New Mexico Contractor License: Requirements, Cost and Exams

License classes

Classifications and how New Mexico structures them

New Mexico does not use a dollar value monetary limit tied to each license the way Nevada or Utah do. Instead it uses a letter and number classification code system, and there is no project size cap listed by classification. The classification defines the scope of work, not a project size ceiling (14.6.6.8 and 14.6.6.9 through 14.6.6.11 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center and New Mexico Regulation and Licensing).

The first letter is the field: G for general construction, E for electrical, M for mechanical and plumbing. The second letter is the type of work within that field: A for asphalt, bitumen and concrete, B for building, F for fixed works, S for specialties. The number identifies the specific trade (14.6.6.8 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). The two classifications most applicants will encounter are GB-2, residential building, limited to residences and apartment buildings of four units or fewer, and GB-98, general building, the broad commercial and residential license and the closest match to what is usually meant by a "general contractor license." GB-98 authorizes all of GB-2's residential scope plus commercial work, and also folds in the GF-5 and GF-7 fixed works classifications and the GS specialty classifications, but it excludes work that falls under the separate electrical (EE), mechanical (MM), asphalt (GA), or most GF classifications; that work still needs its own license or a subcontractor who holds it (14.6.6.9.B NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). Below GB-98 sit dozens of GS specialty codes, GS-1 through GS-34, covering things like roofing, drywall, masonry, framing, concrete, and demolition, each its own narrower license (14.6.6.9.D NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center).

Electrical work sits under its own set of classifications inside the same CID, not a separate electrical board: EE-98 for residential and commercial wiring at 5000 volts or less, ER-1 for residential only wiring capped at four dwelling units per building, EL-1 for distribution and transmission systems over 5000 volts, and a set of ES specialty codes for signs, low voltage systems, telephone and data cabling, and water well pumps (14.6.6.10 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). Mechanical and plumbing work follows the same structure: MM-98 is the broad mechanical license covering MM-1 plumbing, MM-2 natural gas fitting, MM-3 HVAC, and MM-4 heating, cooling and process piping, plus the MS-3, MS-6, MS-12, and MS-14 specialty codes for septic, sprinklers, and fire protection (14.6.6.11 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). A GB-98 general contractor can bid and contract as prime on a mechanical, plumbing, or electrical heavy project as long as GB-98 scoped work is part of the job, but cannot be the sole prime if the majority of the dollar value is asphalt or most fixed works classifications, and any work outside the prime's own classification must be subcontracted to a properly licensed entity (14.6.6.8.B NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center).

The qualifier rule

Qualifying the company, and how many companies one QP can qualify

CID issues the license to the business entity, which must employ or be owned by one or more Qualifying Parties validly certified for the classification the license covers (PSI license management portal FAQ, question 1). A QP can qualify more than one licensed company only if there is at least thirty percent common ownership between the companies being qualified. The regulation text itself states: "no individual may qualify more than one licensed entity, other than a joint venture, unless there is at least thirty percent common ownership among the qualified entities" (14.6.3.8 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). Outside of that ownership threshold, an active QP can detach from one company to go qualify a different, unrelated one, and a sole proprietor can cancel a license to go qualify someone else's company instead (PSI license management portal FAQ, question 6).

This thirty percent common ownership threshold is a structural difference from states that allow a qualifying party to qualify unrelated companies with no ownership stake. Anyone considering a qualifying arrangement in New Mexico that does not involve at least thirty percent common ownership between the companies should confirm directly with CID and with legal counsel whether that arrangement satisfies this requirement before relying on it.

Replacement rules and deadlines when a qualifier leaves

When a licensee loses its Qualifying Party, both the licensee and the departing QP must notify CID in writing of the separation within 30 days of it happening (14.6.3.8.A.5 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). There is no grace period after that to find and certify a replacement. The same section states the license is automatically cancelled the moment it lacks an active QP certificate, and the licensee may not bid or start any new work in that classification from that point on (14.6.3.8.K.2 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). The only cushion in the rule is for work already under contract: permitted work in progress at the time of cancellation may continue for up to 120 days, after which the permits themselves are voided (14.6.3.8.K.2 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). A 90 day replacement window is sometimes described elsewhere; that figure does not appear in the regulation text, which provides for immediate cancellation with only the 120 day wind down for work already in progress.

