Building new home(s)

The same rules have been established in all South Limburg municipalities for building a home. These rules are laid down in the Policy Rule 'Make Way for Good Housing Plans 2021'. The basic principle is that new housing is only added where we really need it: the right home in the right place.

More information on South Limburg housing policy can be found on the South Limburg Structural Vision for Housing website

Municipality of Kerkrade goes for quality

The municipality opts for quality. This means, among other things, that the homes have a good level of finish, that the types of homes match the housing need, that the homes are affordable, and that the homes contribute to an upgrading of the immediate living environment and livability.

Procedure plan submission for new home(s)

If you plan to build home(s), there are two ways to do it.

Application in Principle

If you have an idea for a housing plan, we advise you to first have it assessed by the municipality: we call this submitting an application in principle. The municipality will then review your plan and discuss with you the possibilities, impossibilities and possible adjustments. 

This is not yet an official process to get a permit. You do not need finalized drawings and surveys yet. However, we do ask that you provide the following:

However, we do ask that you do at least the following:

  • Intake form to be completed in full and attach a sketch drawing
  • Situation sketch existing situation with dimensions
  • Situation sketch desired situation with dimensions
  • Dimensions of the structure (through a face drawing) and its current and desired function
  • Floor plan with layout of rooms
  • All the information about the activities you want to perform.

The more information you provide, the better we can test.

In this way you will incur few costs and you will get all the information from the municipality whether your plan can be carried out or not. And if so, what needs to happen in the follow-up process to obtain a permit.

Incoming documents are processed in order of receipt. Response time averages about 6-8 weeks.

Environmental permit applications

Through the Environment Desk, you can submit your final plan for an environmental permit.

The difference with the "application in principle" process is that this is an official permit application.  

This means that you must submit all the required information completely, with the plan being fully developed, any necessary studies being provided, technical construction drawings, etc. In short, everything needed to review an environmental permit. We recommend that you hire a consultant (e.g. architect) for this purpose.

Submitting this application also means paying construction fees.

If you are not yet sure about your plan, we recommend that you first submit an application in principle.