Decomposition under NEN 2767: what it is and why it matters

Decomposition means dividing a building into parts, so that you can measure each part separately. In the NEN 2767 standard , those parts are called elements and building components. Without decomposition, you get one score for the whole building, and that says little about what needs repairing.

For buildings, the standard decomposes the building into elements, building components and material types. The type of object is recorded in the passport (the object passport). You can read more about the measurement itself on NEN 2767 explained. For infrastructure, you use a different breakdown, which is set out in NEN 2767-4 infrastructure.

Fictional example: the VvE Parkzicht owners’ association has one building with 48 apartments. The board has the building measured as one object. It receives a score of 4, but nobody knows whether the facade, the roof or the lifts are the problem. That is why the board has the building divided into elements.

The concepts at a glance

A decomposition works from large to small. Below are the three terms you will meet most often.

Term	What it is	Example for a building
Object	The whole that you measure	The entire building or complex
Element	A maintenance-sensitive part of the building	Facade, roof, lifts or the central heating installation
Building component	A part of an element that you assess separately	Pointing, roof covering or a window frame

An element consists of building components, and sometimes of sub-components. A facade, for example, consists of facade cladding, window frames and pointing. Each building component gets its own condition score.

What exactly an element is appears on the element list. That list gives the standard names the standard uses. Use those names, so that your measurement stays comparable with other measurements.

Decomposition is the breakdown, condition measurement is the assessment. First you divide the building, then you give each part a score.

A building in elements

Below is how an inspector can divide a building belonging to VvE Parkzicht. The breakdown is fictional, but the terms come from the standard.

Define the object

The object is the whole building, including its entrance and the shared spaces. This is the unit you add up later.

Divide the building into elements

The building gets the elements facade, roof, lifts, installations and foundations. Each element is a part that needs maintenance.

Split the elements into building components

The facade gets facade cladding, window frames and pointing. The roof gets roof covering and gutters. The central heating installation gets the boiler, the pipes and the radiators.

Measure each building component

For each building component, the inspector gives a score. For example, the pointing gets a 4, the window frames a 2 and the roof covering a 5.

Element	Building component	Score	Intervention in the MJOP
Facade	Pointing	4	Repointing in year 2
Facade	Window frames	2	No intervention needed now
Roof	Roof covering	5	Replacement in year 3
Installations	Boiler	3	Replacement after year 8

The object has one score, but that score is the result of all the building components together. That is why you can only plan a specific intervention if you measure the building components separately.

What the breakdown does to scores and the MJOP

The size of the parts determines how precise your plan is. The finer the decomposition, the better you can see where things go wrong. A facade with good window frames and poor pointing receives an average verdict in one score. With building components, you see the difference.

This carries through to the MJOP (multi-year maintenance plan). Each building component gets its own intervention, its own year and its own amount. The roof of Parkzicht therefore appears in the schedule for year 3, and the pointing for year 2. Had the board measured only the facade as a whole, it would not have seen that the pointing is due before the window frames. See how that ends up in the plan on MJOP based on NEN 2767.

A decomposition that is too fine also has drawbacks. Each building component takes inspection time and adds an extra line to the records. For a small building with one roof and one facade, a coarse breakdown is often sufficient. Ask your inspector which level suits your object, and why.

The decomposition is not only for the inspector. It is also the basis of your planning. If you change the breakdown later, old and new scores no longer match.

For infrastructure, the breakdown works differently. See NEN 2767-4 infrastructure.

Frequently asked questions

Who makes the decomposition?

The inspector draws up the decomposition, in consultation with the client. The manager or the board decides which level suits the planning. Record the choice in the report, so that later measurements follow the same breakdown.

Must the decomposition be the same every year?

Yes, if you want to compare scores. A new breakdown makes old and new scores hard to compare. Change the breakdown only when the building really changes, for example after a renovation.

Is a decomposition the same as an element list?

No. The element list is the standard list of names of elements and building components from the standard. The decomposition is the application of that list to your building. You use the element list to draw up the decomposition.