Binnenhof renovation delayed to summer 2031 as costs climb to at least €2.7 billion
The massive renovation of the Binnenhof — the Parliament building complex in The Hague — will now stretch until the summer of 2031, according to updated projections released Monday by outgoing housing minister Mona Keijzer.
The latest development pushes the minimum cost to 2.7 billion euros and signals two core problems: persistent construction setbacks and the worsening structural condition of the Grafelijke Zalen, the historic Count’s Halls including the Ridderzaal.
The government said visitors and nearby residents will again be able to walk across the Binnenhof grounds in the summer of 2031. Early that year, the first returning institutions will regain access to prepare their offices.
Keijzer stressed the scale of the effort, calling the project “a gigantic and extremely complicated operation.” She added: “Within an area of more than 90,000 square meters are thousands of rooms, attics and cellars. We knew we would have more certainty about the schedule around this time. Now the plans and the scope of the construction work are clear. More than 1,000 skilled workers will spend the coming years ensuring that we bring this renovation to a successful conclusion as quickly as possible.”
During a tour of the construction area, she acknowledged that the rising costs were “a message you would prefer to deliver differently, but at the same time it is what it is.”
The renovation began in 2021 with an original budget of 475 million euros and a planned timeline of five and a half years. By 2024, the budget had already reached about 2 billion euros. As crews worked deeper into the complex, the Binnenhof revealed widespread defects.
Two years ago, inspectors discovered that the Hofvijver was leaking water into the cellars. The roof of the Eerste Kamer had come loose, and several monumental staircases had deteriorated to the point that they could no longer be used.
Current work includes asbestos removal, major structural repairs, and rebuilding the slate rooftops. The roofing work alone is expected to continue for another four years. More than half of the old load-bearing beams are rotten. Restoring each one requires roughly one and a half to two days of specialized work, and about 400 beams still need to be repaired. The Netherlands has only a limited number of trained slate-roof specialists, and many of them are now assigned to the Binnenhof.
According to the government, four construction companies are working across 20 monuments and 65 buildings containing more than 4,000 rooms, halls, attics, basements, and corridors. Logistics remain difficult because the site has only three small, hard-to-reach construction zones.
The government also confirmed serious deterioration in the Grafelijke Zalen, including the Ridderzaal. Those buildings were removed from the main renovation plan in 2020 because of cost concerns, but new inspections found moisture problems, leaks across several sections, wood ants in the load-bearing beams, and major fire-safety risks. Officials warned that without immediate intervention, the oldest part of the Binnenhof will continue to deteriorate, adding both cost and complexity.
To avoid further delays, the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf has already begun preparing the permitting process so work can begin quickly if the cabinet and the Tweede Kamer decide to add the Grafelijke Zalen back into the core renovation. The earliest decision point is expected with the 2026 Voorjaarsnota.
