Bolthole Index

Lea County, New Mexico

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Tatum, New Mexico

Anyone building, altering or moving a structure inside the Town of Tatum, Lea County, New Mexico needs a town building permit first1. The town adopts the New Mexico building code by reference2. We could not confirm whether Tatum has adopted zoning, so ask Town Hall. Septic systems are permitted by the state, not the town3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside town limits, issued through the town's director of public works1
Building code
New Mexico building code adopted by reference2
Zoning
No zoning chapter in the town's online code; adoption not confirmed, ask Town Hall4
Septic
State permit through the New Mexico Environment Department3
Sewer hookup
Occupied buildings within 150 feet of a town sewer line must connect where water service exists5
Mobile homes
Permit required before moving, installing or setting up4
RV living
Trailer camps are licensed and must connect to the town sewer; a single RV on private land is unconfirmed6
Highway setback
No building within 50 feet of the center line of US 380 or NM 187

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Tatum Town Hall

Town building permit applications and questions about town rules; the town code names the director of public works as the responsible person

(575) 398-4633

120 West Broadway, P.O. Box 156 Tatum, New Mexico 88267

Septic permits

New Mexico Environment Department — Hobbs Field Office

Septic (liquid waste) permitting questions and permit searches for the Hobbs area

575-393-4302

Hobbs.ehb@env.nm.gov

2120 N Alto, Hobbs, NM 88240

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Tatum means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Tatum, New Mexico?

Yes. Inside Tatum town limits, no one may erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, improve, move or demolish a building or structure without a separate permit for each one1. A permit is also required to move, deliver, install or set up a mobile home, and for grading, filling, paving or excavation of real estate1.

Tatum adopts the New Mexico building code by reference as its own building rules, though the town's page does not state which edition2. The town code covers plan review but we found no inspection or certificate-of-occupancy provision in it, so ask Town Hall what inspections follow.

Who issues building permits in Tatum, and how do you apply?

The Town of Tatum issues building permits through a designated responsible person, the director of public works, who receives applications and examines plans and specifications8. Applicants file a permit application on a form furnished by the town8. Contact9 for the form and for current fees; we did not find a fee schedule.

The town also checks that federal and state permits have been obtained1. Septic is not a town permit: see the septic section below.

Does Tatum have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

We could not confirm that Tatum has adopted zoning. The town's online code lists no zoning chapter and no district-level siting rules were found4, but a missing chapter does not prove the town has no zoning. Ask Town Hall whether a zoning ordinance or district map exists before you buy.

One setback rule does exist. No building or permanent structure may stand within 50 feet of the center line of U.S. Highway 380 or State Highway 18 inside town limits, and a plat showing the location relative to the highway center line must be filed with the town clerk-treasurer before a building permit issues7.

For tiny homes, New Mexico's statewide appendix allows tiny houses used as single dwelling units on a permanent foundation10; whether Tatum adds its own limits is unconfirmed.

Can you live in an RV or mobile home in Tatum?

Mobile homes need a town permit before they are moved, delivered, installed or set up4.

For RVs and trailers, Tatum's code regulates trailer camps and requires a license for them. Trailers in a camp must sit at least 15 feet from other trailers, buildings or structures, and waste must go to a sewer connected to the town system6. Whether a single trailer or RV may be lived in on private land outside a licensed camp is not stated in the town code we reviewed, so confirm with Town Hall before you park one.

How do septic permits work in Tatum?

Septic systems serving property in Lea County are permitted by the New Mexico Environment Department's Onsite Wastewater Bureau, not by the town3. A permit is required to install or modify a system, and the application needs proof of ownership, a site diagram and a floorplan11. Lea County adds that new tanks need county pre-approval before state approval12.

Inside town limits, sewer comes first. Occupied buildings within 150 feet of a town sanitary sewer line, where suitable water service exists, must connect, and a property owner who fails to connect within 30 days of notice commits a misdemeanor5. On lots reaching within 150 feet of a sewer line, depositing domestic wastewater on the ground is unlawful13. Contact the14 for septic questions.

Building a home in Tatum: the steps, in order

  1. Call9 and ask whether zoning applies to your lot and where the sewer line runs.
  2. Check the lot against the 50-foot highway center-line setback if it fronts U.S. 380 or NM 187.
  3. If you will not connect to town sewer, contact the14 about a septic permit11.
  4. File the town building permit application with the director of public works8.
  5. Build to the New Mexico building code the town adopts2.

What stays with Lea County, and what to check before you buy near Tatum

The rules above apply inside Tatum town limits only. For land outside town limits, Lea County's rules apply instead; see the Lea County page. Lea County requires a county permit before a driveway is built on a county road right-of-way15, and a state access permit is required for access to a state highway16.

Residential building permits in unincorporated Lea County come from the state Construction Industries Division, not the town17. Tatum's permit applies only inside the town.

Watch-outs

  • Zoning inside Tatum is unconfirmed: the town's online code shows no zoning chapter, but ask Town Hall for a zoning ordinance or district map before buying4.
  • Whether a single RV may be occupied on private land inside town limits is not stated in the town code we reviewed6.
  • Sewer connection can be compelled for occupied buildings within 150 feet of a sewer line, so a septic plan may not be an option on a lot near the line5.
  • A state highway access permit is required before building a driveway onto a state highway16.

