What's Required in Albuquerque
- One casita per lot, allowed in R-A, R-1, R-T and R-ML zones, up to 750 square feet of gross floor area (650 in Downtown CPO-3).
- Minimum 5-foot side or rear setback, behind the rear wall of the main house, same street side setback on corner lots.
- No taller than the primary structure (18 feet in CPO-3) and a facade the same or similar in color to the main house.
- All accessory buildings together no more than 25 percent of the combined side and rear yards; one off-street parking space.
- Site Plan – Administrative ($160) with public notice: posted sign and email to the neighborhood association.
- Building permit with a full construction set, a scaled site plan, sealed truss drawings where required and a grading and drainage plan.
- Separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits pulled by licensed contractors or an exam-qualified homeowner.
- 5 feet of separation from other buildings or fire-rated construction.
- Inspections: foundation, framing, insulation, electrical, plumbing/mechanical and final.
Can you build an ADU in Albuquerque?
Yes, on most residential lots. The city's ADU page says that in 2023 the zoning laws changed to allow casitas in R-1 neighborhoods throughout the city, and casitas are allowed in the R-A, R-1, R-T and R-ML zone districts. The rules come from the Integrated Development Ordinance (4-3(F)(6), 2025 update effective April 2026): only one accessory dwelling unit per lot, limited to 750 square feet of gross floor area with an attached garage not counted; a minimum 5-foot side or rear setback; no taller than the primary structure; a facade the same or similar in color to the main house; and, in residential zones, located behind the rear wall of the primary building, keeping the same street side setback on a corner lot. All accessory buildings together may cover no more than 25 percent of the combined side and rear yards, and one off-street parking space is required. Two small areas differ: Downtown CPO-3 caps a casita at 650 square feet and 18 feet in height, and Sawmill/Wells Park CPO-12 requires a 7,000 square foot lot in R-1.
One structural point: an ADU accessory to a house must be an accessory building. The IDO treats a renovation that creates a second unit with a kitchen and separate entrance inside the original house as a two-family dwelling, a different use. The building code separates buildings by 5 feet unless the casita is fire rated.
How much does an ADU permit cost in Albuquerque?
Three layers. First, a Site Plan – Administrative through ABQ-PLAN, with a posted sign and neighborhood association notice: $160 for single-family detached on the General Planning Fee Schedule. Second, the building permit: UAC Table 112-A on the valuation, times the 0.50 modifier for one- and two-family construction, plus 65 percent plan review. Using the city's valuation figure of $89.39 per square foot for a heated single-family residence:
- 500 sq ft casita: $44,695 valuation. Table 112-A: $391.75 + 20 x $10.10 = $593.75; x 0.50 = $296.88 permit + $192.97 plan review = $489.85.
- 750 sq ft casita: $67,043. Table 112-A: $643.75 + 18 x $7.00 = $769.75; x 0.50 = $384.88 + $250.17 = $635.05.
Third, the trade permits the ADU page says are needed in addition: electrical with a $47 administrative charge, $40 meter loop, $8 panel and $1.50 per outlet (about $125 with 20 outlets); plumbing with $47, $10 per fixture, $14 water service and $28 building sewer (about $139 with five fixtures); mechanical with $47, $22 for a condensing unit up to 36,000 BTU and $14 for the furnace or air handler (about $83). Together: roughly $997 for 500 sq ft and $1,142 for 750 sq ft. Not included: the impact fee assessment the fee schedule lists as varies, zoning and hydrology fees collected with plan review, and a note that from July 1, 2026 the city uses the February 2021 ICC valuation table, so the per-square-foot figure may rise.
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Detached casita up to 750 sq ft, R-1 lot | Site plan $160 + building + 3 trade permits | About $1,000 to $1,150 in city fees before impact fees; behind the rear wall, 5 ft setback, one parking space. |
| Casita in Downtown CPO-3 | Same, 650 sq ft and 18 ft caps | IDO small-area rule; height limited to the main house or 18 ft, whichever is less. |
| Second unit carved out inside the house | Two-family dwelling review, not an ADU | IDO 4-3(F)(6)(a)1.a: an in-house unit with kitchen and separate entrance is a two-family dwelling. |
| Converting a detached garage into a casita | Site plan + building + trades | Garage conversion plans need an energy checklist, insulation R-values and bedroom egress windows. |
| Casita within 5 ft of the main house | Building permit with fire-rated construction | IRC separation is 5 ft unless the casita is fire rated. |
| Casita larger than 25 percent of side and rear yards | Not allowed | IDO accessory-building cap; a survey may be needed to prove the calculation. |
| Second casita on the same lot | Not allowed | Only one accessory dwelling unit is allowed per lot in R-A and R-1. |
How the application runs
The ADU page lays out the steps: a site plan showing property lines, easements, all existing structures, the new casita and the parking space; sealed truss drawings from a New Mexico licensed structural engineer where required; an updated grading and drainage plan; the public notices; then the Site Plan – Administrative application, then the building permit application with the full plan set in ABQ-PLAN. The building permit is issued to the owner-occupant under a homeowner's permit or to a GB-2 or GB-98 general contractor; trade permits go to licensed contractors or, for electrical and plumbing, a homeowner who passes the city exam at 75 percent or better. Residential plan review takes about two and a half weeks per cycle; inspections are foundation, framing, insulation, electrical, plumbing/mechanical and final. The city also publishes free casita construction plans.
How to Get a ADU Permit in Albuquerque
Check zoning and yard math
Confirm the lot is R-A, R-1, R-T or R-ML on the IDO zoning map and that the casita fits 750 square feet, 25 percent of the side and rear yards, the 5-foot setback and the rear-wall placement rule.
Prepare the site plan and notices
Draw the site plan with property lines, easements, existing structures, the casita and the parking space; post the sign and email the neighborhood association.
File the Site Plan – Administrative
Submit it in ABQ-PLAN with the $160 fee and the site plan checklist items, including the grading and drainage plan.
Submit the building permit
Upload the approved site plan and full construction drawings with sealed trusses, state the valuation, pay plan review (65 percent of the Table 112-A fee times 0.50) and answer correction emails.
Pay, build and inspect
Pay the building and trade permit fees when the permit is ready, print the approved set for the site, and call foundation, framing, insulation, electrical, plumbing/mechanical and final inspections.