Bolthole Index

Bernalillo County, New Mexico

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, has its own zoning, and building work inside the village needs a village building permit12. The village Planning & Zoning Department handles zoning and building permits3. Septic permits for the village come from the New Mexico Environment Department, not Bernalillo County4. We could not confirm the village's building code or inspection process.

At a glance

Zoning
Village zoning, Chapter 9 Article 2 of the village code1
Building permit
Required; issued by the village Planning & Zoning Department23
Minimum lot, A-1 zone
1 acre, 75 feet wide5
Minimum lot, A-2 zone
2 acres, 150 feet wide6
Septic permit
New Mexico Environment Department, not the county4
Mobile home
Only during construction of a dwelling, up to 1 year7
RV and tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the village3

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Planning & Zoning Department

Zoning, building permits and subdivision review inside the village

505-344-6582

6718 Rio Grande Blvd NW Los Ranchos, NM 87107

Building permits

Village Planning & Zoning permit and application desk

Where building permit applications are dropped off

6718 Rio Grande Boulevard NW

Septic permits

New Mexico Environment Department, Albuquerque Field Office

Septic (liquid waste) permits inside the village

(505) 222-9500

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Los Ranchos de Albuquerque have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The village adopts its own zoning in Chapter 9, Article 2 of the village code, and the stated aim is to preserve the residential and agricultural character of the area at one dwelling per acre in the A-1 zone1. The code lists A-1, A-2 and A-3 agricultural/residential zones, an R-2 residential zone and several commercial zones8.

In A-1, the minimum lot is 1 acre and 75 feet wide5. In A-2, the minimum lot is 2 acres and 150 feet wide6. A-1 setbacks are 25 feet in front, 15 feet at the side and 25 feet at the rear, and a boundary along an irrigation ditch or drain needs 25 feet9. Buildings are limited to 26 feet in A-1, and 60 percent of the lot must stay permeable1011. Lots along Rio Grande Boulevard can face a far larger setback, so ask before you design9.

Do you need a building permit in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, and who issues it?

Yes. Building work inside the village needs a village building permit, and even a wall or fence needs one2. The Planning & Zoning Department reviews home additions, fences, accessory structures and new buildings3. The village says there are two types of residential building permits and asks you to contact staff so they can send the right one12.

Applications are dropped off in person at the village office, because online submittals are not accepted12. Bernalillo County's building permit rules cover only unincorporated land, so the county planning counter is the wrong office for a lot inside the village13. We could not confirm which building code or inspection process the village applies; ask the Planning & Zoning Department.

Can you live in an RV, mobile home or tiny home in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque?

A mobile home can be used as a dwelling in A-1 only while a dwelling is being built on the same premises, for up to 1 year or as the planning and zoning commission approves, with a $1,000 bond7. The code's ordinary dwelling use is site-built or modular housing7.

We could not confirm the village's rules on living in an RV or on a tiny home. Bernalillo County's RV rules apply to unincorporated land and do not carry into the village14. Ask the Planning & Zoning Department before you buy or park anything3.

Can you build a guest house or second dwelling in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque?

Sometimes. A guest house in A-1 is a conditional use limited to 1,000 square feet of heated floor area, with no garage and no separate address15. It needs public water and sewer or an NMED wastewater permit16. Rent is not allowed unless the commission approves a conditional use for rental, or the guest house is part of a bed and breakfast17. A lot with at least twice the minimum area may have up to three dwellings15.

How do septic permits work inside Los Ranchos de Albuquerque?

Septic permits in the village come from the New Mexico Environment Department. Bernalillo County's wastewater ordinance applies only to unincorporated land, and the state names Los Ranchos de Albuquerque among the incorporated areas NMED regulates4. Applications go to the local NMED field office, and a permit must be issued before the system is built1819.

NMED's fee for a conventional system up to 1,000 gallons per day was $225 on its 7/1/20 schedule20. A qualified homeowner may install a conventional tank and trench or bed field, subject to qualification rules19. For jurisdiction questions, call the NMED Albuquerque Field Office21. Wells need a permit from the Office of the State Engineer before drilling22.

