§02 Local
Renovating in Dordrecht
The historic city center has been largely preserved intact, with an almost complete medieval street pattern and buildings featuring the characteristic 'Dordtse gevel', a brickwork style that goes back to a 16th-century masons' guild and is still visible throughout the city center. Outside the historic core, the housing stock of 57,537 homes (2025) consists of 45% apartments and 36% terraced houses, with an average WOZ value of 331,000 euros in 2025; more than 21% of the homes date from before 1945. This determines which renovations are common in Dordrecht and how best to set up an application.
Common renovations in Dordrecht
Whether it concerns a dormer, a extension, a roof extension or the converting the loft: for each type we supply a permit-ready construction drawing that suits the homes in Dordrecht and the requirements of the municipality. Are you unsure whether your renovation is permit-required? In our knowledge base read what is permit-free.
Aesthetic review in Dordrecht
The aesthetic review policy distinguishes four aesthetic review levels on the island of Dordrecht: intensive, regular, development and permit-free. In the historic city centre and protected townscapes the strictest criteria apply (intensive); building plans in those areas are always referred to the Advisory Committee for Spatial Quality. Under the Environment and Planning Act, the aesthetic review policy will in time become part of the municipal zoning plan, but the existing policy remains fully in force until then. We check those requirements upfront, so that 90% of our designs pass the aesthetic review first time.
How your application works in Dordrecht
Your application in Dordrecht follows a fixed set of steps: a free intake, the design with an aesthetic review check in advance, a structural calculation by our KIWA-certified structural engineer where needed, and then we submit the building permit to the municipality of Dordrecht. The drawing work is done digitally and remotely, and you follow every step in your own online file, from quote to completion. Whether you live in Dordrecht or elsewhere in the Drechtsteden, you pay the same fixed price upfront.