Construction drawing costs in 2026
You want to renovate: an extension, a dormer, an outbuilding or perhaps something larger. You will need a construction drawing and in most cases also a building permit. But what does that actually cost? Many people focus on the construction costs themselves and are later surprised by the costs for drawings and permits. In this article we set everything out so you know exactly where you stand.
Package Drawing costs from €379 incl. VAT at Tekenpunt for a dormer, always a fixed price with no cost surprises. Package Drawing + structural calculation (with structural calculation) starts from €679 incl. VAT, package Complete (with submitting the environmental permit) from €879 incl. VAT + municipal fees. 3D visualisation can be added separately to any package, and rush delivery costs from €236 incl. VAT to €417 incl. VAT extra. Municipal fees are paid directly to the municipality; these vary per municipality. The standard permit procedure takes a maximum of 8 weeks.
What do the costs consist of?
The total cost of a construction drawing and permit consists of several components that you need to keep clearly separate. It helps to budget for them individually in advance so you are not caught off guard halfway through.
Draughting work is the preparation of the drawings you need for the permit application: floor plans, elevation views, sections and a site plan. This is the basic work required for every permit-required renovation. The drawings must comply with the requirements of the Building Decree (Bbl) and the submission requirements your municipality sets via the Omgevingsloket.
Structural calculation comes into play when you remove load-bearing walls, create a large span, or add an extension with a foundation or new roof structure. A structural engineer calculates whether the structure is safe and stable. Municipalities increasingly require this as a mandatory part of the permit application. At Tekenpunt, our own structural engineer is part of the fixed team, so the drawings and calculations line up. Read more on the structural calculation page.
3D visualisation is not required for the permit, but it helps you evaluate the design before breaking ground. Especially for larger renovations it prevents disappointments afterwards and makes it easier to make adjustments to the design rather than on the building site. See also 3D visualisation.
Aesthetic review plays a role in many municipalities. Since the Environment Act (in force from 1 January 2024), municipalities work with an environment plan that includes spatial quality requirements. Depending on your municipality and the nature of your renovation, an aesthetic review committee assesses whether your building plan fits the appearance of the neighbourhood. Tekenpunt guides you through this process as part of the complete packages and proactively aligns the design with your municipality's requirements.
Municipal permit fees are the charge that the municipality makes for processing your environmental permit application. These are costs that come on top of the drawing work and vary considerably from municipality to municipality. More on this in the section on permit fees below.
Tekenpunt pricing: fixed and transparent upfront
At Tekenpunt you always work with a fixed price. You know upfront what you'll pay and there's no billing surprise afterwards. That's a deliberate choice: renovations already tend to run over budget on the construction cost itself, so you don't want to be surprised by a higher bill from your drafting firm too. These are our 3 packages (price depends on the type of renovation; the example below is for a dormer):
- Drawing, from €379 incl. VAT. The drawings you need for a simple permit application: floor plans, elevations and a tailor-made site plan for the Omgevingsloket. - Drawing + structure, from €679 incl. VAT. Besides the permit drawings you receive the structural calculation from our own structural engineer. Sensible as soon as you modify load-bearing walls or plan an extension with new foundations. - Complete, from €879 incl. VAT + municipal fees (set by your municipality). We also submit the environmental permit for you via the Omgevingsloket and guide municipal questions until the decision. 3D visualisation can be added separately to any package. If you are in a hurry, rush delivery is possible: +30% for rush (minimum €236 incl. VAT) or +50% for extra rush (minimum €417 incl. VAT), on top of the regular drawing work. The standard delivery time is by arrangement (see your quote). Tekenpunt has worked since 2016 and has completed 930 projects. Nine out of ten applications pass the aesthetic review at the first attempt, which shows that the drawing work aligns with what municipalities expect. See all package prices per type on the rates page, or request a tailored quote via request a quote.
What are permit fees and what do you pay for them?
Permit fees are the municipal charge for processing your building permit application. Every municipality sets these costs itself in a permit fee by-law, which means they can vary considerably between municipalities.
In practice, municipalities calculate permit fees as a percentage of the estimated construction cost or via fixed rates per type of intervention, sometimes combined in bands with increasing percentages. There is no national standard rate: the permit fee ordinance of one municipality can differ considerably from a neighbouring one. For the exact amount in your municipality, check the fee ordinance on the municipal website or enquire with the permits department.
When do you pay permit fees? Permit fees are charged at the point the municipality accepts your application for processing, so shortly after submission. You pay regardless of whether the permit is granted or refused, although in the event of refusal a (partial) refund is sometimes possible.
