, gazebo, deck, pergola, or porch	Yes
Pool	Yes
Landscape sprinkler system	Yes
Curb cut, sidewalk, or drive pad	Yes
Re-roofing	Yes
Plumbing (sewer, water conditioners, drain repair, fixtures)	Yes
Exterior painting	No
Simple landscaping such as pavers or flower beds, or planting a garden	No

The city’s residential checklist adds that every new roof, re-roof, and roof coating needs a building permit. At a minimum, roofs get a decking inspection after the old roof is removed and a final inspection.

Sheds and fences

Fences and small accessory structures use a Placement Permit instead of a full building permit. The cutoff is size:

Property type	Placement permit	Full building permit
Residential	Sheds 200 sq ft or smaller	Sheds over 200 sq ft
Commercial	Sheds 120 sq ft or smaller	Sheds over 120 sq ft

See also do I need a permit for a shed.

Who can apply and what to submit

The checklist follows state rules. Only a person with a current, valid state license can apply for a permit. A residential property owner may get a homeowner’s permit within the limits of 14.5.2.18 NMAC. Roswell has a separate Homeowner’s Plumbing application. Building, electrical, mechanical/plumbing, and LP gas work each need their own permit.

A residential application needs two sets of:

• Plans, including a site plan with setbacks and a drainage plan
• Specifications and engineering calculations
• Exterior wall envelope details
• Soil or geotechnical reports

The city requires density and compaction tests before any foundation pour. Before the certificate of occupancy is issued, you also submit the IECC thermal bypass and duct-sealing checklists. Commercial projects have their own plan checklist.

Fees

Building permit fees come from the city’s valuation table. Some examples:

Project valuation	Permit fee
$0–$549	$24
$4,500–$5,499	$111
$9,500–$10,499	$171
$19,500–$20,499	$321
$49,500–$50,499	$644
$99,500–$100,499	$994
$100,500–$200,499	$1,554
$400,500–$500,499	$3,234

Codes and design criteria

Roswell’s code sheet, dated July 15, 2026, lists:

• 2021 IBC, IRC, and IEBC, adopted as the New Mexico commercial, residential, and existing building codes
• 2021 IECC, UMC, and UPC
• 2020 NEC
• 2024 International Fire Code
• 2017 ANSI A117.1 for accessibility

Local design criteria:

• Basic wind speed: 115 mph, surface roughness category B
• Frost depth: 12 inches
• Climate zone: 3B

Building, plumbing, and mechanical inspections are requested in Cloudpermit. The building page asks you to contact the building official about all building permit inspections until further notice.