When do you need an occupancy permit drawing?
An occupancy permit drawing, also known as a fire-safe use drawing, is mandatory for buildings where large numbers of people are present at the same time. Think of schools, daycare centres, care institutions, hotels, event venues and assembly functions. The municipality and the fire brigade assess the drawing to determine whether the building can be used safely with regard to fire for its intended function and occupancy.
Common situations in which an occupancy permit drawing is required:
- A daycare centre or school with more than 10 children under the age of 12.
- A care institution or residential care centre with clients who cannot evacuate independently.
- A hotel, bed & breakfast or group accommodation above a certain capacity.
- An event venue, meeting room or assembly space for more than 50 people.
What is shown on an occupancy permit drawing?
An occupancy permit drawing contains a floor plan for each storey showing all functional zones, escape routes and safety provisions. For each space, the function and the maximum permitted occupancy are indicated. Fire compartmentalisation is explicitly marked, as is the position of fire-resistant doors, windows and penetrations.
Safety provisions are shown in detail: fire extinguishers, fire hose reels, emergency lighting, escape route signage, smoke detectors and, where applicable, an evacuation alarm system. Escape routes are indicated with arrows and the capacity of the escape routes is substantiated in relation to the permitted occupancy. For larger buildings, installation diagrams for fire detection and evacuation systems are also included as an appendix.
Dutch Building Decree (Bbl) and the fire brigade
The occupancy permit drawing accompanies the notification or permit for fire-safe use, laid down in the Dutch Building Decree (Bbl). The legal threshold for a notification or permit depends on the function of the building and the number of people. Stricter thresholds apply to care functions and daycare centres than to offices or assembly functions. The fire brigade advises the municipality on fire safety policy and may impose additional measures.
In practice, proper coordination with the fire brigade region is crucial. Each region has nuances in its policy rules and advice. We create drawings that comply with the national requirements and, where necessary, align them with local fire brigade policy to prevent requests for additional information.
What does an occupancy permit drawing cost?
An occupancy permit drawing is available from €750. The final price depends on the floor area of the building, the number of storeys and the complexity of the function. A single-storey daycare centre can be drawn more quickly than a care institution with multiple storeys, fire compartments and special evacuation systems.
For large or complex projects, additional advice from a fire safety consultant may be required, especially when equivalent solutions are proposed that deviate from the standard rules in the Dutch Building Decree (Bbl). In that case, we work together with the consultant so that the drawing and the advice align.
Difference with the environmental permit and hospitality permit
An environmental permit concerns the construction, renovation or change of use of a building. An occupancy permit or notification for fire-safe use concerns the safe commissioning and continued use of a building for a specific function. A hospitality permit drawing is a specific variant for the alcohol and hospitality permit or operating permit.
In practice, these procedures sometimes occur together. A new school being renovated needs both an environmental permit for the construction and a notification for fire-safe use in order to operate the building with the school function. We align the drawings so that no inconsistencies arise between the dossiers.
