Apartment renovation in Western Switzerland

Renovating an apartment is rarely a single task: you repaint, change the floors, redo a bathroom or a kitchen, and sometimes move a partition to open up the space. In Western Switzerland, these projects usually take place in an occupied building, with neighbours, a property management agency or a co-ownership community to take into account.

On SOS Travaux, you describe your project online; your request is passed on to craftspeople and companies in the region, who contact you to prepare a free, no-obligation quote. The site has no building crew and no craftspeople of its own: it puts you in touch.

What apartment renovation covers

The term covers very different projects. A light renovation is limited to surfaces: paint, replacing floor coverings, fitting new interior doors or skirting boards. A full renovation also affects the installations: electricity, plumbing, ventilation, heating, and sometimes the insulation of the walls facing the outside.

The most common works are the following:

• painting and restoring walls and ceilings (filling, sanding, plastering);
• replacing floors: parquet, tiles, resilient flooring;
• renovating the bathroom or toilets, with removal of the old fittings, reworking the waterproofing and laying tiles;
• replacing the kitchen, with water, drainage and electrical connections;
• updating the electrical installation: panel, sockets, lighting;
• creating or removing partitions, which requires knowing whether the wall is load-bearing;
• replacing windows or entrance doors, which often affects the appearance of the building.

A full project brings together several trades: mason, plasterer-painter, tiler, carpenter, electrician, sanitary installer, and sometimes a heating engineer. In Switzerland, each of these trades has its own vocational training, concluded by a federal certificate of proficiency (CFC). There is, however, no single CFC for an “apartment renovator”: coordination between the trades is part of the offer that you need to examine.

When to call a professional for your apartment

Some finishing work can be done yourself. Other work justifies a professional from the outset:

• any intervention on the electrical installation or on water and gas pipes, where a mistake can have consequences for the whole building;
• waterproofing of wet rooms, where a defect often only shows months later, at the neighbour below;
• altering a partition, whose load-bearing nature must be established;
• old walls or ceilings, in which problematic materials may remain depending on the age of the building; if in doubt, have a diagnosis carried out before demolishing or sanding;
• a project that involves several trades in succession, where deadlines and the order of work matter as much as each individual task.

The older the building, the more you should expect surprises behind the coverings: damp, uneven floors, old pipes. A craftsperson who visits the premises before pricing is better placed to spot them than a quote drawn up from photos.

What the Swiss context changes for your renovation

Swiss vocational training is based on apprenticeship and the CFC, which is why each building trade has a defined training framework. For you, the practical consequence is to ask each company which trades it carries out itself and which it subcontracts.

Tenancy law and the law on condominium ownership (PPE) also frame what you are free to do:

• Tenant: beyond routine maintenance, alterations require the written consent of the landlord or the property management agency. Ask for it before ordering anything.
• Owner of an apartment in a PPE (condominium): the common parts and the outward appearance depend on the community. The co-ownership rules may also govern working hours and floor coverings.
• Owner of a house divided into units or of an apartment in a small building: the same questions arise on a smaller scale, notably for party walls and technical risers.

Permits, energy and heritage: what differs from one canton to another

Purely interior work does not always lead to a formal application, but anything that alters the structure, the use or the outward appearance may require one. The safe rule: ask the commune or the relevant cantonal department before starting.

• Geneva: building permits are issued by the canton, through the Office des autorisations de construire. On energy, the cantonal energy law (LEn) applies and the cantonal energy office (OCEN) is the contact for Buildings Programme subsidies. Many rental buildings are managed by property agencies, and the old town as well as certain districts are protected.
• Vaud: the building permit is issued by the municipality of the commune; the file goes through the cantonal permit centre (CAMAC) when cantonal departments need to give an opinion. Energy falls under the Vaud energy law and the cantonal energy directorate, which runs a subsidy programme. Old towns and the Lavaux vineyards, a World Heritage site, call for particular attention.
• Valais: the building permit is issued by the commune within the building zone, and by a cantonal commission outside it. The cantonal service for energy and hydropower runs the subsidy programme. For chalets and second homes, the federal law on second homes may apply in the communes concerned.
• Fribourg: building permit applications go through the cantonal FRIAC platform, with the permit issued by the prefecture or the commune depending on the type of work. The cantonal energy service runs a subsidy programme. The canton is bilingual and its old towns are protected.
• Neuchâtel: applications go through the cantonal SATAC counter, with the decision taken by the commune. The cantonal service for energy and the environment handles subsidies. The watchmaking heritage of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, listed by UNESCO, may frame work on the buildings concerned.
• Jura: the building permit is issued by the commune or by the canton depending on the scale of the project. The cantonal energy section runs the subsidy programme. Delémont, Porrentruy and Saint-Ursanne have old towns to preserve.
• Biel/Bienne and the canton of Bern: the permit is issued by the commune or the prefecture depending on the project, and the cantonal office for the environment and energy runs a subsidy programme. Biel/Bienne is officially bilingual, French and German, which also applies to dealings with the administration.

Conditions and procedures change: always confirm with the commune or the relevant cantonal department what applies to your project and your address.

Preparing your quote request for your apartment renovation

The more precise your description, the more comparable the quotes will be. Before writing it, gather:

• the address, the floor, whether there is a lift and access for materials;
• the approximate year the building was constructed, if you know it;
• your status: owner, co-owner or tenant, with the landlord’s consent where applicable;
• the list of rooms concerned and, for each, what you want to change;
• photos of the current state, including any points that worry you (signs of damp, cracks, outdated installations);
• your wishes for materials or level of finish, even approximate;
• your constraints: period of absence, home occupied during the work, building rules.

Also indicate what has already been decided and what remains open: a craftsperson can then advise you on the options rather than pricing blindly.

What a reliable quote details, and what makes the cost vary

A usable quote describes each item separately and does not settle for a total. Check that it specifies:

• the exact scope of the work, room by room;
• the removal and disposal of old elements, often forgotten;
• the supplies, with their reference or range, and the labour;
• the preparatory work: protection, levelling, repair of substrates;
• the finishes and touch-ups (joints, skirting boards, retouching);
• the conditions of validity, the payment terms and the planned schedule;
• what is excluded, for example work by other trades.

The cost depends above all on the extent of the project, the condition of the substrates once the coverings are removed, the choice of materials and the level of finish. It also varies with access (floor, lift, courtyard), the number of trades to coordinate, the age of the building and co-ownership constraints. No reliable amount can be given without a visit: that is the role of the quote, which remains free and without obligation with SOS Travaux.

Compare quotes on their content before comparing totals. Ask for explanations of the differences, and keep in writing any change requested along the way.

Legal warranties for an apartment renovation

The Code of Obligations governs the contractor’s liability for defects in the work. Under art. 371 CO, the period is 5 years for work on immovable property and 2 years for work on movable property. In a renovation, whatever is built into the building (tiling, fixed installations, partitions) is in principle immovable work.

If the contract refers to the SIA 118 standard, its rules apply in addition; check in the offer whether it is mentioned. When the work is handed over, inspect it, note any defects found and report them in writing without delay. Keep the quote, contract, invoices and correspondence.

Apartment renovation near you

No city page is available yet for this trade; the canton pages gather the useful local information:

• canton of Geneva
• canton of Vaud
• canton of Valais
• canton of Fribourg
• canton of Neuchâtel
• canton of Jura
• canton of Bern

Is your project ready to be described? You can request a quote: your request will be passed on to craftspeople and companies in the region, who will contact you for a free, no-obligation quote.