Bouwmogelijkheden Almere

What makes Almere unique for parcel data?

Almere is the youngest major municipality in the Netherlands, built entirely on reclaimed land in the former Zuiderzee. That origin is unique: there is no historic core, no centuries-old building stock and no protected townscape — but there is a planned, strongly regulated layout per district, with parcel passports and water-authority rules that are almost unheard of elsewhere in the Netherlands.

1. Reclaimed land and dike designations

Almere sits entirely below NAP sea level, on land drained between 1968 and the 1980s. That has direct consequences for building rules:

• ✓Parcels bordering a primary or regional flood defence fall under a dike designation, where the rules of Waterschap Zuiderzeeland are often stricter than the municipal environmental plan.
• ✓Building within the core zone or protection zone of a dike almost always requires a water permit in addition to the regular environmental permit — even for outbuildings that would normally be permit-free.
• ✓Around the Gooimeer, Eemmeer and Markermeer lakes, additional restrictions apply to construction close to the waterline, intended to protect the flood-defence function and the view of the water.
• ✓The subsoil in Almere consists largely of firm clay, meaning foundation risk — unlike in Amsterdam or Rotterdam — plays almost no role here.

2. Parcel passports and strong differences between districts

Almere is unique in the Netherlands for its use of kavelpaspoorten (parcel passports): rules fixed per plot or district covering building lines, eaves and ridge height, roof shape and sometimes even facade material, on top of the regular environmental plan.

• ✓In Almere-Haven, the oldest district, parcels are typically 150–250 m², with compact terraced homes and limited rear-yard space.
• ✓In self-build districts such as Nobelhorst and Homeruskwartier, residents buy a plot and design their own home within the parcel passport; plots here run up to 600 m², with correspondingly more room for outbuildings and extensions.
• ✓In Almere Poort and Almere Buiten, plot types vary strongly between compact townhouses and more spacious detached plots, depending on the sub-area.
• ✓A parcel passport can be stricter than the national Bbl standards — for example through a mandatory building line or a maximum building height lower than the statutory 3 metres for outbuildings.

You can find your parcel's passport via the Almere municipal permit desk or the original land purchase agreement. For older plots in Almere Stad and Almere Buiten, this document is not always available digitally, which makes parcel data and the BAG build year an important starting point for reconstructing a plot's actual building options before submitting an application.

3. Permit-free building in Almere

The national Bbl rules (art. 22.36) also form the baseline in Almere: permit-free up to 4 metres deep and 50% of the rear yard, with a maximum of 150 m² of outbuildings.

• ✓In Almere-Haven, on an average plot of 150–250 m², the permit-free rear-yard allowance is often already largely used by an existing storage unit or extension.
• ✓In Nobelhorst, with plots up to 600 m², considerably more permit-free space is generally available — though the parcel passport may prescribe a lower maximum height or a specific building line that overrides the national standard.
• ✓Parcels bordering a lake shore or flood defence need an additional review from the water authority before adding an outbuilding — even if the size alone would be permit-free under the Bbl.
• ✓Solar panels are also always permit-free on the roof in Almere.
• ✓For a full picture of your own rear yard, compare your Almere parcel with an Amsterdam parcel — the differences in plot size and regulation between the two municipalities are strikingly large.

PlotSense calculates the exact permit-free buildable area for your specific Almere address, taking the parcel passport and any dike or flood-defence restrictions into account — so you know exactly where you stand before buying or renovating.