Pre-consultation with the council

When is a pre-consultation useful?

Not every building plan calls for a pre-consultation. For a standard dormer window at the rear that falls neatly within the permit-free boundaries, the chance of discussion is small. But in the following situations a pre-consultation is strongly recommended.

Je plan wijkt af van het omgevingsplan

If you want to build outside the dimensions or functions that the environment plan allows, you need an out-of-plan environment plan activity (BOPA). That is a more complex procedure. With a pre-consultation you find out whether the municipality is willing at all to consider a deviation, before you invest time and money in a formal application that is hopeless from the outset.

Je twijfelt over welstand

Some municipalities assess your design against an aesthetic review guidelines document or image quality plan. If your plans for the front facade or the roof deviate from the existing buildings in the street, the chance of aesthetic review objections is real. A pre-consultation in which the aesthetics committee (or a civil service aesthetic review adviser) is also involved gives early clarity about the architectural feasibility.

Je bouwt bij of aan een monument of in een beschermd gezicht

For national monuments, municipal monuments or protected townscapes and village conservation areas, strict rules apply. A pre-consultation with the heritage department is almost indispensable here. Surprises afterwards can have major consequences for the design.

Grotere of complexere projecten

For more extensive renovations, larger-scale residential extensions or changes to a commercial function, a pre-consultation is almost always worthwhile. The more complex the project, the more parties are involved in the assessment (environment plan, aesthetic review, structure, fire safety, water) and the more points can go wrong with the formal application.

Je hebt twijfels over de haalbaarheid

Sometimes you simply do not know for certain whether your idea is feasible. A pre-consultation is then a low-threshold way to find that out, without immediately investing in a complete permit application.

What do you provide for a pre-consultation?

The documents you submit for a pre-consultation are less detailed than for a formal application, but they must be clear enough for the municipality to give a meaningful response. Usually the following is required.

Schetsplan of voorlopig ontwerp

A schematic drawing of your building plan: floor plans, elevations and a cross-section. The drawing does not yet need to be fully dimensioned or detailed, but the dimensions and the position relative to the plot boundary must be recognisable. If there is any doubt about aesthetic review, it is wise to already indicate the material choice for the roof and facade.

Site plan

A map showing where the building will be located on the plot, relative to the existing home and the plot boundaries.

Beschrijving van het plan

A brief explanation of what you want to build, what it will be used for, and why you think it fits (or why you think a deviation from the environment plan is justified). The more concrete your explanation, the more focused the municipality's response can be.

Soms aanvullend

For plans at a monument or in a protected conservation area, the municipality often also expects photographs of the current situation and the surroundings. For more complex projects, the municipality may ask for a spatial justification or a preliminary structural concept.

Gemeente-specifiek

Every municipality sets its own requirements for pre-consultation. Some work with a standard application form, others ask you to contact the permits counter for an initial intake interview. Consult the website of your municipality for the specific procedure.

What does it cost and how long does it take?

The costs and lead time of a pre-consultation vary considerably per municipality. There is no nationally fixed rate for this.

Costs

Some municipalities offer a first intake or a brief orientation free of charge. For a more extensive concept request, many municipalities charge municipal fees. These are usually set as a percentage of the construction cost or as a fixed rate per type of application. The fees ordinance of your municipality can be found on the municipal website or at the permits counter.

Bear in mind that at most municipalities you also pay municipal fees if the pre-consultation results in a negative recommendation. You pay for the processing, not for a positive outcome. In some cases the costs of the pre-consultation are offset against the municipal fees of the subsequent formal application; check this with your municipality.

Lead time

A pre-consultation has no statutory decision deadline the way a formal permit application does. The municipality responds at its own pace. In practice, the lead time at most municipalities is between two and six weeks, depending on the complexity of the plan and the workload of the case handlers. For plans that involve the aesthetics committee, which typically meets periodically, it can take longer.

Verhouding tot de formele aanvraag

A well-completed pre-consultation shortens the lead time of the formal application. You know in advance what the municipality expects, your drawing meets those expectations, and the chance of a request for supplementary information (which pauses the formal deadline) is smaller. On balance, the extra time spent on pre-consultation is usually less than the delay you incur if a formal application is returned halfway through for adjustments.

How does a pre-consultation increase the chance of first-time success?