Permit fees are always a separate item on top of the drawing work. Tekenpunt does not charge permit fees: you pay these directly to the municipality. What Tekenpunt does provide: a complete and correct application so that the municipality does not have to send anything back, saving time and sometimes additional costs in the event of a resubmission.
What counts towards the construction sum? Municipalities generally use the contractor's cost estimate as the basis. In some cases you need a detailed budget as an attachment to the application. Your contractor or Tekenpunt can advise you on what is customary in your municipality.
The environmental permit under the Environment Act
Since 1 January 2024 the Environment Act has been in force. It replaces a large part of the former legislation, including the former Wabo (General Provisions of Environmental Law Act). At the same time, the Building Decree (Bbl) serves as the successor to the former Building Code (Bouwbesluit). It is therefore no longer relevant to refer to a 'Wabo permit' or to test against the 'Bouwbesluit': the correct terms are environmental permit and Bbl.
What changes for you as a renovator? At its core the steps are familiar: you submit an environmental permit application via the Omgevingsloket (omgevingsloket.nl), the municipality assesses it against the Bbl and the environment plan, and you receive a decision. What does change is that municipalities gain more scope to set their own rules on spatial quality and land use in their environment plan. This makes it even more important to know the specific requirements of your municipality.
Standard and extended procedure. The standard procedure for an environmental permit takes a maximum of 8 weeks, with a possible extension of 6 weeks if the municipality needs that time. The extended procedure, which applies to more complex interventions or situations where an environmental impact assessment is required, takes longer. Tekenpunt works with the standard procedure in the vast majority of cases.
Permit-free construction. Not every renovation requires an environmental permit. Some smaller structures are permit-free under the Bbl, provided they meet specific conditions such as location, height, and area. Unsure whether your renovation is permit-free? Tekenpunt looks into this at the quotation stage and gives you a clear answer.
What does a mistake in the construction drawing or a rejected application cost?
Good drawings are cheaper than they appear when you compare them with what can go wrong.
An incomplete or incorrect application is not accepted for processing or is refused by the municipality. You then pay permit fees again for a fresh application. Depending on the municipality, permit fees are partially refunded upon refusal, but this is not guaranteed and in any case costs weeks of delay in your schedule.
If the contractor has already started on the basis of drawings that do not correspond to what has been permitted, this can lead to enforcement action by the municipality. The municipality can impose a construction stop or subsequently refuse to grant an environmental permit for what has already been built. Additional work, remediation costs, and standstill are outside the scope of any drawing quote and can cost many times more than what you saved on the drawing work.
A drawing firm that works on a cost-plus basis can also surprise you: you start at an apparently low base price and pay per revision, per additional view, or per hour for communication with the municipality. At Tekenpunt, the price is the price. No hidden costs, no hourly invoices afterwards.
That makes the fixed price not only convenient for your budget, but also a safe choice for your planning.
When do you need which package?
To help you on your way, a general guideline:
Drawing (from €379 incl. VAT for a dormer) suits relatively simple projects where the municipality has no extra requirements: a dormer, a shed, a small extension in a municipality without strict aesthetics policy. Also suitable if you already have a design and just need correct permit drawings. Drawing + structural calculation (from €679 incl. VAT) makes sense if you're altering load-bearing walls or planning an extension with a new foundation: drawing and structural calculation in one package, by our own structural engineer. Complete (from €879 incl. VAT + municipal fees) also has us submit the environmental permit and handle municipal questions through to the decision — handy if you want to hand off the whole process. 3D visualisation can be added separately to any of the 3 packages, handy if you want a clear visual picture before construction starts or want to discuss the design with your contractor and family. In a hurry? Rush delivery is possible: +30% for rush (minimum €236 incl. VAT) or +50% for extra rush (minimum €417 incl. VAT), on top of the regular drawing work. Handy if a contractor is already booked or you have a deadline for submitting the application. Not sure which package suits your situation? Request a free quote via offerte-aanvragen and we'll go through it together.
Structural calculation: when is it mandatory and what does it cost?
A structural calculation is a technical calculation that demonstrates that a building structure is sufficiently strong and stable. Under the Building Decree (Bbl), structural safety requirements apply that every structure must meet. The municipality assesses this as part of the permit application.
When does the municipality require a calculation? This varies by situation and by municipality, but in practice it occurs with:
- the removal of load-bearing walls or columns;
- creating a large roof opening or new roof structure;
- placing an extension with a new foundation;
- renovations to an existing building where the load distribution changes.