Separately, a QP's own personal certificate, once detached from any license, automatically cancels after two consecutive years unattached, requiring the person to reapply and retest from scratch (PSI license management portal QP Application Instructions). Anyone facing a Qualifying Party departure in New Mexico should file the 30 day notification promptly and have a replacement QP ready to certify before the current one detaches, if possible, since there is no cure period once the license lacks a certified QP.

Exams

Exam requirements and current vendor

PSI is New Mexico's exam vendor for all CID classifications (PSI license management portal; New Mexico Regulation and Licensing), and its Albuquerque test center is at 9550 San Mateo Blvd NE, Suite F, following a relocation in mid 2025 (New Mexico Regulation and Licensing construction industries page; PSI license management portal QP Application Instructions). A QP applicant must first submit a QP application and a notarized Work Experience Affidavit to PSI with a fee. The application fee schedule, per New Mexico RLD and 14.5.5.8 NMAC (New Mexico Regulation and Licensing), is as follows: QP application fee 36 dollars; company license application fee 36 dollars plus a license fee of 100 dollars a year for GB-98, GB-2 and the other general classifications, or 50 dollars a year for all others. Next, the experience must be approved, followed by scheduling and passing the trade exam specific to the classification plus a separate Contractor's Business and Law exam, or an approved Business and Law course in place of that exam (PSI license management portal QP Application Instructions and FAQ). All requirements to become certified must be completed within six months of PSI's approval to test, or the application fees are forfeited; an extension request with its own fee is available. Exam scores are valid for one year. A QP certificate stays valid indefinitely while attached to an active license, but automatically cancels if it sits detached from any license for more than two consecutive years, at which point the person must reapply and retest (PSI license management portal QP Application Instructions, updated May 2025).

NASCLA acceptance, and exactly what it covers

New Mexico accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, but only as a waiver mechanism, and only for two classifications, GB-98 and EE-98 (PSI license management portal QP Application Instructions, NASCLA Waiver Information section). To use it the QP applicant must have already taken the NASCLA exam, used those scores to obtain and hold an active license in another state for at least one year, release the NASCLA transcript to New Mexico, and submit a Letter of Good Standing from that other state. If CID approves the waiver it removes only the trade exam requirement; the Business and Law exam and every experience and approval requirement still apply in full (PSI license management portal QP Application Instructions, and the QP Application form itself, updated August 2025, which has a dedicated NASCLA Waiver yes or no question and requires the Letter of Good Standing attachment). This is a narrower acceptance than some other states offer; NASCLA alone does not provide a full licensing path in New Mexico, it only waives one exam, and only for those two classifications.

Testing and exams

New Mexico's four major CID exams are the Business and Law exam, the GB-98 General Building Contractor exam, the GB-2 Residential Building Contractor exam, and the EE-98 Residential and Commercial Electrical exam. All four are written by PSI and administered only at PSI's own computer based test centers, per the State of New Mexico Contractor Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin published at PSI New Mexico contractor exams.

How to schedule

PSI runs CID's entire exam approval and testing process. A candidate must first be preapproved by CID (the QP application and Work Experience Affidavit process described above) before PSI will allow scheduling. Once approved, register online anytime at PSI New Mexico contractor exams (create an account, enter a zip code, pick a test site and date) or call PSI at (855) 807-3994, Monday through Friday 5:30 am to 8:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday 7:00 am to 3:30 pm Mountain Time, with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card ready. The exam fee is good for 1 year from the date PSI receives it, and eligibility itself expires 6 months after CID approval, so a candidate who does not test within that window has to reapply with CID from scratch. Cancellations or reschedules must happen at least 2 full days before the appointment or the fee is forfeited, and a voicemail or email cancellation does not count; it has to go through the PSI website or a live PSI representative.

