What is De Nieuwe Regeling (DNR)?

Who is De Nieuwe Regeling for?

DNR is intended for all advisors in the construction sector active in design, advice and management: architects, structural engineers, building services consultants, building physicists, interior architects, garden and landscape architects, urban planners, surveyors, industrial designers, project managers and (construction) product developers.

The DNR is intended for advisory assignments and is therefore in principle unsuitable for project development and realisation assignments. The DNR is also based on Dutch legislation, making it a Dutch regulation. For assignments abroad, it is always advisable to check whether the DNR is suitable. (Parts of) the DNR may conflict with the mandatory law of the country in question.

BNA members are not obliged to use the DNR. BNA cannot and may not require its members or their clients to apply specific terms. However, the DNR meets the wishes of clients and architects for a modernisation of the standard terms. BNA and NLingenieurs therefore always advise using the DNR.

DNR2025: the most up-to-date regulation

In December 2025, BNA and NLingenieurs jointly launched DNR2025, the first thorough update since 2011. This revision had become unavoidable as the legal context and industry practice had changed significantly in more than a decade. The updated version is more clearly structured and better aligned with the daily work of different types of clients.

Contemporary developments are central to DNR2025: from digital working methods and AI to sustainability requirements and safety standards. Notably, the role of coordinating structural engineer is now explicitly named. In addition, the regulation is aligned with recent legislation such as the Wkb (Building Quality Assurance Act) and current forms of collaboration in construction.

For both parties, DNR2025 mainly means convenience: because the regulation is aligned with current practice, custom deviations are less often needed and contract discussions proceed more smoothly. The balance between rights and obligations remains safeguarded, as does insurability through the standard professional liability policy. Users have access to several documents: the terms and conditions, an explanatory note and a standard agreement.

DNR2011: the previous regulation

For almost a decade and a half, DNR2011 served as the reference framework for advisory assignments in construction. Its creation marked an important collaboration at the time: for the first time, BNA and NLingenieurs worked together on one shared set of terms, ending the fragmentation of earlier regulations (SR and RVOI). A limited amendment followed in 2013.

The foundations of DNR2011 were solid: balanced rights and obligations, a clear limitation of liability (up to three times the fee), no cover for indirect damages, and a claims period of five years after completion. The link with the insurance terms provided a workable and predictable contractual basis.

However, time overtook the regulation. More and more clients adapted the terms because essential topics such as digital innovation and recent legislation had not been included. Existing agreements under DNR 2011 remain valid, but BNA and NLingenieurs recommend using DNR2025 for new projects.