A hangar is mostly door. The clear opening has to take the tail of the largest aircraft you plan to store, which means the roof structure, the door header and the foundation under the door track are all sized around one dimension, and getting that dimension right at the start saves more money than anything else in the project.
Aviation is a real part of this metro's economy. Double Eagle II Airport sits on the West Mesa at the top of Nine Mile Hill, about eight miles north of I-40, with a 7,398 by 100 foot instrument runway and a 5,983 by 100 foot crosswind runway, while the Sunport has three runways, the longest at 13,793 feet. We build corporate hangars, maintenance hangars, T-hangar rows and the support buildings that go with them, at general aviation fields and on private airfield land alike.
Because airports are controlled sites, a hangar project has more parties than a typical industrial building: the airport sponsor, the tenant, the insurer and sometimes the federal agencies that fund the field. We work through those approvals with the owner so that construction does not begin before the lease, the height review and the site plan are in place.
The structure is usually a clear-span steel frame or a heavy pre-engineered metal building with a deep door header. The door is the most complex component, whether it is a bifold, hydraulic, sliding or vertical-lift design, and each has different foundation, header and weight requirements. We coordinate the door manufacturer's loads with the structural engineer early, because the supplier's drawings often arrive after the steel is ordered.
The floor is a thick, sloped concrete slab, often with radiant heating tubing, that takes the point loads of aircraft wheels and tugs and drains spilled fuel and wash water toward trench drains and separators. Our high-bay and crane-ready building experience applies directly to the overhead rails and hoists some maintenance hangars need.
The building falls under the 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code, 14.7.2 NMAC, which adopts the 2021 International Building Code as amended. Hangars carry their own fire protection rules, and large buildings often need foam or high-expansion suppression systems in addition to ordinary sprinklers. Electrical classification near fueling and maintenance areas follows the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code, 14.10.4 NMAC.
The airport sponsor adds its own layer. The Double Eagle II Master Plan Update held a public open house in July 2026 and closed public comment on July 31, 2026, and an environmental assessment was prepared for its Access Road B project, which shows how much planning surrounds work at a field of this kind. We ask the sponsor about height limits, setbacks, drainage and taxiway access before we draw a footprint.
Hangars depend on the quality of the apron in front of them. We grade and pave the apron, taxilane connections and vehicle parking, and we build the utility service, the fuel containment and the stormwater system on site. Where the ground is soft or the water table is shallow, as it can be near the river, we design deeper foundations and engineered fill.
Our trade partners also build the concrete aprons and slabs, along with stormwater detention and drainage, so that rain on a large roof and apron does not flood the hangar floor on the first cloudburst.
Sunport and Kirtland Air Force Base share three concrete runways, making a joint civil-military airport, and the New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Special Operations Wing is one of the units hosted at Kirtland. The Sunport sits at 5,355 feet in elevation. Belen Regional Airport, about 3 miles west of Belen, has two asphalt runways of 6,601 and 5,280 feet, and Moriarty Municipal Airport, southeast of Moriarty, has runways of 7,702 and 6,201 feet.
That spread of fields lets owners choose the right fit: the Double Eagle II Airport area for corporate and private aircraft, Kirtland for controlled-access defense work, and the smaller fields for T-hangars and light maintenance. Each has its own sponsor, its own leasing rules and its own approach to utilities.
The door, the clear span and the fire suppression system are the three biggest cost items. After that comes the apron, where aircraft loads call for thicker pavement than a truck court needs. Utilities to a remote airfield parcel can also be significant, since sewer and power are not always at the property line.
We help owners compare one large hangar against a row of smaller ones, and compare steel frame options. Where a project involves a controlled-access base or a government tenant, the paperwork and escort requirements add time and cost that we price in advance.
Construction at an active airfield means restricted crane heights, flagged vehicle routes and notices to the airport manager. We schedule tall lifts for periods the sponsor approves and keep the work area clearly marked and fenced off from taxilanes. If the new hangar is to replace an existing one, we phase the demolition and construction so aircraft always have somewhere to go.
Door and steel lead times are the common bottleneck, so we order as soon as the design supports it. Where a tenant is waiting, a staged approach with a first bay built like a simple storage warehouse or shop space can open early.
Share the aircraft type, the field and the lease status. We will return a hangar concept, door options and a budget range. Our utilities and power experience helps when the parcel needs new service.
Bifold and hydraulic doors are common for large clear openings, and sliding doors suit wide, low-profile buildings. The right choice depends on opening size, wind exposure and budget. Wind on the mesa matters, because a large door acts like a sail.
Yes. The airport sponsor controls the land through a lease and reviews height, location, drainage and design. Federal height review may also apply near runways. Start with the airport manager before you start design.
Hangars hold fuel and large, high-value aircraft, so suppression often includes foam or high-expansion systems in addition to sprinklers. The type depends on size and use, and the fire marshal reviews it early.
Work on or near the base is controlled-access work with its own approvals and escort rules. We plan for that from the outset and tell you the added time up front.
Yes. Many include offices, lounges, parts rooms and shops along one wall. We plan separation, ventilation and egress for those areas and for the aircraft space.
Tell us about the property, the building and the schedule.
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