Business and Law exam (required of every new contractor candidate, every classification)

50 questions, 130 minutes, 75 percent to pass (38 of 50 points). Open book. The outline covers Licensing Requirements, Estimating and Bidding, Business Organization and Financial Management, Tax Laws, Labor Laws, Project Management and Lien Law, Contracts, Risk Management, and Environmental and Safety, with Estimating and Bidding, Tax Laws, and Risk Management carrying the most items on the bulletin's own count table. A candidate may take an approved Business and Law course instead of the PSI exam (the school list is at PSI license management portal; neither CID nor PSI endorses any specific school), but whichever route is used it must be completed within 1 year of passing the trade exam, in either order. Approved references: NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Basic 14th Edition (NASCLA, NASCLA); the New Mexico Construction Industries Licensing Act itself (NMSA Chapter 60, Article 13, 2006 printing, Conway Greene Co.); and New Mexico Contractor's License Requirements (NMAC Title 14, Chapter 6, Part 3, 2006 printing, at New Mexico State Records Center).

GB-98 General Building Contractor exam (the broad commercial plus residential license, closest to what is usually meant by "general contractor")

A combination exam in two parts; a candidate must pass both, though only a failed part has to be retaken. Part 1 is identical in question count, time, and content to the standalone GB-2 exam described next (80 questions, 225 minutes, 75 percent or 60 points to pass) and is bundled into the GB-98 fee rather than charged separately. Part 2 is the general building specific portion: 100 questions, 310 minutes, 75 percent or 75 points to pass, open book, covering Sitework Footings and Foundations, Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement, Masonry, Carpentry, Metals, Roofing, Associated Trades, General Code Plan Reading and Estimating, and OSHA Safety. Part 2 approved references: New Mexico Administrative Code Title 14; New Mexico Commercial Building Code (NMAC 14.7.2, 2021 edition); International Building Code (ICC, 2021 edition); Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction (Andres and Smith, 9th edition, 2014, Pearson); Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (Kosmatka and Panarese, 17th edition, 2021, Portland Cement Association); Placing Reinforcing Bars (9th edition, 2011 or a later printing, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute); Gypsum Construction Handbook (7th edition, 2014, USG); SDI Manual of Construction with Steel Deck (2nd edition, 2006, Steel Deck Institute); Training and Certification of Field Personnel for Unbonded Post Tensioning, Level 1 Field Fundamentals (3rd edition, 2003, Post Tensioning Institute); Erectors' Manual, Standards and Guidelines for the Erection of PreCast Concrete Products (2nd edition, 1999, PCI); Technical Digest No. 9, Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders (3rd edition, 2025, Steel Joist Institute); Carpentry and Building Construction (Feirer and Feirer, 2010 or 2016 student edition, McGraw Hill); Modern Masonry, Brick Block Stone (Kicklighter, 8th edition, 2015, Goodheart Willcox); Pipe and Excavation Contracting (Roberts, 2011, Craftsman Book Company); ACI 530/530.1 Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures (2011 or 2013 edition, American Concrete Institute); ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (2011 or 2014 edition, American Concrete Institute); and the Code of Federal Regulations 29 CFR Part 1926, OSHA, latest amendments, either the Government Printing Office edition or the PSI Selections edition. Combination fee 269.06 dollars for both parts; 134.53 dollars to retake either part alone.

GB-2 Residential Building Contractor exam (residences and apartment buildings of four units or fewer)

