In shortBefore a partner starts MEP drafting and Revit modelling on a Dutch project, agree five things: the standards and editions the design follows (for example NEN 1010 for low-voltage installations, and the Bbl with the BENG energy requirements), your BIM requirements (the ILS, ISO 19650 conventions and a classification such as NL-SfB), the Revit template and families, the IFC exports you need, and the working hours. We draw and model to the design of your engineer or installation consultant (installatieadviseur), who stays responsible for the design.
Which standards do Dutch projects refer to?
The list depends on the project, so confirm it with your engineer. These are common references for the installation side:
| Area | Common reference | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Low-voltage installations | NEN 1010 | The Dutch standard, based on the HD 60364 and IEC 60364 series. Editions are updated, so confirm the one the project uses. |
| Energy performance | The Bbl (BENG) and NTA 8800 | Since 1 January 2021 new buildings must meet the BENG requirements: a maximum energy demand, a maximum primary fossil energy use and a minimum share of renewable energy. The energy consultant makes the calculation to NTA 8800. |
| Drinking water | NEN 1006 | General requirements for water installations. |
| Drainage | NEN 3215, with NTR 3216 | Internal drainage. |
| Lighting | NEN-EN 12464-1 | Lighting of indoor workplaces. |
| Heat loss | ISSO 51 and ISSO 53 | The usual methods for dwellings (51) and for offices and mixed buildings (53). Your engineer owns the calculation. |
The national building rules sit in the Bbl (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving), which replaced the Bouwbesluit when the Omgevingswet took effect on 1 January 2024.
What do Dutch BIM requirements look like?
Dutch projects describe what the model must contain in an information delivery specification, the ILS (informatie leveringsspecificatie). The BIM Basis ILS is the national base document, and there is an ILS for design and engineering. digiGO, which took over the BIM Loket in 2023, publishes them, together with guidance on ISO 19650 and the NL-SfB classification. Many projects also ask for IFC exports for coordination. Send us the ILS, the naming rules and the families at the start, and we follow them.
What do we model for E and W installaties?
In Dutch practice installations are split into E (elektrotechnisch, electrical) and W (werktuigbouwkundig: heating, cooling and ventilation), with sanitair for plumbing. We draw and model all three in Revit, in your template:
- E installaties: power, lighting, data and low-voltage layouts, cable tray, distribution boards and single-line diagrams, and luminaires with illuminance calculations in DIALux or AGi32.
- W installaties: ducts, pipes, plant and terminals, to your engineer's design.
- Sanitair: water, drainage and vent layouts, risers and schedules.
- Coordination: clash detection in Navisworks, issue lists, and IFC exports where the project asks for them.
What do we need from you?
- The ILS or BIM execution plan, and the classification rules (for example NL-SfB).
- Your Revit template, families and drawing standards.
- The base models from the architect and the structural engineer, in Revit or IFC.
- The design from your installation consultant: schemes, calculations, equipment lists and markups.
- The deadline and the issue dates.
What does grid congestion mean for the electrical design?
In several parts of the Netherlands the electricity grid is congested (netcongestie), and the grid operator limits new or larger connections. For EV charging, solar and batteries that makes load management a design topic from the start. We prepare the electrical design and drawings so the project fits the connection capacity you have been offered: single-line diagrams, schedules and layouts that show how chargers share one connection and where panels, batteries and metering sit. The connection application and the grid operator's decision stay with you and your consultant.
What about the working day and the language?
Our working hours overlap your morning and midday, so questions are answered live. Documents are prepared in English by default. If you need Dutch, tell us before we start and we will confirm what is possible.
Frequently asked questions
Which standards do you work to for Dutch projects?
The ones you specify, for example NEN 1010 for low-voltage installations, the Bbl and NTA 8800 for energy performance, NEN 1006 for water and NEN 3215 for drainage. Tell us the editions at the start, because they are updated from time to time.
Can you follow our ILS and NL-SfB?
Yes. Send the ILS or BIM execution plan, the naming rules, the families and the classification, and we follow them.
Do you deliver IFC?
Yes, where the project asks for it. We agree the export settings and property mapping with you at the start.
Who is responsible for the design?
Your engineer or installation consultant. We prepare the drawings, models and calculations for them to review and issue.
Do you work in Dutch?
Documents are prepared in English by default. If you need Dutch, tell us before we start and we will confirm what is possible.
SYMATEQ provides MEP drafting and Revit modelling, lighting and photometric analysis and electrical design support for projects in the Netherlands, in your templates and to the standards you specify.
See MEP drafting and modelling for the Netherlands, MEP drafting and modeling, or send us a job.