Building a House in Angel Fire 

If you are contemplating moving to Angel Fire, there are a number of decisions that need to be made. If you already own a lot, there is one less step to consider. For those of you with a “clean slate,” you can decide to buy an existing home or build one to your specifications.  As of this date, there are over 132 homes on the market in Angel Fire. They range from the low $160,000s to well over three million dollars. If you already own a lot or are considering a lot purchase, there are several elements that must be considered. First and foremost, is the lot suitable for building? If the lot is steep, it might be advantageous to see if an adjacent lot is available forpurchase. This will reduce the grade on your driveway in addition to ensuring your privacy in a mountain setting. If the rivewaygrade exceeds twelve percent (12%), the Village requires two parking spots at road level in case the driveway cannot be used because of heavy snowfall. 

It is important to check your deed with the Angel Fire Resort Membership Office to determine if there are any restrictions on either your property or the adjacent lot. Many lots in Angel Fire are sold with the condition that combining with an adjacent lot will require a purchase of an additional membership.   

The next step is to determine the type of house you want to build.  The Sangre de Cristo Homebuilders Association just sponsored the first annual Parade of Homes.  Fifteen new homes representing fourteen different builders offered a wide variety of homes ranging from $369,000 to over $2,500,000. This is a good opportunity to meet the builders since sharing a vision with your homebuilder is a critical element in the success of your project.   After you have determined the type of home and the setting, the next step is to select a designer/architect for your home. Many of the builders offer “turnkey” solutions and can provide several sets of plans for your consideration.  The advantage of selecting one of these plans is that the builder is familiar with the design and can provide an accurate estimate of the construction costs. After selecting a building site, a builder and a house plan, the next step is to submit your plan to AAFPO’s Environmental/Architectural Control Committee (E/ACC) and the Village of Angel Fire. 

E/ACC

Each Angel Fire subdivision is governed by a set of covenants.  The E/ACC is charged with the responsibility of enforcing thecovenants that “go with the land” that you purchased. When you bring your plans to the committee, the drawings will be reviewed to ensure that they comply with the covenants and provisions defined in the E/ACC Owner/Builder Application Packet. The packet includes a Pre-Construction Permit for Tree Removal, Road Construction and House Site Clearing, Angel FireConstruction Guidelines, Submission Requirements, a Fee Schedule, Fines and Variance Fee Schedule, the Application forBuilding Permit form, the Building Inspection Agreement, and the Building Permit Agreement.  There is also a handy ApprovalChecklist to guide you through the process. 

Pre-Construction Permits

Before you can begin, an Application for Building Permit must be submitted along with a survey of the property, a copy of the Warranty Deed, and a Performance eposit. Upon approval by theE/ACC, you can begin removingtrees, clearing the house site andconstructing a road to the buildingsite.You should be well along in theprocess of selecting a builder andcommitting to a house plan at thistime since construction of thehouse must be completed withintwo years of approval of the ConstructionPermit. Failure to do sowithin this time frame will requireadditional Extension Fees. Any construction and/or treeremoval without the above permitwill result in a $300 penaltybeing assessed. The Village ofAngel Fire also requires a Rightof Way Encroachment Permitprior to construction of a roadonto any property in the village. 

Submission Requirements

This section defines what itemsneed to be submitted to the E/ACC before any constructionbegins. The Application forBuilding Permit form along with asite plan including direction notation,a boundary survey, two setsof construction plans, externalelevations indicating the height ofeach side of the house and theroof pitch, a copy of the WarrantyDeed, and signed copies of theother documents listed above.If the house will sit on combinedlots, the lots shall be combinedand copies of the documents recordingthe combinations and theutility easements vacated must besubmitted as part of the application. 

Building Permit Fee Structure

E/ACC Building Permit fees arenon-refundable. The PerformanceDeposit fees are refundable uponpassing all inspections, successfulcompletion of the project, andcompliance with all provisionsdefined in the above documents.  

Contact Information

If you have any questions, you may call (377-1135) or visit the E/ACC office located inthe rear of the AFR Membership Office between8 AM and noon Monday – Friday. 

Village of Angel Fire

 The Village provides a Building PermitPacket that includes an Application Checklist,Requirements for Obtaining a BuildingPermit, a Building Permit Fee Structure, theVAF Refund Policy, the Building PermitApplication, a Physical Address RequestForm, a Conditional Liquid Waste Agreement,a Statement of Sewer Services Availability,a Utility Billing Department (Water& Sewer) Form, a Schedule of Water Rates,Requirements for ALL Building Contractors,and Disposal Facts relating to the SolidWaste Transfer Station. 

