Amsterdam city centre
Completely renovated apartment
Work carried out: complete renovation with a new layout, living room, kitchen, bathrooms and finishing.
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Service area Amsterdam
Renovation contractor in Amsterdam
Rotterdamse Bouwbedrijf carries out complete renovations and remodels in Amsterdam and the surrounding area. From canal houses and 1930s homes to post-war flats, with a dedicated team that knows the Amsterdam way of building, including foundations, listed-building rules and renovating within a homeowners' association.
5.0review score
500+ projects delivered
10+ years of experience
- Our own team of 20–30 craftsmen
- One price, no additional-work surprises
- 1-year guarantee on the renovation
Why Rotterdamse Bouwbedrijf
A contractor who knows how Amsterdam works
One dedicated team
Our own craftsmen who run your project from start to finish. No rotating subcontractors.
Familiar with Amsterdam properties
From timber foundations and pile rot to heritage rules and renovating within a homeowners' association.
A clear price up front
A clear quote and a realistic schedule. Any additional work we always discuss first.
Our services in Amsterdam
What we can help you with in Amsterdam
From a complete home renovation to individual jobs. Click through to the service you are looking for.
Full Home Renovation
From teardown to turnkey by one dedicated team.
View serviceHome Extensions
More living space, from foundation to finish.
View serviceRoof Extension
A full extra storey.
View serviceBathroom Renovation
Complete and fully watertight.
View serviceKitchen Renovation
From design to installation.
View serviceDormer Installation
More space and light in your loft.
View servicePlastering & Finishing
Walls and ceilings plastered smooth or ready to paint.
View serviceWindow Frames, Insulation & Energy Efficiency
Better comfort and a better energy label.
View serviceOur work
All projects
Projects in Amsterdam
The heart of Amsterdam
Home remodelled and finished
Work carried out: remodel with a new kitchen, bathrooms and full finishing.
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Amsterdam city centre
Kitchen, bathrooms and finishing
Work carried out: services renewed, tiling, sanitaryware and a sleek finish.
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Reviews
What our clients say
5.0average rating
We only publish genuine, verified reviews. The reviews from our clients in Amsterdam and the Randstad will soon be shown here via Google.
How we work
From survey to handover
01
Survey & design
We come to you, listen and think along with you about layout, materials and budget.
02
Quote & schedule
You receive a clear quote with a clear price and a realistic schedule.
03
Teardown & structural work
Stripping out, structure and shell work. The base of your new home is in place.
04
Services & finishing
Services, bathroom, kitchen, plastering, floors and painting.
05
Handover & guarantee
We walk through everything together and hand over turn-key, with a guarantee.
Curious what is possible in your home?
Request your free renovation planLooking for a renovation contractor in Amsterdam?
Arrange a free, no-obligation consultation. We come to you, look at the options and put together a personal plan with a clear price.
Renovating in Amsterdam
What makes renovating in Amsterdam different
No city demands as much preparation as Amsterdam. Foundations, listed-building rules, apartment ownership and the logistics of the old centre often matter more here than the renovation itself. Below is what we see again and again in the Amsterdam practice.
Foundations on timber piles
Many Amsterdam buildings from before 1970 stand on timber pile foundations. If the groundwater level drops, the pile head can dry out and pile rot sets in. Before we start a major remodel or a full home renovation in an older building, we assess the state of the foundation. Sometimes foundation repair is needed first, because fitting a new kitchen or bathroom on a foundation that is due for replacement is money down the drain.
Listed buildings and protected townscapes
Large parts of Amsterdam fall under protected townscape, and many buildings are national or municipal monuments. Inside there is often plenty of scope, but for the façade, the window frames and the roof the requirements of heritage and planning rules apply. Energy upgrades then usually cannot use standard HR++ glazing, but heritage glass or secondary glazing works well. We agree this in advance and take care of the permit application.
