Do you need a permit to renovate in the Netherlands?

What changed with the Omgevingswet?

Since 1 January 2024 the rules on building and the living environment have been combined in one act, the Omgevingswet. Every municipality now has an omgevingsplan (environment plan). For now it contains the old zoning plans (bestemmingsplannen), municipal by-laws and a set of national rules handed to municipalities (the ‘bruidsschat’). Municipalities have until the end of 2031 to replace that temporary part with new rules of their own.

For building, the act distinguishes a technical and a spatial part, and listed buildings add a third test:

• The technical building activity: is the building safe, healthy and usable? The national rules of the Building Decree (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving, Bbl) apply.
• The spatial planning activity for buildings: does the building fit in this location, including its appearance (welstand)? That is set out in your municipality’s omgevingsplan.
• The national monument activity: a separate test for changes to a rijksmonument.

Important: even when building without a permit, the work must comply with the technical rules of the Bbl.

What can you do without a permit?

Most interior renovations are permit-free. On the technical side, a partial renovation needs no permit as long as the load-bearing structure, fire compartmentation and facade insulation stay unchanged. On the spatial side, altering a building without enlarging its built area or volume is generally permit-free. Examples:

• A new kitchen or bathroom within the existing home.
• Adding or removing a non-load-bearing partition.
• New floors, plastering, decorating and bespoke furniture.
• Ordinary maintenance that keeps the detailing, profiles and form.
• Under conditions, an extension or outbuilding in the rear-garden zone, including a maximum height of 5 metres and not within 1 metre of publicly accessible land.
• A dormer on the rear roof slope, within set dimensions.

Note: your municipality can set different rules in its omgevingsplan. For listed buildings and in protected townscapes, many of these exemptions fall away.

When do you need a permit?

• Removing a load-bearing wall or changing the structure. Because the load-bearing structure changes, you need an environmental permit for the technical building activity. A notification is not enough.
• Extending outside the exempt zones. For example an extension at the front or side, or one larger than the rules allow.
• A dormer on the front roof slope. This is only permit-free in an area the municipality has declared free of design review (welstandsvrij).
• Changes to the front facade. New window frames or panels at the front, or on a side facing public space, are not covered by the national exemption. The omgevingsplan decides what is allowed; often a permit is needed.
• Work on a listed building or in a protected townscape. See below.

Unsure? Run the Vergunningcheck and, if useful, discuss your plan with the municipality in advance. You cannot derive rights from the Vergunningcheck outcome; it is a good first indication.

Listed buildings and protected townscapes

Protection is strictest for a national monument. According to the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE), it covers the entire monument, including the roof, facades, internal structure and layout, finishes and fixed interior features, even if the register description only mentions the exterior. Almost every change requires an environmental permit. Ordinary maintenance with the same materials, colour, form, detailing and profiles is permit-free, as is removing a kitchen, bathroom or non-load-bearing wall added after the building was listed.

The municipality decides on the permit and asks the RCE for advice on drastic plans. You can check whether your home is a national monument in the register of national monuments.

• Municipal monument: protection is arranged through the municipality and the omgevingsplan. Rules differ per municipality.
• Protected townscape or village view: here permit-free building is largely limited to interior changes and the rear. Examples include Plan Zuid in Amsterdam and the Noordwestelijk Villagebied in Hilversum or Het Spiegel in Bussum, in Het Gooi.
• Subsidies and loans: owners of a national monument used as a home can apply for a maintenance subsidy (woonhuissubsidie) of up to 38% of eligible costs. The Nationaal Restauratiefonds offers low-interest loans. You cannot receive both a loan and a subsidy for the same work.

An apartment? Think of the owners’ association

In an apartment building, the owners’ association (VvE) manages the common parts, such as the facade and roof. By law you may make changes within your own apartment without consent, provided they do not harm other parts of the building. The deed of division (splitsingsreglement) can deviate from that. Read it before the design starts, and plan around the association’s meetings.

Other rules that come with a renovation

• Asbestos. Anyone having demolition work done, including partial demolition during a renovation, needs an asbestos inventory report if asbestos is known or reasonably suspected. This does not apply to a building, or part of one, built after 1 January 1994.
• Demolition notice. If asbestos is removed or demolition waste is estimated at more than 10 m³, the demolition must be notified at least four weeks in advance.
• Working hours. Commercial building and demolition work is allowed on working days and Saturdays between 07:00 and 19:00. Municipalities can only relax this, not tighten it.
• Municipal fees. The municipality charges fees (leges) for the application, possibly even if the permit is refused. The amounts are in your municipality’s fee regulation.
• Wkb. The Building Quality Assurance Act does not yet apply to renovation; its introduction has been postponed with no start date. The amended Civil Code rules, including on contractor liability, have applied to all renovation since 1 January 2024.
• Trees. Many municipalities protect trees, and felling may need a permit. Check your municipality’s rules before an extension or terrace is designed.

How long does a permit application take?

In the regular procedure the municipality decides within 8 weeks; that period can be extended once by up to 6 weeks. The exceptional extended procedure takes 6 months, with a possible 6-week extension. Unlike under the old law, a permit is no longer granted automatically if the municipality decides late. Allow time on top for drawings, structural calculations and any advisory rounds for listed buildings. According to Tommy’s Service, permits and owners’ association approval together can add six to twelve weeks to a project. More on planning in how long does a villa renovation take?

Announced: more room for permit-free building

On 22 May 2026 the Dutch government announced plans to extend permit-free building and simplify building rules. The proposal still has to pass parliament. Until then, the rules described above apply. We will update this guide when anything changes.

How we handle it

We check the rules for your address before quoting: Vergunningcheck, omgevingsplan, listed status and, for an apartment, the deed of division. If a permit is needed, we prepare the application in consultation with your architect or structural engineer and start it first, so the schedule does not stall. Read also what a villa renovation costs or how we approach a complete villa renovation. Prefer to talk it through? Book a private consult.