Sources

  1. Town of Tatum Code Ch. 110 Buildings, Art. I Building Code (Town of Tatum), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Tatum Code Ch. 110 Buildings, Art. I Building Code (Town of Tatum), quoted and re-checked
  3. Onsite Wastewater Program, quoted and re-checked
  4. Town of Tatum Code Ch. 110 Buildings, Art. I Building Code (Town of Tatum), quoted and re-checked
  5. Town of Tatum Code Ch. 205 Sewers (Town of Tatum), quoted and re-checked
  6. Town of Tatum Code Ch. 227 Trailers and Trailer Camps (Town of Tatum), quoted and re-checked
  7. Town of Tatum Code Ch. 110 Buildings, Art. I Building Code (Town of Tatum), quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Tatum Code Ch. 110 Buildings, Art. I Building Code (Town of Tatum), quoted and re-checked
  9. Town of Tatum Town Hall (townoftatum.org)
  10. 14.7.3 NMAC — 2021 New Mexico Residential Building Code (New Mexico statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Apply for a Permit, quoted and re-checked
  12. Liquid Waste, quoted and re-checked
  13. Town of Tatum Code Ch. 205 Sewers (Town of Tatum), quoted and re-checked
  14. New Mexico Environment Department — Hobbs Field Office (env.nm.gov)
  15. 2026 Lea County Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
  16. 18.31.6 NMAC (New Mexico statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Building Permit Guide for Residential Construction, quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Tatum

Town of Tatum’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erecting, altering, moving or demolishing any building or structure inside Tatum town limits

    • Separate permit for each building or structure
    • Permit issued through the designated responsible person (director of public works)
    • Permit also required to move, deliver, install or set up a mobile home
    • Permit required for any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate (grading, filling, paving, excavation)
    • Responsible person checks that federal and state permits have been obtained
    “no person shall erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, improve, move or demolish any building or structure without first obtaining a separate permit for each building or structure from the designated person.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Tatum town limits

    • Adopted by reference as the town's building rules; the specific edition is not stated on the page.
    “all of the conditions, provisions, limitations, and terms of the building code of the state of new mexico are hereby adopted as the conditions provisions, limitations and terms of the building rules and regulations of the town of tatum, by reference as if they were herein specifically set out in full.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Buildings and permanent structures near U.S. Highway 380 and State Highway 18 inside Tatum town limits (only setback rule found; no district setbacks)

    • A plat showing location relative to the highway center line must be filed with the town clerk-treasurer before a building permit issues
    • Applies only where some part of the structure lies within 50 feet of the highway center line

    minimum distance from highway center line: >= 50 feet

    “it shall be unlawful for any person to build or cause to be built, constructed, or erected any building or other permanent structure or part thereof within 50 feet of the center line of u.s. highway 380 or state highway 18 where such highways lie within the corporate limits of the town of tatum, new mexico.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Trailers/trailer coaches used as sleeping quarters inside Tatum town limits

    • Chapter 227 regulates trailer camps (license required under § 227-3)
    • Camp unit at least 800 sq ft with trailers at least 15 feet from other trailers, buildings or structures
    • Waste must go to a sewer connected to the town system
    • Whether a single trailer on private land outside a camp is allowed is not stated in the opened text

    trailer spacing: >= 15 feet

    “all waste from showers, toilets, laundries, faucets, and lavatories shall be wasted into a sewer system extended from and connected with the town sewer system.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile homes moved or set up inside Tatum town limits

    • Permit from the designated person required before moving, delivering, installing or setting up
    • No district-level siting rules found (no zoning chapter in the table of contents)
    “no person shall move, deliver, install or set up a mobile home without first obtaining a permit from the designated person.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Disposal of domestic wastewater on lots inside Tatum town limits

    • Ground disposal of domestic water or filth is unlawful on lots reaching within 150 feet of a sewer line, except proper manuring of soil
    • Rule for lots farther from sewer not stated on this page
    “it shall be unlawful for any person to throw or allow any person under his/her control to throw or deposit on the ground or in any hole or vault, in or under the surface of the ground, on any lot reaching within 150 feet of any sewer line, except in the proper and necessary manuring of the soil, any water which has been used for domestic purposes, or any liquid or solid filth, feces or urine.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Occupied buildings inside Tatum town limits near a sanitary sewer line

    • Applies within 150 feet of a sanitary sewer line
    • Applies only where suitable water service exists
    • Town clerk-treasurer notifies the owner; failure to connect within 30 days of notice is a misdemeanor

    distance to sewer line: <= 150 feet (only where suitable water service exists) · time to connect after notice: <= 30 days

    “all persons owning or occupying property with occupied buildings situated in any portion of the town within a distance of 150 feet from a sanitary sewer system line, and having suitable water service, shall be and are hereby compelled to make connections with said sewer line.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit applications inside Tatum town limits

    • Director of public works is the responsible person who receives applications and examines plans and specifications
    • Permit must be applied for on a town-furnished form
    • Highway-adjacent structures require a plat filed with the town clerk-treasurer
    “to obtain a permit, the applicant shall first file a permit application on a form furnished for that purpose.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Tatum or Lea County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Tatum town limits
  • Inspections — Construction inside Tatum town limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new buildings inside Tatum town limits
  • Local zoning — Land inside Tatum town limits
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Tatum town limits
17 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Minimum lot size
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Tatum publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lea County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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