Santa Fe Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

The City of Santa Fe Land Use Department is the authority having jurisdiction over building permits inside Santa Fe city limits. Santa Fe County and other municipalities have separate local pathways, so a Santa Fe mailing address should be checked against the actual city boundary before an application is started.

Santa Fe building permits and Citizen Self-Service

Santa Fe requires permits for most construction work, including many roofs, window replacements, storage sheds, solar installations, mechanical equipment, re-stuccoing, driveways, walls, fences, manufactured-home placement, additions, and new construction. Eligible primary, express, solar, wall and fence, and trade permits can be submitted through the City’s Citizen Self-Service portal, known as CSS and powered by EnerGov.

For larger commercial, multifamily, residential, pool, accessory-dwelling, or other projects, review the city’s submittal checklists and confirm whether online intake or an appointment is required. Monitor the CSS dashboard for holds, invoices, review comments, and status changes.

Inspections, code compliance, and occupancy

Santa Fe accepts inspection requests through CSS for permit types supported by the portal. The city warns that inspection scheduling may have a two- to three-business-day lag, so requests should be made after the work is complete and ready. Include the permit and inspection information when contacting inspections staff about a cancellation or correction.

Required inspections must be approved before final completion. When a certificate of occupancy or other occupancy approval is required, coordinate final building, fire, planning, historic, and other applicable reviews with the Land Use Department before occupying the space.

Zoning and plan review requirements

Santa Fe’s Land Development Code controls land use and development review. Current planning reviews development applications for compliance with the code and adopted plans. Exterior work in a historic district needs Historic Preservation Division approval, and Santa Fe’s residential green-building requirements may apply to new single-family units, guesthouses, additions, and remodels.

Official contact information

The Land Use Department lists its main line as (505) 955-6571. The Building Division office is at 1600 St. Michaels Drive, Building 24, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505. Use CSS for eligible applications, permit status, plan-review comments, payments, and inspection requests; email the city’s permit counter when the city instructs you to do so.