That depends on the scope and on the City's current rules, and the answer belongs to the City of Albuquerque's Planning and Building Safety Division. This guide sets out the questions to ask, the order to ask them in and what this site does not state.
Key takeaways
- The City of Albuquerque's Planning and Building Safety Division is the permit office named in the fact sheet.
- This site does not say whether a re-roof needs a permit, a review or a fee, because the sources did not settle it.
- Ask the roofer who files the permit, who pays for it and whether an inspection follows the work.
- Get the answer in writing and keep it with the contract and the scope.
- Work started before the permit question is settled can cause problems with an insurer or a buyer later.
Which office answers the question?
The City of Albuquerque's Planning and Building Safety Division for addresses inside the City. Addresses outside the City are answered by the county or by the owning government.
The fact sheet names the City of Albuquerque's Planning and Building Safety Division as the local permit office. For an address inside the City, that is the office to ask. For an address in another jurisdiction, such as a county area or a pueblo, the answer comes from that government, and the roofer should confirm it.
Do not rely on a general answer. A roofer who says the permit is not needed may be right for one job and wrong for another, because the scope decides the answer.
- Inside the City: the Planning and Building Safety Division
- Outside the City: the county or the owning government
- Confirm the office for the exact address
What should you ask the roofer?
Who files the permit, who pays, what the scope is for the permit, and what inspection follows the work. Ask for the answers in writing.
Start with who files. A roofer who files the permit is responsible for the application, and the scope should say so. Ask who pays for the permit and whether the fee is part of the quote or a separate line. Ask what the permit covers, because the City's requirements depend on the scope, and a permit for one part of the work may not cover another.
Ask about the inspection. Find out whether the City inspects the work, when the inspection happens and who is present. A job that is inspected is a job with a documented end, which is worth having for a sale or an insurance claim.
- Who files the permit
- Who pays and how it is shown on the quote
- What the inspection involves and when
What should you check yourself?
The permit status with the City, the inspection dates and the sign-off. Keep the permit number with the contract.
Check the permit with the City, using the reference the roofer gives you, and note the date. Keep the permit number, the inspection schedule and the sign-off with the contract. These records are the proof that the work was done under the City's process.
If the roofer cannot give a permit number, or says the City does not require one without giving the reason, ask the City directly before any work begins.
- The permit number, in writing
- The inspection schedule and dates
- The City's sign-off, kept with the contract
What can a re-roof add beyond the permit itself?
Structural checks, a load confirmation, deck repairs and the drainage changes that the scope requires. Each can be a separate line in the quote.
A permit is one line of a re-roof. Behind it can sit a load check against the City's value, a deck repair where boards are found soft, and drainage changes on a flat roof where a drain is moved. The permit does not price any of these, and the quote should show them as separate lines, so the homeowner knows what the permit covers and what it does not.
Ask the roofer to state, in the quote, which of these steps the scope includes and which depend on what is found when the covering comes off. A quote that says the permit is included but leaves the structural or drainage steps open has left the largest unknowns unpriced.
- Load confirmation against the City's value
- Deck repair found once the covering is off
- Drainage changes shown as their own lines
How should you work with the inspector?
Be present where you can, keep the inspection schedule, and ask the roofer to be on site for each visit. Record the outcome of each inspection in writing.
An inspection is part of the permit process, and it is easier when the roofer knows the schedule and is on site for each visit. Ask the roofer to confirm the inspection dates in advance and to be present, because the inspector may have questions about the work as it is laid. A homeowner who is present can ask the question directly, which is useful if the work is questioned.
Record the outcome of each inspection in writing, whether it passed, failed or required a correction. A correction that is made and inspected again is part of the permit's history, and the record should show it.
- Confirm the inspection dates in advance
- Ask the roofer to be present for each visit
- Record each outcome, including any correction
What happens if work starts without a permit?
The homeowner carries the risk of an unpermitted job: it can be harder to insure, to sell and to fix. Stop the work and get the answer first.
If work starts before the permit question is answered, stop it and ask the roofer and the City what applies. Work that should have had a permit but did not can cause problems later, with an insurer, a buyer or a future inspection. The record of what was done is easier to defend when it is clear and complete.
A roofer who carries on while the question is open has moved the risk to the homeowner. Raise it before more work is done, and keep the answer in writing.
- Stop the work until the question is answered
- Get the City's answer in writing
- Keep the answer with the contract
Where do complaints go?
A licensing concern goes to the Construction Industries Division, and a claim concern goes to the insurer and then to the Office of Superintendent of Insurance.
A concern about the roofer's licence goes to the Construction Industries Division. A concern about an insurance claim goes to the insurer first, and then to the New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance, which takes complaints on claim processing.
A permit concern is a question for the City's Planning and Building Safety Division. Keep the record of what was asked and what was said, because the office will want the facts.
- Licensing to the Construction Industries Division
- Claims to the insurer, then the Office of Superintendent of Insurance
- Permit questions to the City's Building Safety office
What does a City permit application usually ask for?
The address, the scope of the work, the materials and the roofer's details. The exact form and the fee are the City's to state, and this guide does not reproduce them.
A permit application for a roof generally asks for the address, the owner's name, a description of the work, the materials to be used and the contractor's details, including the licence. The City may ask for a drawing or a site plan for larger work. The exact form, the required attachments and the fee are set by the City, and they change, so the roofer should use the current form from the Planning and Building Safety Division.
A roofer who files the permit is responsible for the accuracy of the application. Ask to see the completed application before it is filed, and check that the scope on it matches the scope in your quote. A mismatch between the two is a common reason a permit is delayed.
- The address and the owner's details
- A description of the work and its materials
- The contractor's licence details
What happens after the permit is issued?
The work proceeds under the permit, the City may inspect at set stages, and a final inspection closes the permit. Keep the record of each step.
Once the permit is issued the work can proceed under it. The City may require inspections at set stages, such as after the deck is exposed or before the covering is closed in, and the roofer should know the stages before work starts. A final inspection closes the permit when the work is complete and passes.
Keep the permit number, the inspection dates and the final sign-off with the contract. These records are what a buyer, a lender or an insurer will ask for later, and they are the simplest proof that the work was done under the City's process.
- Know the inspection stages before work starts
- Keep the permit number and each inspection date
- File the final sign-off with the contract
What should you do if the permit is refused or delayed?
Ask the Planning and Building Safety Division for the reason in writing, correct what can be corrected and file again. Do not start the work until the permit is in hand.
A permit can be delayed or refused for reasons that are often simple: an application with a missing detail, a scope that does not match the drawing or a fee that has not been paid. Ask the City for the reason in writing, correct what can be corrected and file again. A roofer who starts the work before the permit is issued has taken a risk that the homeowner will carry afterwards.
Keep the correspondence with the City, the corrected application and the dates. If a delay affects the start date of the replacement, tell the roofer in writing so the schedule can be adjusted without a dispute.
- Ask for the reason in writing
- Correct and file again
- Do not start work before the permit is in hand
Frequently asked questions
Does a roof replacement always need a permit?
This site does not state that. The answer depends on the scope and the City's rules, and the Planning and Building Safety Division is the office to ask.
Who pays the permit fee?
It depends on the quote. Ask the roofer to show the fee as a line and say who pays it.
Can the roofer file the permit for me?
Often, yes. Ask the roofer to confirm who files and to give you the permit reference in writing.
Is a permit the same as a licence?
No. A licence says who may do the trade. A permit says whether the job may proceed under the City's rules.
Sources
- City of Albuquerque, Planning and Building Safety Division
- New Mexico Construction Industries Division
This guide is general information for Bernalillo County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.