New Mexico Contractors License & License Classifications

When individuals request an application for a contractor license in New Mexico, the Construction Industries Division of the State of New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department will send a brochure and informational sheet regarding applications. This letter will provide information on the general process of applying for a New Mexico contractors license as well as general work experience and residence requirements. For example, corporations must be qualified to do business in New Mexico or be incorporated in the state. Out of state corporations must have additional documentation regarding taxes and worker’s compensation insurance.

Trades require two or four years of work experience. Below is an outline of the New Mexico contractors license classifications:

General construction – This classification requires 4 years of work experience. Subclassifications include:

  • Asphalt, bitumen, and concrete construction – This is an overarching classification that covers all the following work and requires licensure in each classification
  • Street, road, highway, tunnel, parking lot, alley construction, seal coating, or surfacing
  • Striping
  • Maintenance and repairs
  • Highway signs and guardrails
  • Work involving curbs, gutters and culverts

Building construction – Subclassifications include:

  • Residential (requires 2 years of experience) – This includes residential homes and apartments of no more than four family units.
  • General building (requires 4 years of experience) – This includes residential as well as commercial construction.

Building specialty – This classification requires 2 years of experience. Subclassifications include:

  • Acoustical or insulation construction, including installation of urethane foam
  • Awning and canopy construction
  • Caissons, piers, pile driving
  • Ceramic tile, marble, terrazzo
  • Concrete, cement, walkways, driveways
  • Concrete coring, drilling, slab sawing
  • Construction and technical specialties
  • Demolition
  • Door installation
  • Drywall
  • Earthmoving, excavating, ditching
  • Elevators, escalators, conveyors
  • Fencing
  • Fixtures, cabinets and millwork
  • Floor covering, seamless and wood floors, finishing
  • Framing
  • Glazing, weatherstripping, storm doors, window installation
  • Gunite
  • Masonry
  • Ornamental iron, welding
  • Painting, decorating
  • Plastering, stucco, lathing
  • Remodeling
  • Roofing
  • Sandblasting
  • Sheet metal
  • Siding
  • Sign construction (nonelectrical)
  • Structural steel erection
  • Swimming pools (nonmechanical/electrical)
  • Trenching and backhoe owner/operator
  • Vaults, depositories

Fixed works – This classification requires 2 years of experience. This classification often requires work by entities of other classifications, such as electrical, mechanical, etc. It does not include the construction of buildings primarily used or occupied by the general public unless explicitly describe in the classification description. Subclassifications include construction and other work in the following areas:

  • Airports
  • Bridges
  • Canals, reservoirs or irrigation systems
  • Drainage or flood control systems
  • Railroad and tunnel construction
  • Recreation areas (such as golf courses, miniature golf, tennis courts, playgrounds, campgrounds, etc.)
  • Tanks, towers
  • Transmission lines, tanks, and substations (non-electrical)
  • Utility lines and systems (including sewage, water, natural gas, and underground telephone cables)
  • Construct, alter or repair fixed work facilities – This subclassification requires 4 years experience. It requires licensure in all the above listed fixed work subclassification and covers work in all fixed work areas.

Electrical – Subclassifications include the following:

  • Residential wiring (requires 2 years experience)
  • Electrical distribution systems (including transmission lines) – This subclassification requires 4 years experience.
  • Electrical (including residential wiring and electrical specialties) – This subclassification requires 4 years experience.

Electrical specialty – This classification requires 2 years of experience.Subclassifications include work in the following areas:

  • Cable TV
  • Cathodic protection
  • Electrical signs, outline lighting
  • Electrical traffic control systems
  • Microwave communications systems
  • Sound, intercommunication, electrical alarm systems
  • Telephone communication systems
  • Telephone interconnect systems

Mechanical – This classification requires 4 years of experience. Subclassifications include work in the following areas:

  • Plumbing
  • Natural gas fitting
  • Air conditioning and ventilation
  • Heating, cooling, and process piping

Mechanical specialty – This classification requires 2 years of experience. Subclassifications include work in the following areas:

  • Residential plumbing
  • Residential natural gas fitting
  • Cesspools, septic tanks, sewers
  • Appliance installation, service
  • Evaporative coolers
  • Lawn sprinklers
  • Swimming pool piping
  • Water conditioners
  • Refrigeration
  • Boiler installation, repair, service
  • Controls (mechanical systems)
  • Fire protection sprinkler systems
  • Pneumatic tube systems
  • Dry chemical fire protection

Applications for a New Mexico contractors license require a $30 nonrefundable fee. If you are accepted, the license costs $150 for each separate trade. New Mexico does not accept license from other states.

The state of New Mexico requires all electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work to be performed by or executed under the supervision of an individual who holds a journeyman certificate in the relevant classification. Therefore all projects must involve a certified journeyman under New Mexico law.

Call Us if You Need a New Mexico Contractors License

There are many different classifications and subclassifications for a New Mexico contractors license. Give us a call if you are applying or need any help applying for a construction contractors license in New Mexico.


Get a Contractors License the RIGHT WAY! Call Us (916) 394-1601