Renovating, restoring, or maintaining monuments
What is it?
If you want to renovate or restore your monument, in most cases you will need an environmental permit from the municipality. Check via Omgevingsloket whether you need to apply for a permit.
For more information, visit the website of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands at or consult the brochure.
What should I do?
- Check via Omgevingsloket whether you need to apply for a permit.
- Before applying for a permit, explain to the municipality what you want to do. The municipality can then immediately tell you whether this is possible and permitted. This will prevent you from submitting an application that will later be rejected.
- Apply for the permit via the Omgevingsloket online.
- If it is not a major renovation, apply for the permit at least 8 weeks in advance.
- If it is a major renovation, you must do this at least 6 months in advance.
- In the case of a major renovation, the municipality will first make a draft decision on your application.
- If you disagree with the draft decision, you can submit your opinion (view) within six weeks. Please state your reasons in your opinion.
- You will automatically receive notification if you are granted the permit.
What do I need?
- Your DigiD if you are a private owner.
- Your eHerkenning if you are an entrepreneur and owner.
- Site plans (scale 1:1,000).
- Floor plan of each floor with dimensions and the purpose of the space (scale 1:100).
- All facade views and relevant cross-sections (scale 1:100).
- Description of the existing and new situation.
- Detailed description of the monument.
How long will it take?
You will receive a response from us within 8 weeks. The municipality may extend this period by 6 weeks. Sometimes we need advice and permission from another organization (competent authority). In that case, an additional 4 weeks will be added.
Lodge an objection
Do you disagree with the municipality's decision?
Then lodge an objection within six weeks.
Additional information
Protected town and village views
The protection of town and village landscapes is regulated in the environmental plan and the Environmental Law (General Provisions) Act (Wabo). Different rules apply to permit-free construction for buildings within protected town or village landscapes. This applies to both listed and unlisted buildings.
Archaeological monument permit
An archaeological monument is a site that forms part of our cultural heritage because remains, objects, or other historical traces have been preserved on or in the ground. You can apply for a permit for an archaeological monument from the municipality.
The cut
The Environment Act separates construction into a technical and a spatial part. This results in two activities:
- technical construction activity and
- the environmental planning activity for a structure.
We call this "the cut."
Technical construction activity
Technical construction activity concerns the assessment of an application against the technical construction quality rules set out in the Building Environment Decree (Bbl). For example, the structural safety of a building. As a result of the split, more technical construction activities are now exempt from planning permission, because spatial conditions no longer play a role.
Environmental plan activity for construction work
The assessment of the construction of a building for spatial construction, maintenance, and use of a building in the environmental plan is referred to as an environmental plan activity for a building. Examples include the building height and the building percentage. However, rules regarding the appearance of a building (aesthetics) and the allocation of functions in the environmental plan are also included.