Gallup to end general building permits, shift reviews to state agency

Gallup contractors will soon have to route one project through two different government tracks. Starting July 6, the city will stop accepting general building permit applications and shift those reviews to the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department’s Construction Industries Division.

The change lands hardest on homeowners, small developers and builders already used to Gallup’s broad permit rules. City materials say permits have been required for most construction work, including new commercial and residential construction, additions and alterations, demolition, roofing, excavation and grading, fencing, site development and signage. Under the new system, the city said it will keep site development permits for work other than general building construction, while CID will handle permitting and inspection for anything tied to the International Building Code, International Residential Code, International Existing Buildings Code and ADA requirements.

Gallup said the shift was driven by a staffing problem it could not solve. In a June 4 letter to contractors, the city said it had been unable to hire and retain a certified building official and building inspector after months of recruiting. That letter also said John Margis, the city’s building inspector and certified building official, will retire effective July 2. Without that staff in place, the city said it can no longer issue general building permits.

Even with the transfer, the city will not step away from every part of the process. Gallup said it will continue reviewing zoning compliance, fire, water, wastewater, electric services, solid waste, drainage, and pedestrian and vehicular safety infrastructure. The city will also keep issuing permits for fencing, retaining walls and signs. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing applications will continue to go through CID as usual.

The city is trying to get contractors ahead of the transition before the July deadline. It scheduled meetings for June 11 and June 25 at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers to explain the changes and answer questions. That meeting schedule suggests officials expect confusion over which office handles which piece of a project, especially when a single job now may require both city review and state permitting.

City planning materials show why the split is so consequential. The Planning & Development Department handles building projects and land-use and zoning work, while City Engineering handles subdivision plat review, public right-of-way matters, drainage easements and building-permit plan checks. For residents planning work in Gallup, the new reality is straightforward: general building approvals move to CID, while the city keeps a narrower role in site, zoning and infrastructure review.