80 questions, 225 minutes, 75 percent or 60 points to pass, open book. Outline covers Sitework Footings and Foundations, Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement, Masonry, Carpentry, Roofing, Associated Trades, General Code Plan Reading and Estimating, and OSHA Safety. Approved references: New Mexico Administrative Code Title 14; New Mexico Residential Building Code (NMAC 14.7.3, 2021 edition); International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings (ICC, 2021 edition); International Energy Conservation Code (ICC, 2021 edition); The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction (3rd edition, 2005, American Concrete Institute); Roofing Construction and Estimating (Atcheson, 2022, Craftsman Book Company); BCSI Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing, Restraining, and Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses (2018, updated March 2020, Structural Building Components Association and Truss Plate Institute); Carpentry and Building Construction (Feirer and Feirer, 2010 or 2016 student edition, McGraw Hill); Modern Masonry, Brick Block Stone (Kicklighter, 8th edition, 2015, Goodheart Willcox); Pipe and Excavation Contracting (Roberts, 2011, Craftsman Book Company); and the Code of Federal Regulations 29 CFR Part 1926, OSHA, latest amendments (Government Printing Office edition or the PSI Selections edition). Fee 134.53 dollars standalone.

EE-98 Residential and Commercial Electrical exam (electrical contracting at 5000 volts or less)

A combination exam in three parts; all three must be passed, only the failed part or parts need retaking. Part 1, Commercial and Industrial: 80 questions, 200 minutes, 75 percent or 60 points to pass, covering General Knowledge and Electrical Installation Requirements, Services Feeders and Branch Circuits, Overcurrent Protection, Grounding and Bonding, Conductors and Cables, Raceways and Boxes, Hazardous Locations Special Occupancies and Special Equipment, Lighting Signs and General Use Equipment, Motors Transformers and Generators, and New Mexico State Code. Part 2, Residential: 40 questions, 100 minutes, 75 percent or 30 points to pass, the same subject areas scaled to residential scope. Part 3, Specialties: 50 questions, 135 minutes, 75 percent or 38 points to pass, covering Low Voltage including Alarms, Electrical Signs and Outline Lighting, Cathodic Protection and Lightning Protection Systems, Telephone and Computer Systems, and Sound and Communication Systems. All three parts are open book. Approved references across the three parts: NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code, 2020 edition, or the National Electrical Code Handbook (NFPA); New Mexico Electrical Code (NMAC 14.10.4, 2020 edition); and for Part 3 only, also NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm Code, 2010 edition. The bulletin explicitly bars several popular trade references from every EE-98 part, most notably the American Electricians' Handbook (Croft, Hartwell, and Summers, 17th edition, 2021, McGraw Hill) and Ugly's Electrical References (Hart, 2008, 2011, or 2014 edition), plus, for Part 3 specifically, the Lineman's and Cableman's Handbook (Shoemaker and Mack, 14th edition, McGraw Hill), Telecommunications Wiring (Herrick, 3rd edition, 2001), Understanding and Servicing Alarm Systems (3rd edition, 1999), the Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual (BICSI, 10th or 15th edition, 2024), NFPA 75, Live Sound Reinforcement (Stark), and Data, Voice, and Video Cabling (Hayes and Rosenberg, 3rd edition, 2009). Combination fee 269.06 dollars for all three parts; 89.69 dollars to retake any single part.

Tabbing and highlighting, all four exams

Every one of these exams runs under the same PSI rule. References must be bound, and may be highlighted, underlined, or indexed before the exam session starts, but nothing may be written in them during the session itself or the proctor will confiscate them and report the candidate to CID. Tabs must be permanent; Post It notes and other temporary tabs are not allowed and must be removed before the exam begins. No loose or additional papers of any kind may be attached to or carried in with an approved reference; anything extra found tucked into a reference is confiscated on the spot. Candidates may bring a silent, non printing, non programmable calculator.

Where to test

New Mexico's own PSI centers are in Albuquerque (9550 San Mateo Blvd NE), Farmington (1307 E 20th St), Las Cruces (1001 N Solano, Suite D), Roswell (105 E Fifth St), and Santa Fe (4001 Office Court Drive, Suite 301). The bulletin also names four neighboring options a candidate can use instead: Durango, Colorado, plus Amarillo, El Paso, Lubbock, and Midland, Texas, each explicitly listed as offering the New Mexico exams, and a general Out of State Request Form for any other PSI center nationwide. No remote or online proctoring option is described anywhere in this contractor bulletin; each of these four exams is administered in person at a PSI test center only.