Application Checklist

-Septic System Application signed by the NMEnvironmental Department or An Angel FireServices Sewer Availability form signed byPublic Works-Two copies of the site plan-Warranty Deed-Building Permit Application-Street Address Request-Energy Efficiency Requirements (Systems andEquipment Worksheet)-Homeowner Building Permit Procedures(State of New Mexico requirement if owner isacting as contractor) An Encroachment Permit Application for NewConstruction (a separate form) is not part of theBuilding Permit Packet but must be completedprior to beginning construction. This permitcontrols the driveway access, the culvert installation,and possible street/curb/gutter/sidewalkcuts. If the slope of the driveway exceeds twelvepercent (12%), parking space must be providedfor a minimum of two vehicles out of the streetright of way. 

Requirements for Obtaining a Building Permit

Two sets of plans drawn to scale for both thebuilding and the site are required. Inspectionsduring construction are defined and must bescheduled with the Village twenty-four hours inadvance. Formal inspections required includeSite Inspection, Footings and Stem Walls, Frame(after electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections)and Final Inspection. 

Building Permit Fee Structure

Building Permit fees are based on a sliding scalebased upon the value of the construction. Thebuilding fee for a $300,000 house would beapproximately $2,000; a $1M home would cost alittle over $5,000.There is a detailed spreadsheet that may be completedthat breaks down the cost of constructioninto components. Standard industry measuresare used to ensure compliance with generallyaccepted construction standardcosts. 

VAF Refund Policy

Building Permit fees include a chargefor plan review. Normally, about eightypercent (80%) of the Building Permitfee will be refunded if the project is notstarted within 3 months. Requests for arefund must be submitted to the Villagein writing.Performance Deposits will be refundedif the project is completed within twoyears of the issue date of the permit.Other provisions of the Village Codemay apply. 

Building Permit Application

This form provides information to theVillage to issue a Building Permit. Thename of the owner, primary contractorand architect/engineer as well as thesquare footage and approximate cost ofthe project, the subcontractors, anticipatedexterior finishes and other miscellaneousinformation are included onthis form. 

Physical Address Request Form

This form provides information to theVillage to assign a physical address tothe property to be used by the 911 system. 

Conditional Liquid Waste Agreement

This provision notifies the builder/owner of the need for a liquid wastepermit from the NM Environment Departmentand permits the builder/owner to submit plans to the VillageBuilding Division prior to receiving aLiquid Waste Permit. This section doesnot apply if sewer service is available.  Statement of Sewer ServicesAvailabilityThis document states that Villagesewer service is available to thelocation and your sewer line willbe connected to the sewer lineupon completion of construction.A complete schedule of hookupfees and the monthly cost ofservice is available from the utilitybilling personnel in VillageHall. 

Utility Billing Department

(Water & Sewer) FormThis is the application for serviceand should be completed early inthe construction process. Watermeters will not be installed duringthe winter months if conditionsdo not permit. The costsdefined in the next section willdetermine the cost of the connectionto the Village water system. 

Schedule of Water Rates

This section defines the cost ofinstallation of your water meter.Prices range from $1,236 for a5/8” sealed register (most residentialconstruction) and increasesto $9,806 for a 6” compoundmeter. Customers currentlypay a minimum monthlyfee based upon the diameter ofthe connection. Usage over themaximum designated for eachdiameter is currently billed at arate of $4.41 per 1,000 gallons orany fraction thereof over theminimum number of gallonsauthorized for the meter sizeinstalled.It should be remembered thatwater meters will not be installedduring winter if conditions arenot favorable. 

Requirements for ALL Building Contractors

Unless you are acting as yourown contractor, this section doesnot apply to you. However, itwould be beneficial if you wereaware of the contents in case youdeviate from the original plans.The reasons for loss of the Villageperformance deposit are alsoexplained in this section. Disposal Facts relating to theSolid Waste Transfer StationThis document regulates the typeof material that can be droppedoff at the solid waste transferstation. The key element whenbuilding a new house is slash.This includes leaves, branches,twigs, pine needles, rotten logsand other burnable vegetationfrom a lot. However, lot clearing for newconstruction does not qualify forthe no-charge disposal. Yourcontractor will be able to bundlethis service in the quote for thehouse. 

Certificate of Occupancy

This is the final step before youcan move into your new home.All of the intermediate inspectionshave been completed satisfactorily.This inspection ensuresthat the site has been cleared ofbuilding materials and lot thinningrequirements have been met.For a full explanation of lot thinningrequirements, please reviewVillage Ordinance # 2005-07.Requirements vary dependingupon the size of the lot.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, you cancall (377-3232) or visit the CommunityDevelopment Departmentlocated in Village Hall between the hours of 8 AM to 5 PM Monday-Friday. 

