Renovation contractor in Haarlem Renovating Haarlem, from Kleverpark to Schalkwijk

Five protected cityscapes, five kinds of house

The national government has designated five protected cityscapes in Haarlem: the historic centre with the Haarlemmerhout, the village of Spaarndam, Haarlem-Zuid around the Zuiderhout, Haarlem-Zuidwest and a large part of Haarlem-Noord. In Zuidwest - the Koninginnebuurt, the Florapark and Bosch en Vaart - you find villas and townhouses from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, often with complex roofs, bay windows and small towers. Zuid is mostly detached and semi-detached houses from between the wars. In Noord, the Kleverpark, the Bomenbuurt, the Sterrenbuurt and the Frans Halsbuurt have long rows of 1930s houses under one continuous roof.

Outside those areas the picture changes. Schalkwijk was built in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, with many gallery and walk-up blocks of flats, so a renovation there often goes through the owners' association (VvE).

What that means for a renovation

In a row of houses under one roof, a dormer, a new window frame or a different roof tile shows across the whole block. In the protected areas the municipality therefore looks at the street, not only at your house, and the original profiles and the division of the window frames are often the starting point. In the villas of Zuidwest the challenge is more often inside: high rooms, ornament and old timber floors that have to carry a new bathroom or a stone kitchen.

The ground matters too. The centre, Noord and the Haarlemmerhout area stand on an old beach ridge of sand, while the western districts lie on lowland peat. In the Rozenprieel many timber foundations, often on pine piles, have weakened badly, and the neighbourhood has had a foundation repair programme. Before we move a bathroom or plan a heavy extension, we check what the house stands on.

What we do in Haarlem

• Complete renovations of houses and apartments, with one site manager from start to handover.
• Bathrooms with walk-in showers, underfloor heating and natural stone, also on old timber floors.
• Kitchens: bespoke, or IKEA kitchens fitted with premium fronts and stone worktops.
• Built-in cabinetry, floors and stairs that suit high villa rooms or a compact 1930s layout.
• Windows and doors, with the profile and division agreed with the municipality where needed.
• Extensions and loft conversions with a dormer, including the permit application.

Permits and street rules in Haarlem

Internal renovation usually needs no permit. An extension, a dormer or a change to the façade does: you apply through the national Omgevingsloket, and we prepare the drawings and the application. In a protected cityscape the bar is higher. Even solar panels need a permit there, except on a rear roof slope that does not border public space, and on a listed monument a permit is always required. Our guide to permits, monuments and VvE explains how to tell which rules apply.

On the street, a container that stays longer than a month, or that takes up more than 10 m² together with other objects, needs an exemption (ontheffing) from the municipality; scaffolding needs one when it stays longer than three months. You apply at least three weeks in advance, and between 24 December and 2 January every open container needs one. Since 1 June 2025 central Haarlem has a zero-emission zone for vans and lorries, which we take into account when we plan deliveries.

Living in Haarlem and planning a renovation? Ask for a free visit - we reply within one working day. For a first indication of the cost, try our online quote calculator.