Retake rules

The general PSI rule for all four of these exams: a candidate may not take the same exam more than twice within a 30 day period, and after two fails inside 30 days must wait a full 30 days from the first attempt before testing again. A passing score is valid for 1 year from the exam date. If the trade exam and the Business and Law exam are not both passed within 1 year of each other, the earlier pass expires and has to be retaken too.

Fees

Business and Law, 68.88 dollars, first attempt or retake. GB-98 combination (both parts), 269.06 dollars; either GB-98 part alone, retake only, 134.53 dollars. GB-2 standalone, 134.53 dollars. EE-98 combination (all three parts), 269.06 dollars; any single EE-98 part, retake only, 89.69 dollars. All exam fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable per the bulletin.

Source: State of New Mexico Contractor Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin, PSI Services LLC, updated 4/3/2026 (PSI New Mexico contractor exams), checked 2026-08-28. The same bulletin lists a new EV-98 Elevator Inspector exam going live 5/7/2026, tied to the 2023 Elevator Safety Act's January 1, 2026 conveyance registration deadline, a classification outside the GB, EE, and MM scope covered on this page.

Experience

Experience requirements

The person who qualifies a license is called the Qualifying Party (QP), and the experience clock runs on hours within the ten years immediately preceding the application (PSI license management portal NM CID Qualifying Party Application Instructions, updated May 2025, and New Mexico Contractor Licensing FAQ). Requirements split into two tiers by classification. Two years, 4,000 hours, covers GB-2 residential, all GS specialty codes, GA-1 through GA-5, GF-1 through GF-9, ER-1 residential wiring, ES-1 through ES-10 electrical specialties, and MS-3 and MS-6 mechanical specialties. Four years, 8,000 hours, covers GB-98 general building, GA-98, GF-98, EE-98 electrical, EL-1, MM-98 mechanical, MM-1 through MM-4 plumbing and mechanical work, and MS-12 and MS-14 (PSI license management portal QP Application Instructions). For GB-98 specifically, the regulation requires four years of foreman level practical or related trade experience, of which at least two years must be commercial experience, not just any four years of building experience (14.6.6.9.B.2 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). Experience must have been gained working for a contractor licensed in that trade, or doing legal work in the state where it was performed, with limited exceptions for military service, work performed out of the country, and some homeowner experience, which PSI evaluates case by case.

Bond and insurance

Financial requirements and bonding

Every licensee must post a 10,000 dollar surety bond, underwritten by a corporate surety authorized to transact business in New Mexico, both at initial licensure and as a condition of every renewal, and the bond must stay in force for the entire period of licensure (14.6.3.8 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). Claims against the bond expire two years after final inspection or certificate of occupancy, whichever comes first. Workers' Compensation coverage is required of every licensed entity regardless of classification (PSI license management portal New Mexico Contractor Licensing FAQ).

An additional financial statement requirement is sometimes described, showing positive net worth on a CID form, with CPA review for GA-98 and other unlimited classifications, tied to a 2009 rule change that eliminated the older options of a cash collateral assignment, a compliance bond, or an audited financial statement in place of the bond. That requirement is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page, including 14.6.3.8.C NMAC, the section titled Proof of Financial Responsibility, or CID's own QP application and fee documents; only the 10,000 dollar bond is stated there. It most likely reflects a surety bonding company's own underwriting paperwork for issuing that bond rather than a CID regulatory requirement. Confirm this directly with CID before relying on it.

Fees and timeline

Application and processing timelines

All requirements for licensing or certification, meaning the QP's exams, the Business and Law course, and the company's full license application, must be completed within six months from the date CID receives the application (14.6.3.8 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center; PSI license management portal QP Application Instructions). The turnaround time for CID's own review of a completed license application, once the QP is already certified, is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page. Confirm current processing time directly with CID.

The renewal schedule, per New Mexico NMSA 60-13-18 and 14.5.5.8 NMAC (New Mexico Regulation and Licensing), is as follows: two year renewal, 200 dollars for GB-98, GB-2 and the other general classifications, or 100 dollars for all others (14.5.5.8 NMAC); a late renewal costs one dollar a day for the first 30 days, then twice the renewal fee; the license is cancelled if not renewed within three months (NMSA 60-13-18).

