Bernalillo County Kitchen Remodeling Planning Guide

This page sorts the known permit paths. Each company must confirm that it serves the address. The site does not claim a Bernalillo County crew or office.

Choose the municipal route

Do not infer jurisdiction from ZIP code or the word Albuquerque in the mailing address. Confirm the parcel boundary before the company prices permit duty.

Older housing changes the investigation

City history guides describe New Town homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s. A Central Albuquerque study also lists old districts and small homes from the 1880s to 1930s. Paid work that disturbs paint in a pre-1978 home may fall under EPA RRP rules.

Those sources do not prove that one wall is adobe or holds weight. They do not prove that paint has lead. Note the home year, past additions and surface history. Ask the company how it will check each fact.

North Valley properties require boundary discipline

Los Ranchos and North Valley properties can have agricultural, acequia, floodplain, private-road or covenant context. Most interior kitchen work does not automatically affect each issue. Exterior exhaust termination, additions, service trenching, delivery access or debris placement may.

The project brief should show what stays inside the home. It should also mark any work that reaches the outside. This keeps local facts useful to the quote.

City and village permit processes are not interchangeable

Albuquerque publishes electrical permit examples that include installation or alteration of appliances, devices, equipment or wiring. It lists exhaust hood installation and kitchen piping alterations among plumbing or mechanical examples.

Los Ranchos posts its own forms and plan steps. At the August 2026 review, it did not take plans online. It asked for two full sets at Village Hall. Use the permit guide for sources and current notes.

Define a county-wide company question honestly

Some remodelers appear across Albuquerque, the North Valley and neighboring Sandoval County in public search results. That indicates plausible regional coverage, not certain service. Ask a company to confirm:

• the exact address is within its travel area;
• the project size fits its business;
• its license classification and trade arrangement fit the work;
• the municipal permit path is understood; and
• delivery, parking and debris access are workable.

Keep the final service boundary in the company’s written agreement.

Build the quote around the property, not the county name

For a compact central home, protection, storage and nonstandard dimensions may be important. For a larger Northeast Heights plan, the main question may be appliance, exhaust or electrical coordination. For a North Valley property, access and jurisdiction may come first.

Use the complete-remodel scope, cost guide and quote comparison guide with the local facts recorded during site inspection.

Bernalillo County project brief

• Full address and verified jurisdiction
• Construction year and known alterations
• Existing and proposed kitchen plans
• Wall, panel, piping, gas and exhaust questions
• Work inside and outside the building envelope
• HOA, covenant or neighborhood review if applicable
• Delivery, parking, protection and debris route
• Correct permit applicant and licensed trade businesses
• Product lead times and storage
• Written change and concealed-condition procedure

Plan the site visit in a useful order

Start outside. Confirm the street, drive, gate and path for large goods. Mark the likely hood outlet if a new duct is planned. Note the panel, gas meter and main water shutoff. This keeps the room talk tied to real service paths.

Next, record the whole kitchen. Take wall-to-wall views, then show the sink base, cooking area, hood, ceiling, floor edges and panel label. Add any past plans or permit records. A company can then list what still needs a field check.

Do not open a wall just to make the first visit feel complete. A small test opening should have a clear aim, a safe method and a repair plan. The owner should know who will do it and what the result can change.

At the end of the visit, list facts and open items in two groups. Facts can go into the base scope. Open items need a check date, an allowance or a clear change rule. This is far better than one large “unknown work” line.

Compare the two main local routes

Albuquerque lets users file and track work through ABQ-PLAN. Los Ranchos posts a village form process and, at the last review, asked for paper plan sets. That difference can affect who prepares the pack and when it is ready.

Both paths need the same basic facts. Give the address, plan and trade work. Name who will file. The public office sets the final permits. The contract must match that answer.

For work on county land outside those towns, ask Bernalillo County and New Mexico CID which path applies. Record the name of the office, date and reply.

Check the public record

Use the New Mexico Construction Industries Division to check current state rules, contractor credentials and the correct starting office. Then confirm the address with the relevant city, village or county before relying on a permit route.