Some municipalities make the calculation mandatory as a matter of course for certain construction activities; others specifically request it when the drawing gives reason to do so.
Advantage of a certified structural engineer in-house. Tekenpunt has its own structural engineer as a permanent part of the team. That means the structural drawings and calculations are prepared by someone who knows what the submission requirements are and how drawings and calculations must match. That prevents misunderstandings and revisions afterwards.
More information can be found on the structural calculation page.
Aesthetic review and spatial quality: what does this mean for your application?
Aesthetic policy determines whether the appearance of your renovation fits the surroundings. Municipalities have this assessed by an aesthetic review committee or a spatial quality adviser. Under the Environment Act, municipalities work with an environment plan that sets the framework for spatial quality in their area.
Exempt from or subject to aesthetic review? Not every neighbourhood or type of renovation falls under aesthetic oversight. Some areas are exempt from aesthetic review, meaning the municipality does not assess the appearance of a building plan. In protected urban or village conservation areas, stricter criteria apply. Your municipality publishes the aesthetic review policy or assessment framework in the environment plan.
What does the aesthetic review committee assess? Typical assessment points are the facade composition, roof direction, material use, colour scheme and the relationship to adjacent properties. A dormer window that fits perfectly with the architectural style of the street has a much greater chance of approval than a design that deviates strongly.
How Tekenpunt approaches this. Tekenpunt proactively aligns the design with the aesthetic review criteria of your municipality. Nine out of ten applications pass the aesthetic review in one go. That is no coincidence: the drawings are deliberately tailored to the rules that apply to your location, so you do not need an extra round with the municipality.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Are the permit fees included in Tekenpunt's price?
No. You pay the municipal fees directly to your municipality; they are a separate cost on top of the drawing work. Fees vary per municipality and depend on the construction cost and the type of permit. Tekenpunt ensures a complete and correct application so you do not risk unnecessary delays or repeated fee charges.
Q02What does a construction drawing cost for a dormer or extension?
At Tekenpunt, package Drawing starts from €379 incl. VAT for a dormer. Want the structural calculation too? Package Drawing + structural calculation starts from €679 incl. VAT; with submitting the environmental permit included (package Complete) from €879 incl. VAT + municipal fees. 3D visualisation is ordered separately with any package. The exact price depends on the type of renovation and the scope of your project; see all package prices on the pricing page or request a free quote.
Q03What do I pay if the permit is rejected?
If your application is refused due to errors or incomplete drawings, you pay permit fees again on resubmission and incur delay. Municipalities sometimes partially refund permit fees upon refusal, but this is not guaranteed. Good drawings that align with the municipality's requirements significantly reduce this risk.
Q04Can I get a construction drawing faster if I am in a hurry?
Yes. If you are in a hurry, rush delivery is possible: +30% for rush (minimum €236 incl. VAT) or +50% for extra rush (minimum €417 incl. VAT), on top of the regular drawing work. We plan quickly and in consultation with you. More information can be found on the rush page.
Q05Do I need an environmental permit for every renovation?
Not always. Some smaller structures are permit-free under the Building Decree (Bbl), provided they meet specific conditions regarding location, height, and area. Think of certain dormer windows at the rear or small outbuildings. Tekenpunt assesses at the quotation stage whether your plans require a permit and explains this clearly.
Q06Is a structural calculation always required?
Not always, but often for renovations that alter the load-bearing structure: removing load-bearing walls, adding an extension with a new foundation, or making large roof openings. Municipalities require this for the permit application. At Tekenpunt, our own structural engineer is part of the team, so the calculation and the drawing align.
Q07How long does an environmental permit procedure take?
The standard procedure takes a maximum of 8 weeks, with a possible extension of 6 weeks if the municipality needs more time. The extended procedure, for more complex projects, takes longer. Permit-free structures do not need to be submitted to the municipality. Besides the permit term, also factor in the time to prepare the drawings: at Tekenpunt that is by arrangement as standard, or faster (for a surcharge) with rush delivery.
Q08What's the difference between the 3 packages?
Package Drawing (from €379 incl. VAT for a dormer) is the building drawing. Package Drawing + structural calculation (from €679 incl. VAT) adds the structural calculation from our own structural engineer — the most chosen option for extensions and serious renovations. Package Complete (from €879 incl. VAT + municipal fees) adds submitting the environmental permit and handling municipal questions on top of that. 3D visualisation can be added separately to any package, handy for listed buildings, large extensions or projects where you first want to properly assess the design. If in doubt, a quote conversation helps determine the right package.
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