Knowledge base

Guides on construction site signage and permits

Concrete answers to the questions contractors and construction and renovation companies ask us, from the public domain occupancy permit to SB250 compliance and avoiding municipal administrative fines.

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Putting up your own parking signs: a summary of the rules

If you are putting up the parking signs yourself, you must position them exactly as specified in your permit: one set per 25 metres, with the start sign showing the arrow pointing upwards, the end sign showing the arrow pointing downwards, and the dates and times on the lower panels. Take photographs whilst performing the installation and send these, together with the number plates of the cars already parked there, to the police and the municipality.

Who is responsible for putting up the construction site signage?

Whoever carries out the works is responsible for ensuring that road signs are correctly installed, even if you put them up yourself. If they are installed incorrectly or do not meet the legal requirements, the police will not tow away illegally parked vehicles and may shut down the construction site.

Applying for a public domain occupancy permit: how it works

For works or a container on the pavement, parking strip or roadway you need a public domain occupancy permit. You apply for it per municipality via EagleBE, Spotbooking or the city's occupancy form. Expect a processing time of a few working days to two weeks. We take the entire application off your hands.

What does it cost to rent construction site signage?

Renting construction site signage starts from around €40 incl. 21% VAT. The exact price depends on the type and number of signs, the rental period and whether you want delivery, installation and collection. For contractors we work on a project basis with fixed terms.

Placing a container on the pavement or the street: which permit do you need?

If you place a container, rubble bag or building materials on the pavement, a parking strip or the roadway, you need a public domain occupancy permit. You apply for it with the municipality via EagleBE, Spotbooking or the city's occupancy form. If the container stands entirely on your own driveway or property, a permit is usually not required.

Applying for a no-parking zone for your move or construction site

For a move, a delivery or a construction site, you reserve a parking space with a temporary no-parking zone. You apply for the public domain occupancy permit with the municipality (via EagleBE, Spotbooking or the occupancy form) and put up E1/E3 no-parking signs in good time. Expect a processing time of a few working days.

Signage plan for your construction site: when is it mandatory and how do you get one?

A signage plan shows how your construction site on the public domain is signposted. Many municipalities require it with the permit application, certainly when a roadway or a traffic lane is occupied. We draw up the plan and align it with SB250-compliant signs.

E1, E3 and E9c: which parking sign do you need for your construction site or move?

For a temporary no-parking zone at a construction site or a move, you usually use E1 (no parking) or E3 (no parking and no stopping), each time with supplementary panels for the zone and the period. E9c, on the other hand, reserves a space for light goods vehicles. Exactly which sign you need is stated in your public domain occupancy permit.

Municipal administrative fine and construction site signage: what do you risk without a permit?

If you occupy the public domain without a valid permit or with non-compliant signage, the municipality can impose a municipal administrative fine (up to €350 for adults) and shut your construction site down. With a timely application and SB250-compliant signs, you avoid that entirely.

Renting site fences (Heras fences): when do you need them?

Site fences (often called Heras fences) close off your construction site safely and keep unauthorised people out. You rent them per panel with concrete feet and coupling clamps, and place them on your own land or, with a permit, on the public domain. For shorter or lighter cordons, barriers or crowd control barriers are the better choice.

Crowd control barriers: what do you use them for?

Crowd control barriers are the classic movable barriers that guide pedestrians and traffic alongside or around a site zone. You use them for temporary cordons, a safe pedestrian walkway and events. For a complete, secured site enclosure, site fences are the better choice.

Working on a regional road: when is AWV in charge?

If your construction site is on a regional road (a numbered N road or a motorway), the Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer (AWV) is the road authority in Flanders. You usually still apply for the occupancy through the municipality, but AWV issues advice or approval and sets stricter requirements for your signage. On municipal roads, the municipality itself is in charge.

How long does a public domain occupancy permit take?

Count on a few working days to around two weeks of processing time for a public domain occupancy permit, depending on the municipality, the size of your occupancy and whether a signage plan is needed. So submit your application well in advance. You will find the indicative time frame per municipality on our municipality pages.

Aerial work platform or crane on the public road: permit and signage

If you place an aerial work platform, telehandler or crane on the pavement, a parking bay or the carriageway, you need a public domain occupancy permit as well as compliant signage to cordon off the zone. Occupying a traffic lane usually calls for a signage plan. We apply for the occupancy and deliver the signs and barriers with it.

What is EagleBE and how does an application work?

EagleBE is the online platform many Flemish cities and municipalities use to handle applications for occupying the public domain. You submit your application digitally with the location, the period and the type of occupancy, after which the municipality assesses it. We submit the application via EagleBE entirely for you.

SB250: What is compliant construction site signage and why is it important?

SB250 is Standaardbestek 250 for road construction: the technical standard with which temporary construction site signage must comply in terms of dimensions, retroreflectivity and colour. It is directly binding on you when it has been declared applicable to your contract; on a standard roadworks site, the highway code and the Ministerial Decree of 7 May 1999 apply. All our equipment complies with SB250.

The highway code on your construction site: which rules actually apply?

Construction site signage in Flanders and Brussels is based on two pieces of legislation: Article 78 of the Royal Decree of 1 December 1975 sets out who is responsible for erecting signage and who authorises it, whilst the Ministerial Decree of 7 May 1999 specifies what that signage must look like. Below are the articles in full, with references, and what they mean in practical terms for your construction site.

From plan to practice

The signs these articles are about

A diversion or roadworks area on the carriageway consists of fixed building blocks. This is the material that is dispatched from our depot for this purpose.

Rent a complete set of F41 traffic signs for a road diversion, with arrows pointing left and right

Set F41 road diversionLeft and right arrow keys

Rent vertical beacons with flashing lights and a base

Vertical beacon with flashing lightBase included

Rent a complete set of A31 ‘start of works’ and F47 ‘end of works’ traffic signs

Set A31 and F47Start and end dates of the works

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