Reciprocity

Reciprocity and exam waivers

Beyond the narrow NASCLA waiver described above, New Mexico's only other reciprocity is at the journeyman level, not at the contractor or Qualifying Party level (New Mexico Regulation and Licensing construction industries apply page). The only journeyman classification New Mexico reciprocates is EE-98J, residential and commercial electrical journeyman with 8,000 hours of experience, and it is honored only from ten specific states: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. It requires a reciprocal application, a fee, and proof of an active, current, good standing journeyman credential from one of those states (New Mexico Regulation and Licensing construction industries apply page). Contractor license or Qualifying Party level reciprocity with any other state, and reciprocity for any other journeyman classification beyond the NASCLA GB-98 and EE-98 exam waiver, is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page.

Trades

Trades overlay

Electrical, and mechanical and plumbing, including HVAC and natural gas fitting, are not separate boards in New Mexico. They are classification families inside the same CID under the same Construction Industries Licensing Act (14.6.6.10 and 14.6.6.11 NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). A journeyman certificate is required of anyone actually performing electrical or mechanical and plumbing work. Apprentices may work only under the direct supervision of a certified journeyman, and there are fixed supervision ratios, generally one journeyman to two apprentices on commercial work and one to three on residential work (14.6.6.10.A and 14.6.6.11.A NMAC, New Mexico State Records Center). A licensed electrical contractor may bid and contract as prime on an entire project only if the electrical portion is the major share of the contract by dollar amount.

What changed

What changed since the last verification on 2026-07-14

Two updates matter most. The regulation governing what happens when a licensed company loses its Qualifying Party states that there is no grace period to find a replacement. The license is automatically cancelled the moment it lacks a certified QP, with only a 120 day window for permitted work already in progress before those permits are voided too (14.6.3.8.K.2 NMAC). Separately, the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department's own site confirms journeyman electrical reciprocity, and it is narrower than it might first appear: it covers only the EE-98J residential and commercial electrical journeyman classification, requiring 8,000 hours of experience, and is honored only from ten states, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming.

A financial statement and CPA review requirement is sometimes described alongside the bond requirement. That detail is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page, and most likely reflects a private bonding company's own underwriting practice for issuing the required surety bond rather than a Construction Industries Division rule. Confirm this directly with the board or a bonding company before relying on it.

Two items are still in progress. The Construction Industries Division held a public hearing on April 21, 2026 proposing amendments to 14.6.4 journeyman certification, 14.6.5 inspectors, and 14.6.6 classifications and scopes, including changes to plumbing, fuel gas piping, HVAC, hydronics, and fire suppression and sprinkler classifications, plus adopting 2024 edition plumbing, pool and spa, medical gas, and mechanical codes in place of older editions. As of this page's source date, the published 14.6.6 NMAC text still carries an effective date of March 10, 2022, so these proposed changes had not yet taken effect. They could touch the MS mechanical and plumbing specialty codes described elsewhere on this page. Separately, PSI's current candidate bulletin lists a new EV-98 Elevator Inspector exam going live 5/7/2026, tied to the 2023 Elevator Safety Act's January 1, 2026 conveyance registration deadline. This applies only to the elevator trade and does not affect the GB, EE, or MM classifications covered on this page.

Every other fact on this page, including the exam vendor, the bond amount, the QP fee structure, the 30 percent common ownership rule, the NASCLA waiver scope, the exam fees and question counts, and the renewal cancellation and late fee schedule, remains unchanged from the last verification.

The board

Who licenses general contractors

The Construction Industries Division (CID), part of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), licenses all contractors statewide out of offices in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces (New Mexico Regulation and Licensing construction industries page). There is no separate local or county licensing path. CID is the single statewide authority for general, electrical, and mechanical and plumbing contractors alike (New Mexico Administrative Code 14.6.6.1 NMAC, issuing agency section, New Mexico State Records Center).