City Adds More Project Types to Express Permitting Program
Same-Day Approvals Increase Project Efficiency.
Today, the City’s Planning Department expanded its Express Permitting Program for more residential projects, allowing homeowners and builders to get their permits instantly and start their upgrades without missing a beat.
“The new Express Permitting System is another clear example of how we are making it easier to get construction projects off the ground,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “We’re leveraging modern technology to continually improve our processes to get permits issued immediately.”
Express Permits Currently Available:
- Residential re-roof without truss repairs
- Roof-mounted solar installation under 50 kW
- Residential water heater replacements
- Small repair/minor alterations, like window or door replacements
“These real-world changes are helping make us the most effective permitting agency in the region. Everyone knows that system conversions done right require a lot of work and time, and now we can see that great results for our customers are coming in strong,” said Planning Department Director Alan Varela. “This is just the beginning, so stay tuned.”
On October 1, 2025, the Planning Department introduced an Express Permitting System for projects that do not require extensive plan review, beginning with residential reroofing. This new system allows applicants to get same-day approval and an instantly issued permit, sometimes within minutes of payment. While field inspections still need to be scheduled to verify that work was done in a safe manner according to code, currently 98% of inspections are being completed within one business day.
Express Permit Applications and inspection scheduling can now be done through the City’s software platform, ABQ-PLAN. To apply, visit cabq.gov/planning/abq-plan.