Home / Casita plans / 450 sq ft pitched-roof

Albuquerque, New Mexico

450 sq ft casita
with a single-pitch metal roof

The smallest of the city's pre-approved plans and the fastest to build. One open room, with a full-width glass wall onto the porch that makes it feel bigger than it is.

A standing-seam metal shed roof with a deep front overhang and a continuous band of clerestory glass under the high side. More daylight and more shade, for a little more money.

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505-777-7777

Licensed, bonded, insured. Serving New Mexico for over 30 years.

Alma 450 sq ft 25' × 18'

The number

What this plan costs to build.

Every dollar below traces to a line item, anchored to a June 2026 Albuquerque contractor quote instead of a national average. The city gives the drawings away, so the design fee most builders charge is not in here.

All in, on an easy lot $116,904 Design, permits, construction, and contingency. About $260 per finished square foot.
On a harder lot $137,964 A long utility run, a new sewer connection, a tight gate, a slope, and an old slab to clear. Most lots land between the two.

The five lot questions move this number more than anything else, and a website can't answer them for you. The configurator asks them and reprices as you go.

The plan

What's inside 450 square feet.

  • Open living / sleeping / kitchenette
  • Full bath with tub-shower
  • Stacked laundry closet

Specifications

Plan450 sq ft, single-pitch metal
DrawingsFree, published by the city
Plan reviewPre-approved, structural review skipped
Heated area450 sq ft
Footprint25' × 18'
SleepsStudio
Bathrooms1
Roof styleModern territorial
Shell rate$165 per sq ft

Permit to keys

How long this takes.

01
Design and site plan

Pick a plan, walk the lot, and get the plot plan and grading drawings drawn against the pre-approved set.

2 to 4 weeks
02
Permit

Site Plan - Administrative review, public notice, then the building permit through ABQ-PLAN. Pre-approved plans skip the structural review that eats most of this window.

4 to 10 weeks
03
Site work and foundation

Clear, trench the utility run, form and pour the monolithic slab.

2 to 3 weeks
04
Frame, dry-in, rough-ins

2×6 walls at 16" on center, roof, windows and doors, then the trades.

4 to 6 weeks
05
Finishes

Insulation, drywall, stucco, cabinets, floors, fixtures, paint.

5 to 7 weeks
06
Inspections and keys

Final inspections, certificate of occupancy, walkthrough.

1 to 2 weeks

City rules

What Albuquerque requires.

These apply to every casita on a residential lot, not just this plan. Check your own parcel on the city zone map before anything else.

750 sq ft maximum650 sq ft inside the Downtown CPO-3 area.
One casita per lotAnd it has to sit behind the rear wall of the main house.
5 foot setbacksSide and rear. Corner lots match the main house street setback.
No taller than the main houseHeight is capped by whatever is already on the lot.
R-A, R-1, R-T, and R-ML zonesCheck your parcel on the city zone map before anything else.
One off-street parking spaceAn existing spare space counts.
25% yard coverage capThe casita cannot cover more than a quarter of the side and rear yard.
Exterior has to match the houseColor has to match or closely resemble the main dwelling.

The other nine

Compare it against the rest.

450 sq ftFlat parapetStudio540 sq ftFlat parapet1 sleeping nook540 sq ftSingle-pitch metal1 sleeping nook550 sq ftFlat parapet1 sleeping nook550 sq ftSingle-pitch metal1 sleeping nook650 sq ftFlat parapet1 bedroom650 sq ftSingle-pitch metal1 bedroom750 sq ftFlat parapet2 bedrooms750 sq ftSingle-pitch metal2 bedrooms

Price it on your own lot.

Two minutes gets you a number you can take to a lender or a builder.

Build this plan