What can you build in Mechelen?
What you can build in Mechelen depends on the plan that covers your plot – the regional zoning plan (gewestplan), a spatial implementation plan (RUP) or a special development plan (BPA) – and on 7 planning regulations: 1 from Mechelen itself and 6 from the Flemish Region. The register lists 33 plans for Mechelen.
At a glance
| Province | Antwerp |
|---|---|
| Plans in the register | 33 (RUPs, BPAs and others) |
| Municipal regulations | 1; most recent: ‘Algemene Stedenbouwkundige Verordening’ (adopted on 18 December 2023, Belgian Official Gazette 8 March 2024) |
| Provincial regulations | none |
| Regional regulations | 6, as everywhere in Flanders |
| Fixed rule on plot coverage | art. 15 and 16 of the general planning regulation of Mechelen (2024): behind the main building, a garden at least 10 m deep must remain (on a plot less than 20 m deep, at least 20% garden), and a building may be no more than 15 m deep |
| All plans in the register | yes, according to the municipality |
Find out for free what you can build on your plot in Mechelen
How much can I build in Mechelen?
That depends on the plot: the zoning plan that applies (the regional zoning plan, a RUP or a BPA), the regulations and what is there now. The Perceelscan works it out for each address: how many m² of floor area may legally be built, and how many are already built. In Mechelen, the general planning regulation of Mechelen (2024) lays down a fixed rule in art. 15 and 16: behind the main building, a garden at least 10 m deep must remain (on a plot less than 20 m deep, at least 20% garden), and a building may be no more than 15 m deep. Exceptions are sometimes possible; the Perceelscan applies the rule to the shape of the plot.
Do I need an environmental permit in Mechelen?
For most works, yes: building, renovating, demolishing and splitting a dwelling generally require an environmental permit (omgevingsvergunning, formerly called the building permit or planning permit), which you apply for through the Omgevingsloket portal. Some minor works are exempt or only require a notification: vlaanderen.be sets out the rules. For each address, the Perceelscan also shows the existing permits.
Can I demolish and rebuild in Mechelen?
Demolition usually requires an environmental permit. What you may build afterwards is determined by the plan and the regulations that apply to the plot; heritage status, a plan in preparation or an expropriation can stand in the way. The Perceelscan sets it all out for each address.
Can I split a dwelling into several units in Mechelen?
For Mechelen, the register lists no separate regulation on housing, but the general regulation ‘Algemene Stedenbouwkundige Verordening’ may contain rules on it. For each address, the Perceelscan lists the regulations that apply to the plot, with a link to their text. Splitting a dwelling into several dwellings generally requires an environmental permit, even without any building works (see splitting a dwelling on vlaanderen.be).
How many parking spaces must I provide in Mechelen?
For Mechelen, the register lists no separate regulation on parking, but the general regulation ‘Algemene Stedenbouwkundige Verordening’ may contain rules on it. For each address, the Perceelscan lists the regulations that apply to the plot, with a link to their text.
Do I need to install a rainwater tank in Mechelen?
Often, yes, when you build, rebuild or extend a building or a paved surface: the regional regulation on rainwater (2023) then sets rules for collecting and reusing rainwater, letting it soak into the ground or buffering it. Which measure your project requires depends on its surface area.
Where can I find the spatial implementation plans (RUPs) for Mechelen?
In the register of plans and regulations (DSI) of the Departement Omgeving, with 33 plans for Mechelen (RUPs, BPAs and others). Where no RUP or BPA applies, the regional zoning plan (gewestplan) determines the zoning. For each plot, the Perceelscan names the plan that applies, with the zone and a link to its provisions.
The planning regulations of Mechelen
| Algemene Stedenbouwkundige Verordening | adopted on 18 December 2023, Belgian Official Gazette 8 March 2024 |
|---|
What applies throughout Flanders
What the Perceelscan checks for each plot in Mechelen
- The plan that applies: a municipal, provincial or regional RUP, a BPA, an APA or the regional zoning plan, with the zone and a link to its provisions.
- The regulations that apply to that plot: a regulation may also apply to only part of the municipality.
- How many m² of floor area may legally be built, and how many are already built.
- Plans and regulations in preparation, and expropriation plans.
- Heritage: protection, the established inventory and archaeological zones.
- Flood risk (P-score and G-score), signal areas (signaalgebieden) and PFAS zones.
- Right of pre-emption, nature, Seveso sites and sewerage in the street.
- Environmental permits on the plot and next door.
Find out for free what you can build on your plot in Mechelen
Building near Mechelen
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- What can you build in Rumst?
- What can you build in Bonheiden?
Source: DSI, the register of plans and regulations of the Departement Omgeving, retrieved on 5 October 2026. Each regulation’s record contains its full text.
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