Taos County, New Mexico Santa Fe, Taos & Northern New Mexico

Barndominium Builders in Taos, New Mexico

Inside the Town of Taos, a barndominium has to clear a zoning review that pays close attention to things most towns never ask about: acequia setbacks, watercourses, the historic overlay and the night-sky lighting rules. We supply barndominium plans and kit packages, from red-iron steel shells to post frame houses, for lots in town and on the edges of it; a New Mexico-licensed contractor, or an owner who qualifies for a homeowner permit, does the building. The town's Planning, Community and Economic Development Department checks each residential application against the Land Use Development Code, and approved projects then go to the state Construction Industries Division for the building permit itself. The town code also ties residential building permits to an energy rating and to water-saving fixtures, so the plan set needs those details before it is submitted. Anyone lining up barndominium contractors near Taos should ask how they have handled the town's zoning review, because a missing acequia setback or lighting sheet sends an application back. Send us the lot through the survey and we will prepare a drawing set that answers the town's checklist.

Taos at a glance

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

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Before you build in Taos

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 Construction Industries Division (CID), after Town of Taos zoning review

The Town of Taos Planning Division reviews each development application for compliance with its zoning standards and, where applicable, forwards it to the state Construction Industries Division for the building permit. The town's residential zoning review packet includes CID's homeowner permit forms. Land outside the town limits is handled by Taos County instead.

Tribal land: Taos Pueblo lies next to the town. On Pueblo trust land the tribal government has jurisdiction, and town, county and state permits do not reach it.

Source: Planning, Community & Economic development | Taos, NM (taosnm.gov)

Zoning review before the building permit: The town's Planning Division reviews all development applications to make sure zoning standards are met before approval and, if applicable, submission to the NM Construction Industries Division for building permits. The department asks for at least 5 working days to process applications and does not accept incomplete ones.
Acequias, historic overlay and night sky: The Residential Zoning Review Application asks whether the lot has an acequia or watercourse and the setback from each, whether it lies in the Historical Overlay Zone, and whether the Outdoor Lighting-Night Sky Ordinance applies. The site plan must document that acequia rights-of-way are respected.
Septic, well or town utilities: The town requires, before the zoning review for a building permit is issued, either New Mexico Environment Department septic approval and a State Engineer well permit, or an approved Town of Taos water and sewer hookup application.
Energy and water conditions in the town code: Chapter 15.04 of the Taos municipal code conditions residential building permits applied for from 2012 on a projected HERS rating of 70 or better, confirmed before the certificate of occupancy, and requires toilets of 1.6 gallons per flush or less, with drip or underground irrigation for non-xeriscape landscaping.
Energy climate zone: The New Mexico Residential Energy Conservation Code's climate zone table lists Taos at 6,967 feet in climate zone 5B, while Red River and Taos Ski Valley, higher in the same county, are listed in zone 7B.

Building on land near Taos

Lots inside the town often sit on old, narrow tracts laid out along ditches, so an acequia running along a boundary is common and its right-of-way stays open. Where town water and sewer reach the lot, a hookup application replaces the septic and well permits; beyond them, both state permits come first. Larger parcels on the mesa around town fall under Taos County rather than the town, so confirm the boundary before you buy. If the lot falls in the Historical Overlay Zone, expect the exterior of metal building homes to be part of that review, so settle cladding choices before ordering.

Other locations in this part of New Mexico

Santa Fe, Taos & Northern New Mexico

Plans and kits for Taos

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.

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Have land in or near Taos? 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 Taos: questions

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How much does it cost to build a barndominium in Taos?

It turns on the lot as much as the building. A lot on town water and sewer avoids a well and septic system, while a parcel near the edge of town may need both plus a power extension. The HERS target and snow-country roof also shape the specification. We do not publish our own prices; see the barndominium cost guide for sourced ranges, and use the survey for a plan and kit quote.

Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Taos?

Yes. Start with the town's residential zoning review, which checks setbacks, acequias, the historic overlay and lighting, and needs your septic and well permits or a town utility hookup approval. Once zoning is approved, the building permit comes from the state Construction Industries Division, issued to a licensed contractor or to an owner using a homeowner permit, which covers a primary residence only, requires the owner to do the major portion of the work by dollar value, and leaves subcontracted trades to licensed firms. For parcels outside town, see the Taos County page.

Can barndominium kits be used in the Town of Taos?

Yes, when the drawings answer the town's review and the state's structural review. CID generally expects steel and prefabricated buildings to carry drawings sealed by a New Mexico-licensed engineer, and the town code expects a HERS rating of 70 or better. Our barndominium kits are specified with both in mind, then erected by a licensed contractor or a qualifying owner.

Do pole barn homes and post frame homes suit Taos?

They can. Post frame homes, sometimes called pole barn homes, are reviewed as houses, so they follow the same zoning review and residential code as any other dwelling. If the lot is in the historic overlay, raise the exterior finish and roof with the town early. Our post-frame homes page explains the framing.

Keep reading

What usually comes next once you know what Taos 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 Taos facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.

Barndominiums near Taos

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.

Taos County

New Mexico county

Española

Rio Arriba County, New Mexico

Rio Arriba County

New Mexico county

Building in Taos?

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