Most delays with environmental permits do not arise from the procedure itself, but from issues that surface during the procedure: a drawing that does not match the environment plan, a facade that the aesthetics committee rejects or a dimension that falls just outside the permitted limits. All these points can delay your application by weeks or months.

Verrassingen zijn vermijdbaar

A pre-consultation/concept request brings most of those surprises forward. You know before the formal application whether the plan fits within the environment plan, whether aesthetic review has objections, and whether you need additional documents. The formal application then becomes a confirmation of an already informally agreed plan, rather than a step into the unknown.

Minder kans op aanvullingsverzoeken

A supplementary request from the municipality pauses the statutory decision period completely. If your application is returned because a facade is missing or a dimension is unclear, the clock restarts as soon as you submit the supplement. That can cost weeks. A good pre-consultation significantly reduces the likelihood of this.

Tekenpunt ziet 90% van de aanvragen in één keer door welstand

This is partly the result of the working method in which potential objections are identified as early as the design phase. A drawing that already takes the aesthetic review policy and the environment plan into account at the sketch design stage has a major advantage when the formal application is submitted.

Bewuster investeren

A pre-consultation also helps you make a conscious decision about whether a plan is worth developing further. If the municipality indicates that a BOPA is unlikely or that the aesthetic review has serious objections, you know this before you have had a fully worked-out drawing made. This prevents you from investing in a plan that is ultimately refused.

How Tekenpunt handles the drawings for the pre-consultation

Tekenpunt is a building drawing firm that develops building plans for private individuals and professionals. For a pre-consultation we provide a sketch plan or a preliminary design that aligns with the requirements of your municipality: clear enough for a meaningful assessment, but not yet the full package of the formal permit application.

Wat we verzorgen

• Schetsplattegronden en gevels op de juiste schaal
• Situatietekening op basis van kadastrale gegevens
• Advisering over de haalbaarheid binnen het omgevingsplan op basis van jouw perceel en bouwplan
• Toelichting op de materiaal- en kleurkeuzes, waar relevant voor welstand
• Doorontwikkeling naar de volledige verguningstekening zodra het vooroverleg positief is afgerond

Lead time

A sketch plan for the pre-consultation is generally ready within two weeks. If your plan then receives the go-ahead from the municipality, we develop it into a complete set of permit documents. That set is normally ready within 0-3 weeks; with a rush order in 0-2 weeks.

Rates

A construction drawing for the formal application costs from €595. Urgent work costs a surcharge from €495. Add-ons such as a second opinion on the structure, an additional facade or extra floor drawings are quoted separately. The municipal fees for pre-consultation are not included and vary per municipality.

Since 2016 Tekenpunt has completed more than 800 projects. Ninety percent of applications pass the aesthetic review first time. Our structural engineer is KIWA-certified.

Request a quote via the contact form. You will receive a response within one working day.

Differences per municipality: what do you look out for?

Municipalities have been given more policy freedom under the Environment Act. This also means that working practices around pre-consultation can vary considerably.

Geen uniform loket

Some municipalities use a digital form for the concept request. Others ask you to call or email the permits desk for an intake appointment. Larger municipalities sometimes have a special consultation hour for pre-applications. Smaller municipalities handle the pre-consultation more informally. Check your municipality's website or call the permits desk.

Welstandscommissie of ambtelijke toets

Not every municipality works with a classic aesthetics committee. Some municipalities have replaced the aesthetic review with an administrative assessment or an image quality plan. Other municipalities have designated aesthetic-review-free areas for certain neighbourhoods or building types. Whether your plan has to go before the aesthetics committee depends on the location and the type of structure.

Afwijkend beleid in beschermde gebieden

In protected townscapes and village scenes or with listed buildings, additional assessment frameworks apply. There the involvement of the heritage department and sometimes the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) is greater. If you live in such an area, contact the municipality before you even begin a drawing.

Legesbeleid verschilt sterk

Some municipalities charge considerably for an extensive concept request, others offer a free initial consultation. Enquire about the costs in advance so you are not faced with surprises. The municipal fees ordinance is public and is generally available on the municipal website.

Omgevingsplan in de overgangsperiode

Municipalities have until 2032 to fully establish their environment plan. In the meantime, temporary environment plans apply, which are a combination of the old zoning plans and the transitional rules. What the plan in your municipality exactly permits can be checked via the Omgevingsloket (omgevingsloket.nl) or via your municipality's map viewer.

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