Dealing with Construction Permits in
Netherlands
Listed below is detailed summary of the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse —including obtaining necessary licenses and permits, completing required notifications and inspections and obtaining utility connections.
The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.
-
Building a warehouse
-
Estimated Warehouse Value:
EUR 583,333
- City: Amsterdam
| No. |
Procedure |
Time to Complete |
Associated Costs |
| 1 |
Review of a rough plan of the warehouse by municipal authorities
The review costs EUR 3 for every EUR 1,000 in building costs.
Agency: Municipality
|
62 days
|
EUR 4,500
|
| * 2 |
Obtain report on the soil conditions from soil researching company
The soil on which a building is to be constructed should not be contaminated. If a soil report is not available, soil testing must be conducted. The soil testing should be performed before requesting a building permit.
Agency: Soil Researching Company
|
45 days
|
EUR 9,650
|
| 3 |
Submit a request for a building permit to the Municipal Executive (Mayor and Aldermen)
As of October 1st, 2010 there is a new regulation regarding the building permit application: the so-called general environmental law (Wet algemene bepalingen omgevingsrecht- Wabo). All different types of building permits (more than 25, e.g. building permit, demolition permit, a permit to cut down trees, etc) are now combined into one environmental permit.
All building permits are now named “environmental permit”
In case the building does not fit into the zoning scheme, then the procedure to obtain the permit will take 26 weeks. In general the procedure to obtain a permit takes 8 weeks.
There are exceptions in particular cases for which the procedure takes 26 weeks:
- Application for a specific fire-safe utilization of a building
- Application for a building in which an enterprise is going to start with production processes that are harmful for the environment
- Application for a building that does not fit into the zoning scheme
- Application for a building permit concerning a renovation of a cultural heritage building
Agency: Municipal Executive (Mayor and Aldermen)
|
84 days
|
EUR 22,532
|
| * 4 |
Request a permit to use the building from the Municipal Executive (Gebruiksvergunning)
The request for a use permit must be submitted to the Municipal Executive. Several documents must be submitted with the request, including floor and ground plans. The time frame can be extended by another 42 days, but only after the applicant has been properly notified. If the request is not complete, the Municipal Executive can grant a period of 4 weeks for BuildCo to submit all the required data.
If a request for a building permit is pending, the decision to issue a use permit is postponed until the building permit is issued. The time limit for making a decision regarding the application for a use permit is 42 days from the date the building permit has been granted. A law allowing for the simultaneous application for the building permit and the use permit is under preparation but will most likely not be in effect before 2009.
According to municipal building regulations, it is prohibited to use a building for storage of, among other things, flammable material, material conducive to fire, or material that creates a danger when fire breaks out (as defined by the Statutory Regulations on the Building Decree, or Regeling Bouwbesluit). Corrugated cardboard is considered highly inflammable. If the warehouse is to be used to store books, for instance, a use permit might therefore be compulsory.
Agency: Municipal Executive (Gebruiksvergunning)
|
84 days
|
EUR 1,350
|
| * 5 |
Notify Municipal House if there is a heating installation
The notification is pursuant to the municipal heating regulations (Verordening Stookinstallaties). The regulations establish technical and environmental rules with which the installation should comply.
Agency: Municipality
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 6 |
Notify building inspector two days before work begins
For each of the following activities, an independent notification is required:
- The start of construction work, including excavations.
- The start of foundation activities.
- The start of soil consolidation activities.
Furthermore, the building inspection office should be notified at least one day before the start of concrete pouring. This inspection can be carried out on site.
Agency: Building Inspection
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 7 |
Request and receive inspection at foundation stage
There are one or two inspections at the foundation stage.
Agency: Building Inspection
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 8 |
Request and receive inspection at roof stage
There are one or two inspections at the roofing stage.
Agency: Building Inspection
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 9 |
Notify building inspector upon completion of work
If a permit is required for the use the building, the building inspector must be notified when part of the construction has been completed, such as when the connection to the sewer system has been made, or when all the work has been completed. Notification must be given of the completion of construction work in order to be granted a permit to use the property. If inspections show that the building has not been constructed in accordance with the building permit, a use permit cannot be issued.
Agency: Building Inspection
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 10 |
Notify fire department upon completion of work
Agency: Fire Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 11 |
Receive Final Inspection
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 12 |
Request connection to water
Agency: Vitens N.V.
|
6 days
|
no charge
|
| * 13 |
Receive inspection for water services
Agency: Vitens N.V.
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 14 |
Pay and Obtain connection to water
Agency: Vitens N.V.
|
21 days
|
EUR 370
|
| * 15 |
Request and receive connection to the telephone
Agency: Koninklijke KPN N.V. (KPN)
|
6 days
|
EUR 100
|
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.