What is a type approval?
A type approval is an approval of a specific building or component type, showing that the type meets the technical building requirements. As a result, it is no longer necessary to establish for every project or every home again whether the type is safe and may be built. The principle matters most for industrialised and modular housing, where the same type is placed in large numbers at many locations.
Type approval in the Netherlands
In Dutch it is called “typegoedkeuring”. On 24 April 2024 the first six manufacturers of modular homes received one: Barli, Daiwa Modular House Europe, De Groot Vroomshoop, Hodes Huisvesting, Startblock and Ursem Modulaire Bouwsystemen. The process was guided by the Expertisecentrum Flexwoningen, with support from the Dutch housing ministry.
- The approval consists of a KOMO certificate and a recognised quality declaration.
- The certification bodies SKH and SKG-IKOB assessed drawings, specifications and calculations, as well as the factory production process and internal quality control. Spot checks follow afterwards.
- Under the Dutch Quality Assurance for Building Act (Wkb), in force since 1 January 2024, the approval serves as evidence at type level that the home meets the Building Works Decree (Bbl). Installations and the way homes are placed on a specific site are still assessed per project.
Application
- Modular and factory-built homes.
- Temporary housing and flex homes.
- Projects where the same building type is used at several locations.
Other countries have their own systems: in Germany, for example, the model building code provides a “Typengenehmigung”. Always check the rules that apply where you build.
Practical tips
- Ask for the paperwork: do not settle for the words “type approved”; ask for the certificate and quality declaration.
- Check the scope: see which variants, installations and uses are covered, and which are not.
- Plan site issues separately: foundations, connections and placement on the plot remain a matter for each project.
Related terms
- Bbl
- Consequence class
- Flex home
- Module
- Building permit
- CD20 prefab assembly system
Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.