Foundation risk in the Netherlands: what it is and how to check it
Foundation damage typically costs €50,000–€150,000 and is rarely covered by insurance. Understand the risk before you buy, renovate or sell.
What is foundation risk and why does it matter so much in the Netherlands?
Large parts of western and northern Netherlands are built on peat and soft clay — soil that naturally compresses, and where many homes built before roughly 1970 rest on wooden pile foundations. Once the groundwater level drops below the pile heads, wood rot (pile rot) can set in — a slow process that only becomes visible once damage has already progressed. Repairs typically cost €50,000 to €150,000, an amount usually not covered by standard home insurance. PlotSense calculates foundation risk per address using a points model: construction year from the BAG, peat thickness from BRO GeoTOP, groundwater and subsidence from Deltares, ground elevation from the AHN, and a cross-check against the national FCAB map. The result is a score with letter A–E and a confidence index, so you know when further investigation is worth it.
In depth: how it works and what you need to know
How is the foundation risk score (HTS) calculated?
How the public data sources behind the PlotSense score work — construction year, soil and groundwater data — how they combine into one per-address risk indicator, and how it's cross-checked against the public FCAB map.
8 min read · 2026-09-08
Read more →Foundation riskPeat, groundwater and subsidence: the soil mechanisms behind foundation damage
Why wood rot occurs when groundwater drops below pile heads, how peat compresses, and how PlotSense measures this with BRO GeoTOP and Deltares data.
9 min read · 2026-09-08
Read more →Foundation riskWhy does the FCAB foundation risk map differ from your PlotSense score?
FCAB is the national foundation risk map, based on building type and area. PlotSense scores per address. We explain why the two can differ and what to do when they do.
8 min read · 2026-09-08
Read more →Foundation riskChecking foundation risk before buying: what to physically inspect and when data is enough
Construction-year red flags, physical signs of pile rot and settlement, what a €50,000–€150,000 repair actually involves, and when you need a foundation survey alongside the data-based Foundation Report.
9 min read · 2026-09-08
Read more →Check the foundation risk of your address
Order the Foundation Report (€35) for an instant HTS score with confidence index, or search addresses with a foundation-risk filter.