Building a home in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zone, lot size and setbacks with the Planning & Zoning Department before you buy or design3.
  2. Check whether the lot is on public sewer; if not, plan for an NMED wastewater permit4.
  3. Ask staff which residential building permit applies, then drop off the application in person12.
  4. Get any needed septic permit before construction starts19.
  5. Ask the village about building code and inspections, which we could not confirm3.

What to check before you buy land in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque

Start with the zone and the Rio Grande Boulevard setback, since both change what fits on the lot9. The village asks you to contact it early for projects near an acequia or drainage facility3. Subdivision is regulated, and land with existing structures cannot be divided below the lot size its floor area allows23.

For context, Bernalillo County's effective property tax rate is 0.9%24, and USDA rates 25% of county soils as not limited for a conventional septic field, so a site evaluation is wise25. Land outside the village follows county rules; see the Bernalillo County page.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the village's building code, inspection steps, permit fees or floodplain rules; ask the Planning & Zoning Department3.
  • Do not use Bernalillo County's planning counter for a lot inside the village; the county's zoning covers only unincorporated land26.
  • Los Ranchos de Albuquerque is not Albuquerque; septic jurisdiction questions go to the NMED Albuquerque Field Office21.

Sources

  1. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Ch. 9 Land Use Regulation, Art. 2 Zoning (§§ 9.2.7-9.2.8) (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  2. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Ch. 9 Land Use Regulation, Art. 2 Zoning (§§ 9.2.7-9.2.8) (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Planning & Zoning Department (losranchosnm.gov)
  4. Liquid Waste Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  5. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Ch. 9 Land Use Regulation, Art. 2 Zoning (§§ 9.2.7-9.2.8) (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  6. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  7. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Ch. 9 Land Use Regulation, Art. 2 Zoning (§§ 9.2.7-9.2.8) (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  8. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Ch. 9 Land Use Regulation, Art. 2 Zoning (§§ 9.2.7-9.2.8) (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  9. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Ch. 9 Land Use Regulation, Art. 2 Zoning (§§ 9.2.7-9.2.8) (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  10. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Ch. 9 Land Use Regulation, Art. 2 Zoning (§§ 9.2.7-9.2.8) (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  11. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  12. Village Planning & Zoning permit and application desk (losranchosnm.gov)
  13. Bernalillo County Residential Building Permit Requirements, quoted and re-checked
  14. Appendix A, Section 9 - R-1 Single-Family Residential Zone, quoted and re-checked
  15. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Ch. 9 Land Use Regulation, Art. 2 Zoning (§§ 9.2.7-9.2.8) (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  16. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  17. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Ch. 9 Land Use Regulation, Art. 2 Zoning (§§ 9.2.7-9.2.8) (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  18. 20.7.3 NMAC — Liquid Waste Disposal and Treatment, quoted and re-checked
  19. 20.7.3 NMAC — Liquid Waste Disposal and Treatment, quoted and re-checked
  20. Apply for a Permit, quoted and re-checked
  21. New Mexico Environment Department, Albuquerque Field Office (env.nm.gov)
  22. Apply for a Permit, quoted and re-checked
  23. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Ch. 9 Land Use Regulation, Art. 2 Zoning (§§ 9.2.7-9.2.8) (Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque), quoted and re-checked
  24. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Bernalillo County Zone Atlas Volume 1, quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque

Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Building work inside the village, including walls and fences

    • Village and Bernalillo County permits are both referenced for building modifications
    “no wall or fence shall be constructed unless a building permit has been approved by the village.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Los Ranchos de Albuquerque village; Chapter 9, Article 2 'Zoning and Zone Map' of the village code

    “the purpose of this section is to preserve the residential/agricultural character of the area and accompanying open spaces while allowing low density residential development permitted in this zone at one (1) dwelling unit per one acre in conformance with the master plan.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zones in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque village (A-1, A-2, A-3, R-2, R-3, C-1, GD, VC, AC, special use, core commercial)

    • Only A-1 and A-2 sections were read in full.
    “§ 9.2.7 a-1 agricultural/residential zone (1 residential unit/one acre) § 9.2.8 a-2 agricultural/residential zone (1 residential unit/two acres) § 9.2.9 a-3 agricultural/residential zone (1 residential unit/three acres) § 9.2.10 r-2 residential zone (one residential unit/one half (.5) acre)”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    A-1 agricultural/residential zone, inside the village

    • Legally non-conforming lots 50% or smaller than minimum may use R-2 setbacks

    minimum lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum lot width: >= 75 feet

