What can you build in Merchtem?
What you can build in Merchtem 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 11 planning regulations: 3 from Merchtem itself, 2 from the province of Flemish Brabant and 6 from the Flemish Region. The register lists 7 plans for Merchtem.
At a glance
| Province | Flemish Brabant |
|---|---|
| Plans in the register | 7 (RUPs, BPAs and others) |
| Municipal regulations | 3; most recent: ‘Herziening 2025 - Bijkomende normen inzake het uitrustingsniveau bij meergezinswoningen’ (adopted on 15 December 2025, Belgian Official Gazette 13 February 2026) |
| Provincial regulations | 2 |
| Regional regulations | 6, as everywhere in Flanders |
| All plans in the register | no, according to the municipality: if in doubt, request a planning extract |
Find out for free what you can build on your plot in Merchtem
How much can I build in Merchtem?
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.
Do I need an environmental permit in Merchtem?
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 Merchtem?
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 Merchtem?
In Merchtem, the regulations ‘Herziening 2025 - Bijkomende normen inzake het uitrustingsniveau bij meergezinswoningen’ and ‘bijkomende normen inzake het uitrustingsniveau bij meergezinswoningen’ apply to this. For each address, the Perceelscan tells you which regulations apply to the plot. 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 Merchtem?
For Merchtem, the register lists no municipal regulation on parking; the plan and the regional rules then apply, and the permitting authority decides on a case-by-case basis.
Do I need to install a rainwater tank in Merchtem?
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. In the province of Flemish Brabant, the regulation ‘Provinciale verordening hemelwater’ also applies.
Where can I find the spatial implementation plans (RUPs) for Merchtem?
In the register of plans and regulations (DSI) of the Departement Omgeving, with 7 plans for Merchtem (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 Merchtem
| Herziening 2025 - Bijkomende normen inzake het uitrustingsniveau bij meergezinswoningen | adopted on 15 December 2025, Belgian Official Gazette 13 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| bijkomende normen inzake het uitrustingsniveau bij meergezinswoningen | approved on 16 December 2019, Belgian Official Gazette 14 February 2020 |
| Bijkomende normen inzake het uitrustingsniveau bij meergezinswoningen | approved on 28 May 2019 |
A regulation may appear in the register in several versions; the most recent one is at the top. Whether a version replaces the previous one or only amends it is stated in the text itself.
Provincial regulations (Flemish Brabant)
| Provinciale verordening hemelwater | adopted on 26 September 2023 |
|---|---|
| Provinciale stedenbouwkundige verordening met betrekking tot het overwelven van grachten en onbevaarbare waterlopen | approved on 19 December 2012, Belgian Official Gazette 15 January 2013 |
What applies throughout Flanders
What the Perceelscan checks for each plot in Merchtem
- 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 Merchtem
Building near Merchtem
- What can you build in Opwijk?
- What can you build in Meise?
- What can you build in Asse?
- What can you build in Wemmel?
- What can you build in Londerzeel?
- What can you build in Buggenhout?
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.
Updated on