Hiring an architect in Antwerp as an expat: permits, fees, process

If you are buying or renovating a home in Antwerp, Belgian law requires a registered architect for any works that need a building permit and affect the structure of the building — and that architect must also supervise the construction. This is not a formality you can contract around: it is how Belgium protects clients, and as an international buyer it works in your favour. What differs for expats is not the rules but the context — a Dutch-language permit system, Antwerp’s own building code and a fee structure you may not know from home. This guide walks through all of it.

Why an architect is legally required

Belgian law reserves the design and the site supervision of permit-required structural works to architects registered with the Orde van Architecten (the Belgian Order of Architects). The register is public — you can verify any architect on architect.be — and registration comes with mandatory professional liability insurance plus a ten-year liability for serious defects (the tienjarige aansprakelijkheid).

In short: new builds, extensions, removing load-bearing walls, new window openings and change-of-use projects with structural works all require both a permit and an architect. Refitting a kitchen or bathroom within the existing structure does not. If you are unsure where your project falls, read Do I need an architect for my renovation in Belgium?

The process, step by step

1. Introductory meeting. You discuss the property, your wishes and your budget — no strings attached. If you are still house-hunting, a feasibility study before you bid can save you from expensive surprises.
2. The contract. Belgian architect contracts define the scope, the phases, the fee and each party’s liabilities.
3. Design and permit. Preliminary design, final design, then the Dutch-language permit file submitted through the Flemish Omgevingsloket (the online environmental permit portal). The city checks completeness within 30 days and then decides within 60 days (simplified procedure) or 105 days (standard procedure with a public inquiry).
4. Tendering. With a bill of quantities and specifications, contractors quote on a comparable basis; your architect helps you assess the offers.
5. Construction and handover. Site meetings, written reports and quality control through to provisional and final acceptance — legally required, and invaluable if you spend part of your time abroad.

After the permit is granted it must be posted on the property (the yellow notice you see on Belgian facades); works may start 35 days after posting if no suspending appeal is filed.

Fees: how Belgian architects charge

Three models are common in Flanders:

• Percentage of construction cost — for renovations often, as an indication, in the range of 10–15% of the works excluding VAT. Fees are freely negotiable; there is no statutory scale.
• Fixed fee per phase — common for well-defined projects.
• Hourly rate — for advice, studies and small commissions, also freely negotiable; the Orde van Architecten cites a study that considers €65–95 per hour a fair rate, depending on experience and office size.

Architect fees carry 21% VAT. The construction works themselves usually qualify for the reduced 6% VAT rate when the home is used as a private dwelling and was first occupied more than ten years ago. Budget separately for the statutory specialists Belgian projects involve: the EPB energy-performance reporter, a safety coordinator (required when more than one contractor works on site), a structural engineer for major interventions, and certificates such as the EPC and the asbestos attest (required when selling a building constructed before 2001). How NNO Studio agrees fees per project is explained on the services page.

Antwerp specifics worth knowing

• The bouwcode. Antwerp has its own building code on top of Flemish rules — covering facades, roofs, splitting buildings into units, bicycle storage and more. What is allowed in a neighbouring municipality may not be allowed here.
• Terraced houses and party walls. Most Antwerp houses share walls with the neighbours; party-wall takeovers (muurovername) and neighbourly agreements are a normal part of the process.
• Heritage. In districts such as the historic centre, Zurenborg or Het Zuid, many buildings are on the heritage inventory, which constrains what can change at the street side.
• The renovation obligation. Buy a home with EPC energy label E or F and you must renovate it to at least label D within six years (since 2026; previously five). Read the full explainer: The Flemish renovation obligation.

Language, practically

The official trail — permit file, correspondence with the city — runs in Dutch. The collaboration itself does not have to: meetings, summaries and decision documents can be handled in English so you always know what you are approving. At NNO Studio that works in Dutch, English and Persian (Farsi).

Conclusion

Renovating in Antwerp as an expat is entirely manageable once the Belgian framework is carried by the right professional: an architect registered with the Orde, insured, fluent in the Antwerp building code — and in a language you are comfortable with. If you would like to test your plans, in English or Dutch, book an introductory meeting.