McKinley County, New Mexico Farmington, Gallup & the Four Corners

Barndominium Builders in McKinley County, New Mexico

McKinley County runs along Interstate 40 from the western state line east past Thoreau, and building a barndominium here starts with a question most counties never raise: is the parcel private land at all? Much of the county is federal, state or tribal trust land, laid out in a checkerboard with private sections, and only the private, unincorporated sections fall under county rules. Once that is settled, the process is simpler than in many places. The county has no general zoning ordinance, and the county's own planning document says building permits in the county come from the state's Construction Industries Division. We supply barndominium plans and kit packages for these sites, from a steel shell to a complete material package, and a New Mexico-licensed contractor erects them, or the owner does under a homeowner permit limited to a primary residence, where the owner performs the major portion of the work by dollar value and any subcontracted trades are licensed. Before you ask barndominium contractors for bids, get the land status, legal access and water plan confirmed in writing. Send the legal description through the survey and we will work through what applies.

McKinley County at a glance

County: McKinley County
Building permit: State of New Mexico (no local program)
Local facts on this page: 5, each linked to its source

Tell us about your land

Before you build in McKinley County

The local answers that shape a build here, each taken from the office or document that publishes it. Rules change, so we confirm them again against your parcel before drawing.

State-issued permitWho issues the permit

New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID)

The county's comprehensive plan update states that the Construction Industries Division issues building permits in the county. Inside Gallup, the city issues its own building permits. Tribal trust and allotment land is outside county jurisdiction, and federal and state land generally sits outside county land-use control.

Tribal land: Navajo Nation chapters, the Pueblo of Zuni and Ramah Navajo land lie within the county. On tribal trust and allotment land the tribal government has jurisdiction, and county and state permits do not reach it.

Source: McKinley County, New Mexico Comprehensive Plan Update (co.mckinley.nm.us)

No county zoning: McKinley County has no general zoning ordinance. It regulates land division and development through its 1997 Subdivision Regulations and the County Master Plan, and a separate ordinance governs cell towers.
Land ownership: The county's comprehensive plan update says nearly 80% of the land in McKinley County is owned by the federal or state government or held in trust, and describes a checkerboard pattern of land ownership in the east of the county.
Where county rules apply: Per the plan, the county has jurisdiction over private unincorporated land, including private land inside Navajo chapter boundaries in the Checkerboard Area; Indian trust and allotment lands are not subject to county jurisdiction, and Forest Service, BLM and state lands generally are not under county land-use jurisdiction.
Septic and wells: The same plan notes that the New Mexico Environment Department manages septic and wastewater permits and the Office of the State Engineer manages water resources, including well permits.
Energy code climate zone: The 2021 New Mexico Residential Energy Conservation Code (14.7.6 NMAC) lists Gallup, the county seat, at 6,465 feet in climate zone 5B; for places the table does not name, the building official may assign a zone consistent with elevation.

Building on land near McKinley County

Anyone hunting for acreage near McKinley County's highway towns should begin with a land-status check, because a listing can sit beside, or be surrounded by, trust, allotment, federal or state sections. Confirm recorded access across neighbouring tracts, then plan water and wastewater: rural parcels here generally rely on a domestic well permitted by the Office of the State Engineer and an on-site system permitted by the New Mexico Environment Department before construction begins. With no county zoning, the land split itself is the main county review, so check that a parcel was divided under the subdivision regulations. Metal building homes suit these open sites once snow and wind loads are set for the elevation.

Other locations in this part of New Mexico

Farmington, Gallup & the Four Corners

Plans and kits for McKinley County

Custom plans and kit packages, drawn to the local design figures. Construction is carried out by a New Mexico-licensed contractor. The parcel decides the budget more than the floor area does, so we quote against your land rather than a rate card.

Custom Plans

Custom barndominium plans drawn for your New Mexico parcel: sun, wind and drainage, the look you want, and design values for your site's elevation.

Barndominium Kits

Barndominium kits for New Mexico land: steel or post-frame shell packages drawn to the snow, wind and frost values for your site, delivered to your parcel.

Post-Frame Homes

Post frame and pole barn homes in New Mexico, built as real dwellings: posts set for your soil, termite protection, and a wall that handles heat and cold.

See every service

Have land in or near McKinley County? Tell us about the parcel and what you want to build, and we will check it against the local rules before anything is drawn.

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Building in McKinley County: questions

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How much should I budget for a barndominium in McKinley County?

It depends mostly on the land. A well, a wastewater system, road access across checkerboard sections and a cold-climate envelope can each outweigh the price of the frame. We do not post a rate; the barndominium cost guide has sourced ranges, and the survey gets a site-specific plan and kit price.

Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in McKinley County?

Yes. The county has no zoning code, but New Mexico's building code applies statewide, and the county's plan says the Construction Industries Division issues building permits here. Inside the City of Gallup the city issues them; see the Gallup page. On tribal trust land, the tribal government decides.

Can I put up pole barn homes or post frame homes on rural land here?

Yes, where the land is private and the building is permitted as a house. Pole barn homes and post frame homes need the same residential code compliance as any dwelling, and CID's guidance asks for sealed plans on pre-engineered and component buildings. Our post-frame homes page covers the framing choices.

Do you supply barndominium kits to sites in McKinley County?

Yes. Our barndominium kits ship with drawings prepared for the site, sealed by a New Mexico-licensed engineer where CID requires it, and are erected by a New Mexico-licensed contractor or a qualifying owner-builder.

Keep reading

What usually comes next once you know what McKinley County allows.

Barndominium Cost Guide

Sourced per-square-foot ranges by tier and size, and what moves the number on your land.

Read it

Is a Barndominium Legal in New Mexico?

Zoning, septic and who inspects, before you buy the land.

Read it

How Long Does It Take?

From parcel to move-in, and which steps set the clock.

Read it

Sources for this page

The published pages behind the McKinley County facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.

Barndominiums near McKinley County

Nearby places we also cover. Across a city limit or a county line the permit office, zoning and septic rules can change, so each has its own page.

Gallup

McKinley County, New Mexico

San Juan County

New Mexico county

Farmington

San Juan County, New Mexico

Sandoval County

New Mexico county

Building in McKinley County?

Start with the survey. Tell us where the land is and what you want on it, and we will come back with which office permits it, what it will allow, and a plan to fit.

Start the survey