When do you need a hospitality permit drawing?
A hospitality permit drawing is required when applying for an alcohol and hospitality permit or operating permit from the municipality. For restaurants, cafés, lunchrooms, hotels and other hospitality businesses, this permit is the legal basis for receiving guests and serving alcohol. The municipality and the fire brigade assess the drawing for layout, fire safety, escape routes and sanitary facilities.
Common situations in which a hospitality permit drawing is required:
- Starting a new hospitality business, such as a restaurant, café or lunchroom.
- Taking over an existing hospitality premises with a new entrepreneur or new concept.
- Expanding an existing business with a terrace, an additional room or a storey.
- Changing the interior in a way that affects escape routes, capacity or kitchen layout.
What is shown on a hospitality permit drawing?
A complete hospitality permit drawing shows the floor plan of the entire hospitality business, usually at a scale of 1:100. All spaces are labelled with their function: kitchen, bar, seating area, sanitary facilities, storage, office and possibly a terrace. The position of entrances, emergency exits and escape routes is clearly marked, as are the circulation routes within the business.
Safety provisions are explicitly indicated: firefighting equipment, emergency lighting, escape route signage and any fire suppression system above the kitchen. Businesses with a night-time permit or large capacity require additional provisions. A terrace comes with a separate terrace floor plan showing the dimensions of the outdoor area, the arrangement of tables and chairs and the position relative to the building and the public road.
Building Decree, fire brigade and municipality
A hospitality business falls under the requirements for an assembly function in the Dutch Building Decree (Bbl). The municipality and fire brigade check whether the building meets the requirements for fire compartmentalisation, escape route capacity, material use and occupancy per space. For larger capacities, a notification or permit for fire-safe use often also applies, separate from the hospitality permit itself.
In addition to the hospitality permit, an environmental permit may also be required if the building is structurally altered, the use changes or the terrace uses outdoor space not previously designated for that purpose. We therefore align the hospitality permit drawing with the broader permit dossier where necessary.
What does a hospitality permit drawing cost?
A hospitality permit drawing is available from €300. The final price depends on the floor area of the hospitality business, the number of storeys and the complexity. A single-storey lunchroom can be drawn more quickly than a restaurant with multiple rooms, a night-time permit, an outdoor terrace and a kitchen with a fire suppression system.
In addition to the drawing, you should account for the municipality's permit fees for the hospitality permit, possibly an additional notification or permit for fire-safe use, and, in the case of renovation, the costs of the environmental permit. For terraces, a separate ground rent (precario) or terrace permit often also applies.
Difference with the occupancy permit drawing
A hospitality permit drawing belongs specifically with the alcohol and hospitality permit or operating permit. An occupancy permit drawing or notification for fire-safe use is broader and applies to all buildings where large groups of people gather, regardless of whether it is hospitality. In practice, the two drawings overlap to a large extent: both show layout, escape routes and fire safety.
For hospitality businesses that need a drawing for both procedures, we often deliver one base drawing in two versions: a set for the municipality for the alcohol and hospitality permit and a set for the fire brigade for the notification of fire-safe use. This saves time and ensures consistency between the dossiers.
