NEN 2767 element list: what it is and how to draw one up

The NEN 2767 element list is the list of all parts of a building that are assessed in a condition measurement. Think of facades, roofs, window frames and installations such as the central heating boiler or the lift. Without an element list, nobody knows exactly what is being measured, and a later measurement cannot be compared with the previous one.

The list forms the basis of the multi-year maintenance plan (MJOP) that you derive from the measurement. You can find the standard itself, and the related parts, on nen.nl . You read how to assess each element afterwards at the condition scores from 1 to 6.

In short, the element list is the inventory of what you maintain. Every part on the list receives a condition score. Anything not on the list does not appear in the maintenance plan either.

What an element list is

An element list describes what your building contains. It is an enumeration, arranged in the way the standard prescribes. Each line is a part that you can assess and maintain separately.

The list answers three questions. Which parts are there? Where are they? And how large are they? The last question matters, because the extent of a defect is later expressed as a percentage of the total. Without a quantity, it cannot be calculated.

An element list is not the same as a building drawing. A drawing shows what the building looks like. The element list shows what you need to maintain. Many items on the list do not appear on drawings, such as the drainage pipes behind the wall or the fire alarm system.

How you divide a building

You work from large to small. First you divide the building into large groups, such as the structure, the finishes and the installations. Within those, you find the building components, and within a building component, the elements that you assess separately.

A practical order to follow:

Start outside. Foundations, facades, roofs and exterior window frames.
Move inside. Floors, walls, ceilings and interior window frames.
Then add the installations, such as heating, ventilation, electrics and lifts.
Finally, check that every part of the building appears somewhere on the list.

The exact division the standard prescribes, and which groups belong to it, is set out in the NEN 2767 parts on nen.nl . Use that text as a fixed basis and do not deviate from it in your list.

Example of an office building

This example is fictional. The office building on Havenweg in a fictional municipality belongs to Havenweg Vastgoed BV and has three floors. The management team wants to know what maintenance will be needed over the next five years.

Part of the element list looks like this:

Group	Building component	Example elements
Outer shell	Facades	Brickwork, pointing, facade cladding
Outer shell	Roofs	Roof covering, gutters, roof penetrations
Outer shell	Exterior window frames	Timber window frames, glass, fittings
Interior finishes	Walls	Plasterwork, interior painting, tiling
Installations	Heating	Central heating boiler, radiators, pipework
Installations	Electrics	Distribution boards, luminaires, group boards

The management team also adds the lift, because it has a separate maintenance contract. An element that you maintain separately belongs on the list. The solar panels on the roof get their own line, because the inverters are replaced separately.

After drawing up the list, it turns out that the exterior window frames appear twice. Once under the facades and once under the window frames. The team deletes the duplicate line, so that each part is assessed only once. That way, the costs and the percentage of defects add up correctly.

Common mistakes

Drawing up the list often goes wrong on a few points:

Too coarse. “Installations” as a single line is too little. The inspector then cannot distinguish between a poor boiler and good pipework.
Too fine. Treating every screw as a separate element makes the list unworkable. Group parts that you maintain together.
Parts nobody sees. Pipework in shafts, foundations and sewers are easily left out. Yet these often cost a lot to repair.
No quantity. Record the extent for each element, in m² or in units. Without those figures, the extent of a defect cannot be determined.

An incomplete list gives too low a maintenance budget. What is missing from the list does not end up in the MJOP, and therefore not in your reserves either.

Working with a contractor or inspection company

Many clients have the element list drawn up by the inspection company. That is fine, provided you check that all parts are included. Ask to see the list in advance, so that you can add to it. You know your building best, especially what is in the crawl space or behind the suspended ceilings.

Keep the list with the building file. At the next measurement, you can place the new scores next to the old ones. That is the only way to see whether the maintenance is working.

Element list for infrastructure

Roads, bridges, quays and other infrastructure have their own version of the standard. It is called NEN 2767-4 and uses a different division from a building. If you own a multi-storey car park or a cycle bridge, that version applies to your measurement. Read more at NEN 2767-4 infrastructure.

Frequently asked questions

Must I draw up the element list myself?

No. The inspection company can make the list, but you must check it. You know the building best. Ask to see the list before the inspection starts, so that you can add parts.

Is an element list the same as an MJOP?

No. The element list is the inventory of what you assess. The MJOP uses the outcome of the measurement to plan when you replace which part and what that costs.

Can I reuse a list from a different building?

You can adopt the structure, but not the content. Every building has different installations and different materials. Always start from the building itself.

Where can I find the official text of the standard?

You buy or download the NEN 2767 parts from NEN . For the question of which version applies to your measurement, ask the inspection company that carries out the measurement.