Typical Amsterdam homes
A narrow, deep canal house with crooked walls and a steep staircase calls for a different approach than a 1930s home in Plan Zuid or a post-war flat in Nieuw-West. In older buildings we allow for uneven floors, single-brick walls and limited load-bearing capacity. That shapes the structural choices, for example with an extension or the removal of a load-bearing wall.
Renovating in a homeowners' association or apartment
Many Amsterdam homes are apartment rights. A renovation then often needs the consent of the homeowners' association, certainly for work to shared walls or the structure. There are also noise requirements: a hard floor without proper sound insulation is guaranteed to lead to complaints from the neighbours below you. We take this into account from the design stage onwards.
Logistics in the old centre
Working in the old centre of Amsterdam means narrow streets, canals and barely any parking. Materials sometimes have to be hoisted in through the window frame and building waste removed with a loading and unloading permit. These logistics partly determine the schedule and the costs, and if you underestimate them a project can quickly overrun, precisely in the centre.
Energy upgrades within the rules
Insulating older Amsterdam buildings is sensible, but not without care. In listed buildings you often insulate from the inside, and then the risk of damp is real: without good ventilation, mould forms behind the insulation. We keep insulating and ventilating in balance. You can read more about this on our page on insulation and energy efficiency.
Common mistakes in Amsterdam
- Ignoring the state of the foundation and only discovering after the renovation that repair is needed.
- Applying for a heritage or environmental permit too late, so the work grinds to a halt.
- Forgetting homeowners' association consent, or laying a hard floor without sound insulation.
- Insulating from the inside without ventilation, resulting in damp and mould.
Considering a renovation in Amsterdam? Take a look at our full home renovation, bathroom renovation or window frames and insulation, browse our projects or request a free consultation. Alongside Amsterdam, we also work in Rotterdam and the rest of the Randstad.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about renovating in Amsterdam
Are you an Amsterdam-based construction company?
We are based in Rotterdam and work across the whole Randstad, with Amsterdam as a fixed part of our service area. We have delivered several apartments turn-key there, including in Amsterdam city centre. You work with our own team and a single project manager, not with subcontractors hired in per project.
How do you deal with Amsterdam's foundation problems?
Many pre-war buildings in Amsterdam stand on timber piles, and in parts of the city the quality of the foundations is a well-known risk. Cracks in the brickwork, sticking window frames and sloping floors are the warning signs. Before a major renovation we have the foundation assessed first. If repair is needed, that comes before the finishing: a new kitchen in a subsiding building is money down the drain.
Do you take listed buildings and protected townscapes into account?
Yes. Large parts of the old centre are protected townscape and many buildings are national or municipal monuments. Inside there is usually plenty of scope, but the council assesses work to the façade, window frames and roof against heritage and planning rules. We agree this in advance and take care of the environmental permit.
Can you renovate in an apartment with a homeowners' association?
Yes, and in Amsterdam that is the rule rather than the exception. Work to shared parts, the structure or the façade needs the homeowners' association's consent, and the deed of division often sets requirements for floor finishes and sound insulation. We provide the documentation you need for the association and keep to the agreed working hours.
How do you handle deliveries in the canal district?
With a plan drawn up in advance. In the centre there is often no room for a skip or a crane, and there are rules on road closures and parking. We work with smaller equipment, use the hoisting beam or lift materials in through the window frame, and arrange the exemption with the council. That logistics work is in the quote, so it does not become a separate cost afterwards.
What does renovating with neighbours above and below you mean?
That the work runs in phases and that noise and vibration set the pace. We keep to the permitted working hours, inform neighbours in advance of demolition work and limit breaking-out to the agreed days. In an apartment we pay extra attention to the impact sound insulation of the floor, because that is the most common source of complaints afterwards.
Do you also work for investors with multiple apartments?
Yes. For owners with several units we work to a phased schedule, so the first apartments can already be let or sold while the rest are still in progress. We standardise the finishing where we can and sign off the first unit as a reference, so a mistake does not repeat itself across the whole portfolio.