What was the Wabo? From Wabo permit to the building permit
If you search for 'Wabo' or 'Wabo permit', you'll come across a term that no longer formally exists. The General Provisions Environmental Law Act (Wabo) was absorbed into the Omgevingswet on 1 January 2024. What used to be called a Wabo permit is now simply the building permit. Below you can read what the Wabo was, what has changed since 2024, what this means for your building plan, and where you now apply for your permit.
The Wabo (General Provisions Environmental Law Act) was absorbed into the Omgevingswet (Environment and Planning Act) on 1 January 2024 and no longer exists as a separate act. What used to be called a 'Wabo permit' is now the building permit under the Omgevingswet. The biggest change is the split: construction is assessed on two tracks, technical (Bbl) and spatial (environmental plan). You arrange everything via the Omgevingsloket, starting with the permit check. Tekenpunt produces the drawings and, if you wish, submits the complete application (€ 500), including the structural calculation where needed.
What was the Wabo?
The Wabo - in full, the General Provisions Environmental Law Act - came into force in 2010. The great achievement of the Wabo was that it bundled a large number of separate permits and approvals into one building permit.
One counter, one application Where you used to need separate permits for, say, construction, demolition, tree felling or laying a driveway, under the Wabo you could apply for them all at once via a single digital counter. This saved applicants a lot of separate procedures.
The term 'Wabo permit' In everyday speech, the building permit you obtained under the Wabo was often called a 'Wabo permit'. It was always the same building permit; 'Wabo' referred to the act underlying it.
What changed on 1 January 2024?
The Omgevingswet came into force on 1 January 2024. It bundles dozens of laws on the physical living environment - including the Wabo - into one coherent system.
The Wabo has been repealed The Wabo no longer exists as a separate act since then; its content has been absorbed into the Omgevingswet and the underlying decrees, such as the Bbl (Buildings and Structures (Living Environment) Decree) for the building-technical requirements and your municipality's environmental plan for the spatial rules.
The building permit remains The building permit itself has remained - only the legal basis has changed. If you now apply for a permit to build or renovate, it's called a building permit under the Omgevingswet. 'Wabo permit' is therefore an outdated term for the same document.
What does this mean for your building plan? The split
The most important substantive change for people renovating is the so-called split in the building permit.
Two activities instead of one Under the Omgevingswet, a building plan is assessed on two tracks: the technical building activity (does it meet the building-technical requirements of the Bbl) and the environmental-plan activity (does it fit spatially into the surroundings, according to the environmental plan). Where this used to be one assessment, it can now be two separate ones.
Sometimes permit-free, sometimes a notification, sometimes a permit Because of the split, you may not need to do anything on one track while you do on the other. A renovation might, for example, be spatially permit-free but require a building notification technically. The permit check on the Omgevingsloket translates this per address into exactly what you need to arrange.
The rules themselves remain largely familiar Many practical rules - when a dormer or extension is permit-free, what the aesthetic review committee does - have largely carried over in substance. The structure around them is new, but the day-to-day practice for someone renovating closely resembles what they already knew.
Where do you now apply for your building permit?
Since the Omgevingswet, everything runs via the renewed Omgevingsloket (omgevingsloket.nl).
Permit check first You start with the permit check: you enter your address and the type of work, and see per activity whether you're permit-free, need to submit a notification, or need a permit.
Then the application or notification If a permit or notification turns out to be needed, you submit it via the same portal, with the accompanying drawings and details.
The environmental plan as the basis The spatial rules that used to be in the zoning plan are now in your municipality's environmental plan. Among other things, this determines the permitted building heights and permitted uses on your plot.
How Tekenpunt helps you under the current rules
Whether you call it a 'Wabo permit' or a 'building permit': Tekenpunt handles the complete process under the current Omgevingswet.
Drawings matched to the application We produce the construction drawings - floor plans, elevations, sections and the site plan - that you need for the building permit, matched to the requirements of the Omgevingsloket.
Permit arranged If you'd like to hand it off, we'll put together the complete permit file and submit it via the Omgevingsloket. The 'have the building permit application submitted' add-on costs € 500.
Structural work added where needed If the load-bearing structure changes, our KIWA-certified structural engineer provides the structural calculation with structural drawing. This gives you one coherent file that meets the current rules.
In brief: from the Wabo to now
1. The Wabo has been replaced Since 1 January 2024, the Wabo has been absorbed into the Omgevingswet. 'Wabo permit' is the old name for the building permit.
2. The building permit still exists You still apply for a building permit to build or renovate, now under the Omgevingswet.
3. Watch out for the split Construction is assessed on two tracks: technical (Bbl) and spatial (environmental plan). Check per address what you need to arrange.
4. Everything via the Omgevingsloket Do the permit check first, then submit the application or notification.
5. Tekenpunt arranges drawings and the file We provide the drawings, the structural work where needed and - if you wish - the complete application under the current rules.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Does the Wabo still exist?
No. The General Provisions Environmental Law Act (Wabo) was absorbed into the Omgevingswet on 1 January 2024 and no longer exists as a separate act. Its content has been distributed across the Omgevingswet and underlying decrees, such as the Bbl (Buildings and Structures (Living Environment) Decree) and your municipality's environmental plan.
Q02Is a Wabo permit the same as a building permit?
Yes. 'Wabo permit' was the informal name for the building permit you obtained under the Wabo. It's the same building permit you now apply for under the Omgevingswet; only the legal basis has changed.
Q03What exactly changed in 2024 for my renovation?
The biggest change is the split: construction is assessed on two tracks, the technical building activity (Bbl) and the environmental-plan activity (spatial). As a result, you may be permit-free on one track while needing a notification or permit on the other. Many practical rules, such as when a dormer is permit-free, have remained largely familiar in substance.
Q04Where do I now apply for a building permit?
Via the renewed Omgevingsloket (omgevingsloket.nl). You start with the permit check to see whether you're permit-free, need to submit a notification, or need a permit, and then submit the application or notification via the same portal.
Q05Do I still need a separate 'Wabo notification'?
The term 'Wabo notification' is no longer current. Under the Omgevingswet, a building plan may require a building notification for the technical activity, separate from any permit for the spatial activity. The permit check on the Omgevingsloket shows per address what applies to your plan.
Q06Can Tekenpunt apply for the building permit on my behalf?
Yes. Tekenpunt produces the construction drawings and, if you wish, puts together the complete permit file and submits it via the Omgevingsloket. The 'have the building permit application submitted' add-on costs € 500. If the load-bearing structure changes, our KIWA-certified structural engineer provides the structural calculation as well.
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