What's Required in Albuquerque
- In-ground pools need a building permit plus separate electrical and plumbing permits; only prefabricated above-ground pools under 54 inches deep and up to 5,000 gallons are exempt from the building permit.
- Every outdoor pool, spa or hot tub needs a barrier at least 48 inches high with no opening that passes a 4 inch sphere, unless a spa has an ASTM F1346 safety cover.
- In-ground pools must be at least 5 feet from any lot line or building (IDO).
- Site plan must show barrier heights, gate heights and latches, setbacks, and distances from the pool to lot lines and structures.
- Gunite pools need engineered drawings; fiberglass pools need an ICC-ES evaluation report.
- Electrical plans must address grounding and bonding, GFCI protection and overhead or underground wiring clearances.
- Electrical and plumbing permits go to licensed contractors or an exam-qualified homeowner; the building permit to the owner-occupant or a NM licensed contractor.
- Inspections: bonding grid, underground conduit and electrical final; plumbing rough-in, circulating lines, drain and pool final.
Do you need a permit to build a pool in Albuquerque?
For an in-ground pool, yes: a building permit, an electrical permit and a plumbing permit. The Building Safety FAQ lists building a swimming pool among the projects that require a permit, and the 2024 Uniform Administrative Code (UAC) writes the exemption narrowly: prefabricated swimming pools accessory to homes that are less than 54 inches deep, do not exceed 5,000 gallons and are installed entirely above ground need no building permit. Everything else, including a deeper above-ground pool, is permitted work. Even an exempt pool keeps its trade obligations: the UAC says separate plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits are still required for exempted items, so a hard-wired pump or heater needs an electrical permit; a cord-and-plug portable pump does not.
The barrier rule applies to every outdoor pool, permit or not. The city enforces the 2021 New Mexico Residential Building Code, which deletes the IRC pool section and substitutes the state's own: an outdoor pool, including an in-ground, above-ground or on-ground pool, hot tub or spa, must be surrounded by a barrier whose top is at least 48 inches above grade on the side facing away from the pool, with no more than a 2 inch gap at the bottom and no opening that passes a 4 inch sphere. Spas and hot tubs with an ASTM F1346 safety cover are exempt from the barrier. The city's pool handout asks the site plan to show barrier heights and gate latch details.
How much does a pool permit cost in Albuquerque?
The building permit is valuation-based: UAC Table 112-A on the stated job value, times the 0.50 regional modifier for one- and two-family homes, plus plan review at 65 percent of the permit fee, paid at submittal. Each trade permit carries a $47 administrative charge plus the private swimming pool item, $60 on both the electrical and plumbing tables.
- $40,000 pool: Table 112-A gives $391.75 + 15 x $10.10 = $543.25; x 0.50 = $271.63 permit + $176.56 plan review = $448.19. Add electrical ($47 + $60 = $107) and plumbing ($47 + $60 = $107): about $662.
- $60,000 pool: $643.75 + 10 x $7.00 = $713.75; x 0.50 = $356.88 + $231.97 = $588.85. With the two trade permits: about $803.
A gas pool heater adds a gas outlet ($6) and the heater as an appliance on the mechanical side, and the FAQ notes zoning and hydrology fees are collected with plan review. Zoning also fixes placement: the Integrated Development Ordinance lets a pool encroach into a setback, but in-ground pools may not be closer than 5 ft to any lot line or building.
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| In-ground gunite or fiberglass pool | Building + electrical + plumbing permits | About $660 at $40,000 and $810 at $60,000; engineered drawings for gunite, ICC-ES report for fiberglass. |
| Above-ground pool 48 in deep, 4,000 gallons, plug-in pump | No permit | UAC exemption: under 54 in deep, up to 5,000 gallons, entirely above ground; the 48 in barrier still applies. |
| Above-ground pool with a hard-wired pump | Electrical permit | $47 administrative charge plus $60 private pool item; bonding grid and conduit inspected. |
| Portable hot tub on a cord and plug | No permit | Cord-and-plug appliances are exempt; an ASTM F1346 safety cover replaces the barrier for spas. |
| Pool fence or wall for the barrier | Zoning wall permit; building permit over 6 ft | Barrier top at least 48 in above grade; walls over 6 ft need engineer certification. |
| Replacing a pool pump with the same type | No electrical permit | Like-for-like replacement of fixed listed appliances in the same location is exempt. |
| Gas pool heater | Mechanical permit | $47 administrative charge plus the appliance and a $6 gas outlet; heater needs an accessible on-off switch. |
Who files and what gets inspected?
The building permit is issued to a New Mexico licensed contractor or, on an owner-occupied home, to the homeowner under a homeowner's permit; homes rented to others must use a licensed contractor. Electrical and plumbing permits go to licensed contractors unless the homeowner passes the city's written trade exam with a score of 75 percent or greater. The pool handout wants a site plan with distances to lot lines and buildings, a pool section with depths and slope, a plan with steps, suction and skimmer locations, plus skimmer, heater and cover specifications. Plan review takes about two and a half weeks. Inspections follow the UAC: on the electrical side the equipotential bonding grid, the underground conduits and a final; on the plumbing side a rough-in before anything is concealed, the circulating lines, drain, water distribution and sewer connection, and a pool final.
How to Get a Pool Permit in Albuquerque
Confirm placement and barrier
Locate the pool at least 5 feet from lot lines and buildings and plan a 48 inch barrier with self-closing gates; a wall over 6 feet needs its own building permit.
Assemble the pool package
Site plan, pool section and plan per the city handout, engineered drawings or an ICC-ES report, skimmer and heater specifications, and the electrical bonding and GFCI design.
Submit in ABQ-PLAN
File the building permit with the stated valuation and pay plan review (65 percent of the Table 112-A fee times 0.50); the pool contractor or trade contractors file the electrical and plumbing permits.
Plan review and issuance
Allow about two and a half weeks for residential review; correct any comments, then pay the permit fees to have the permits issued.
Build with inspections
Call the plumbing rough-in before concealing lines, the electrical bonding grid and conduit inspections, and the pool and barrier finals when complete.