Village of Angel Fire

 The Village provides a Building Permit Packet that includes an Application Checklist, Requirements for Obtaining a BuildingPermit, a Building Permit Fee Structure, the VAF Refund Policy, the Building Permit Application, a Physical Address RequestForm, a Conditional Liquid Waste Agreement, a Statement of Sewer Services Availability, a Utility Billing Department (Water& Sewer) Form, a Schedule of Water Rates, Requirements for ALL Building Contractors, and Disposal Facts relating to the Solid Waste Transfer Station. 

Application Checklist

-Septic System Application signed by the NM Environmental Department or An Angel Fire Services Sewer Availability form signed by Public Works-Two copies of the site plan-Warranty Deed-Building Permit Application-Street Address Request-Energy Efficiency Requirements (Systems and Equipment Worksheet)-Homeowner Building Permit Procedures(State of New Mexico requirement if owner is acting as contractor) An Encroachment Permit Application for New Construction (a separate form) is not part of the Building Permit Packet but must be completed prior to beginning construction. This permit controls the driveway access, the culvert installation, and possible street/curb/gutter/sidewalk cuts. If the slope of the driveway exceeds twelve percent (12%), parking space must be provided for a minimum of two vehicles out of the street right of way. 

Requirements for Obtaining a Building Permit

Two sets of plans drawn to scale for both the building and the site are required. Inspections during construction are defined and must be scheduled with the Village twenty-four hours in advance. Formal inspections required include Site Inspection, Footings and Stem Walls, Frame (after electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections) and Final Inspection. 

Building Permit Fee Structure

Building Permit fees are based on a sliding scale based upon the value of the construction. The building fee for a $300,000 house would be approximately $2,000; a $1M home would cost a little over $5,000.  There is a detailed spreadsheet that may be completed that breaks down the cost of construction into components. Standard industry measures are used to ensure compliance with generally accepted construction standard costs. 

VAF Refund Policy

Building Permit fees include a charge for plan review. Normally, about eighty percent (80%) of the Building Permit fee will be refunded if the project is not started within 3 months. Requests for a refund must be submitted to the Village in writing.Performance Deposits will be refunded if the project is completed within two years of the issue date of the permit.  Other provisions of the Village Code may apply. 

Building Permit Application

This form provides information to the Village to issue a Building Permit. The name of the owner, primary contractor and architect/engineer as well as the square footage and approximate cost of the project, the subcontractors, anticipated exterior finishes and other miscellaneous information are included on this form. 

Physical Address Request Form

This form provides information to the Village to assign a physical address to the property to be used by the 911 system. 

Conditional Liquid Waste Agreement

This provision notifies the builder/owner of the need for a liquid waste permit from the NM Environment Departmentand permits the builder/owner to submit plans to the Village Building Division prior to receiving a Liquid Waste Permit. This section does not apply if sewer service is available. 

Statement of Sewer Services Availability

 This document states that Village sewer service is available to the location and your sewer line will be connected to the sewer line upon completion of construction.  A complete schedule of hookup fees and the monthly cost of service is available from the utility billing personnel in Village Hall. 

Utility Billing Department

(Water & Sewer) Form This is the application for service and should be completed early in the construction process. Watermeters will not be installed during the winter months if conditions do not permit. The costs defined in the next section willdetermine the cost of the connection to the Village water system. 

Schedule of Water Rates

This section defines the cost of installation of your water meter.  Prices range from $1,236 for a 5/8” sealed register (most residential construction) and increases to $9,806 for a 6” compound meter. Customers currently pay a minimum monthlyfee based upon the diameter of the connection. Usage over the maximum designated for each diameter is currently billed at arate of $4.41 per 1,000 gallons or any fraction thereof over the minimum number of gallons authorized for the meter sizeinstalled.  It should be remembered that water meters will not be installed during winter if conditions are not favorable. 

Requirements for ALL Building Contractors

 Unless you are acting as your own contractor, this section does not apply to you. However, it would be beneficial if you were aware of the contents in case you deviate from the original plans.  The reasons for loss of the Village performance deposit are also explained in this section.  

Disposal Facts relating to the Solid Waste Transfer Station

 This document regulates the type of material that can be dropped off at the solid waste transfer station. The key element whenbuilding a new house is slash.  This includes leaves, branches, twigs, pine needles, rotten logs and other burnable vegetationfrom a lot.  However, lot clearing for new construction does not qualify for the no-charge disposal. Your contractor will be able to bundle this service in the quote for the house. 

Certificate of Occupancy

This is the final step before you can move into your new home.  All of the intermediate inspections have been completed satisfactorily.  This inspection ensures that the site has been cleared of building materials and lot thinning requirements have been met.  For a full explanation of lot thinning requirements, please review Village Ordinance # 2005-07.  Requirements vary depending upon the size of the lot.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, you can call (377-3232) or visit the Community Development Department located in Village Hall between the hours of 8 AM to 5 PM Monday- Friday. 

 

Courtesy of AAFPO and Your web-log host, Tara Chisum