    “the minimum lot area shall be one (1) acre (43,560 square feet). the minimum lot width shall be seventy-five (75) feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — A-2 agricultural/residential zone (1 unit per two acres), inside the village
      “the minimum lot area shall be two (2) acres (87,120 square feet) and minimum lot width shall be one hundred fifty (150) feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    A-1 zone, inside the village; applies to all buildings and structures including swimming pools

    • Properties bordering Rio Grande Blvd in the mapped south areas A and B have a 280-foot setback from the centerline
    • North Rio Grande character area uses a line-of-nearest-dwellings setback with 80 ft minimum
    • Rear setback may be reduced to 15 ft and side to 10 ft with planning director approval
    • Irrigation ditch or drain boundary: 25 ft

    front setback: >= 25 feet · side setback: >= 15 feet (may be reduced to 10 ft with director approval) · rear setback: >= 25 feet (may be reduced to 15 ft with director approval)

    “1. front setback shall be: twenty-five (25) feet. 2. side setback shall be: fifteen (15) feet. 3. rear setback shall be: twenty-five (25) feet. 4. for any property line bounded by an irrigation ditch or drain, the setback shall be twenty-five (25) feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    A-1 zone, inside the village (also floor area ratio limits per the village FAR table)

    • Floor area ratio set by the adopted village FAR table for net lot area

    permeable surface: >= 60 percent of lot area

    “permeable surfaces shall be a minimum of sixty percent (60%) of lot area.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    A-1 zone, inside the village (A-2 incorporates A-1 uses; its height section not read)

    • Single story limited to 17 ft; detached garages 17 ft
    • Chimneys 29 ft; flagpoles, radio towers, windmills 40 ft
    • Solar access plane applies to new construction after May 14, 2007

    maximum building height: <= 26 feet (single-story 17 ft)

    “the height of buildings shall be limited to twenty-six (26) feet from existing grade (the existing surface of the ground), to the top of the pitch, top of the parapet or top of the mansard roofline.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile home as dwelling in A-1 zone, inside the village

    • Only during construction of a dwelling on same premises
    • Limited to one year or as approved by planning and zoning commission
    • $1,000 bond required
    • Permissive dwelling use is site built or modular only

    maximum period: <= 1 year (or as approved by commission) · bond: 1000 USD

    “mobile home used as a dwelling during the construction of a dwelling on the same premises, provided such use shall be limited to a maximum period of one (1) year”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Guest house or additional dwelling in A-1 (and A-2 by cross-reference), inside the village

    • Conditional use approved under § 9.2.25(e)(2)
    • Max 1,000 sq ft heated floor area; no garage; no separate address
    • No rent unless conditional use allows rental
    • Needs public water and sewer or an NMED wastewater permit
    • Lots with at least twice minimum area may have up to three dwellings

    guest house max heated floor area: <= 1000 square feet

    “(a) the guest house is limited to one thousand (1,000) square feet of heated floor area with facilities for cooking”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Land subdivision inside the village (Ch. 9 Art. 1 'Subdivision, Vacation, and Development')

    • Article 1 text not read; A-1 rule: land with existing structures cannot be subdivided below the lot size allowed by FAR
    “no land containing existing structures shall be subdivided into an area less than the allowable lot size for the floor area ratio of the existing structures on the land.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments in A-1 inside the village

    • Bed and breakfast is a permissive use
    • Guest house rent only with explicit conditional use or as part of a B&B
    “occupants shall not be charged rent unless an explicit conditional use allowing rental has been approved by the commission or rent is for only short-term rental as all or part of a permitted bed and breakfast establishment.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque

Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicState (with conditions)

    Wastewater for additional dwellings inside the village not on public sewer; NMED issues the wastewater permit

    • Code text appears in guest-house conditional use rule
    “providing the structures have access to public water and sewer or obtains a wastewater permit from the nmed stating the maximum flow rate on the lot.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Additional dwellings without public water and sewer access, inside the village

    • Alternative is access to public water and sewer
    “providing the structures have access to public water and sewer or obtains a wastewater permit from the nmed stating the maximum flow rate on the lot.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque or Bernalillo County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside the village
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside the village
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside the village
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside the village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside the village
11 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bernalillo County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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