Dutch flag size calculator: flag size by pole length
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
This page is an English translation of the Dutch original. Where the two versions differ, the Dutch text is the original.
What size of flag suits a flagpole? In the Netherlands no law or authority lays this down; the Handleiding voor het gebruik van de Nederlandse vlag only gives the proportions 2:3. The calculator below shows the common values for a pole length: the standard size, the larger size for the Dutch flag and the size by the rule of thumb.
Calculator
How the calculation works
- Nearest standard size: the size from the Dutch flag supplier DVC’s table for company, provincial, municipal and national flags. The table starts at a 5 metre pole. From 14 metres the size stays at 300 × 500 cm.
- Size for the Dutch flag: from the same DVC table, which gives one size up for the tricolour when flown occasionally, up to 450 × 675 cm on a pole of 15 metres or more.
- Rule of thumb: the flag’s height is about a quarter of the pole’s length, rounded to 5 cm, and its length one and a half times the height, in the 2:3 proportions of the Handleiding. Because not every size is sold, DVC rounds down to the nearest smaller standard size.
Examples from the table
| Pole length | Standard size | Dutch flag |
|---|---|---|
| 5 m | 120 × 180 cm | 120 × 180 cm |
| 6 m | 150 × 225 cm | 150 × 225 cm |
| 7 m | 150 × 225 cm | 200 × 300 cm |
| 8 m | 200 × 300 cm | 225 × 350 cm |
| 10 m | 225 × 350 cm | 300 × 500 cm |
Which pole length?
The pole length here is the height above the ground. According to a Dutch supplier, with a ground sleeve about 1 metre of an aluminium or polyester pole is in the ground, and about 80 cm of a wooden one. A 7 metre pole in a ground sleeve then stands about 6 metres above ground level. With a slide-over sleeve or tilting base, the full length stays above ground. More is in the guide to flagpole heights.
When another size is common
- Several flags side by side: according to the Handleiding they are the same size. The shortest pole then often determines the size for all flags.
- Strong wind: on the coast or on open ground, owners often choose a smaller flag, which wears less and puts less load on the pole.
- Half-mast: according to the Handleiding, the flag never touches the ground, even at half-mast. With a large flag on a short pole this can become tight. More is in the guide to half-mast.
- Manufacturer’s specification: the pole’s manufacturer states what flag size the pole can take. That takes precedence over the rule of thumb.
The background to the sizes is in the guide to flag sizes, and the types of flag in the guide to flag types.
Frequently asked questions
How does the calculator work out the size?
The calculator shows three values: the standard size from a Dutch flag supplier’s table, the larger size the same supplier gives for the Dutch flag, and the rule of thumb in which the flag’s height is about a quarter of the pole’s length, in 2:3 proportions.
Why is the size for the Dutch flag larger?
According to the supplier, the tricolour, which usually flies only on flag days and for a shorter time, is rounded up. If the flag flies every day or beside other flags, the standard size is usual.
Is the calculator’s result mandatory?
No. According to the Handleiding voor het gebruik van de Nederlandse vlag there are no rules on the dimensions. The calculator shows common values. The pole’s manufacturer states what flag size the pole can take.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources, most of them in Dutch:
- Advies van de expert: zo kies je het juiste formaat vlag bij jouw vlaggenmast – DVC Dokkumer Vlaggen Centrale (vlaggenleverancier)
- Vlaginstructie en Handleiding voor het gebruik van de Nederlandse vlag (Staatscourant 2009, 116) – Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties
- Welke grondbevestiging voor mijn vlaggenmast? – Vlaggenmasten.nl (leverancier)
Related guides
- Flag sizesFlag sizes in the Netherlands: the 2:3 proportions, common sizes by pole length, one size up for the tricolour and sizes for façade staffs and banners.
- Flagpole heightsFlagpole heights in the Netherlands: common lengths at homes and businesses, the relation to the roof ridge, visible height and no permit up to 6 metres.
- Half-mastHalf-mast in the Netherlands: how the flag is flown at half-mast under the official guidance, 4 May, special flag instructions and half-mast after a death.
- Flag typesTypes of flags in the Netherlands: the tricolour, the orange pennant, the Royal Standard, provincial and municipal flags, banners and façade flags.