The Flemish government has decided that a new exemption for certain housing renovations only applies if an architect is involved.
Since 1 March, permits are no longer required for renovations to façades and roofs without expanding the building’s volume. This includes modifications to doors and windows, interior renovations, adding indoor insulation, and installing plug-in solar panels.
Before the measure was implemented, architects raised concerns about the lack of an explicit requirement for their involvement. The Network of Architects in Flanders (NAV) warned that inexperienced individuals or contractors could undertake structural changes without proper stability studies, leading to potential risks. They also highlighted legal uncertainties regarding financial responsibility for damages, as contractors’ ten-year liability insurance is tied to permit-required works.
Both opposition and majority parties, including Vooruit and N-VA, had pressed Environment Minister Jo Brouns (CD&V) to revisit the regulations. On Friday, the minister proposed a change that was approved by the council of ministers: anyone wanting to benefit from the exemption must now hire an architect. This adjustment will be in place until amendments are made to the federal Architects Act of 20 February 1939.
