Bathroom Renovation in Lausanne

Are you looking for a bathroom renovation in Lausanne, or simply a tradesperson to redo your shower room? The city is built on a slope between Ouchy and the upper districts, and this terrain, like the age of the buildings, shapes this kind of project. Describe your project online: it is passed on to tradespeople and firms in the area, who get back to you to prepare a free quote without obligation.

Bathrooms in Lausanne: the most common jobs

Requests fall into a few main families. Each involves different trades, which matters when you compare quotes.

• Replacing sanitaryware: washbasin, WC, taps, and sometimes the pipes leading to them.
• Converting a bath into a walk-in shower, in great demand when you want easier access.
• Waterproofing and tiling: floors, shower walls, joints, preparing the substrates.
• Ventilation: a wet room without fresh air deteriorates quickly, especially if it has no window.
• Electrics in wet areas: lighting, sockets, heated mirror, all subject to the NIBT rules.
• Adaptation for ageing: level-access shower, non-slip floor, grab rails.

A full bathroom brings the plumber, the tiler and the electrician together. The order in which they come in determines how long the work takes; ask who coordinates the whole project.

Ouchy, the Cité, the upper districts: three types of building, three kinds of project

Lausanne is not a uniform city, and a flat’s bathroom is not renovated in the same way depending on the district.

Around the cathedral, the old town of the Cité has a cluster of old buildings. The bathrooms there are often small, installed late in a space that was not designed for them. Walls, floors and service ducts do not always have regular dimensions: the tiler has to compensate for substrates that are not square, and the plumber has to work with drainage already in place. If the building is protected, some work may be regulated; this should be checked with the municipality or the relevant cantonal department before you commit to anything.

Towards the lakeside, around Ouchy, and on the slopes, there are more rental buildings and co-owned properties. There, renovating a bathroom quickly affects shared elements: water risers, drains, the building’s ventilation. Drilling through a wall or moving a trap is never trivial for the flat below.

In the residential districts higher up the slope, villas and small buildings generally offer more freedom to enlarge a bathroom, move a shower or add a second shower room, provided the structure and the pipework allow it.

Lausanne’s slope and access to the site

In Lausanne, access is not a theoretical question. The m2 metro is very steep, and the whole city climbs up from the lake: some streets are narrow or steeply sloped, and parking a tradesperson’s vehicle is not always easy. This directly affects a bathroom renovation, which involves delivering heavy items (shower tray, bath, boxes of tiles, bags of adhesive) and removing rubble.

Before the visit, therefore, note down:

• the floor, whether there is a lift, and its dimensions;
• the width of the stairs and doors;
• the possibilities for parking or unloading near the entrance;
• the working hours permitted by the building’s rules.

This information avoids surprises when the quote is drawn up and allows the tradesperson to assess the real work, including carrying materials.

The university character of the city also has a practical effect: many homes are occupied by tenants, sometimes for short periods. In that case, every alteration goes through the landlord, and it is better to present a clear file than a vague request.

Permits, landlord, co-ownership: the steps to take in Lausanne

Permit. In the canton of Vaud, the building permit is issued by the municipality. When cantonal departments have to give an opinion, the file goes through the cantonal permits office (CAMAC). Replacing fittings like for like is rarely affected, whereas a change to the structure, the façade or the use of a room may be. If in doubt, contact the relevant department of the City of Lausanne or the cantonal department before the work.

Energy. If your bathroom renovation is part of a wider project (hot water production, insulation), you should be aware of the Vaud energy law and the cantonal energy directorate, as well as a cantonal subsidy programme. The conditions change: check them with the cantonal department before signing.

Tenants. You need the written consent of the landlord or the managing agent for any alteration. Attach the description of the work, the names of the trades and, if possible, a simple plan.

Co-owners. The bathroom is yours, but the water riser, the drains and the ventilation often belong to the community of owners. Consult the co-ownership rules and inform the administrator or the assembly if shared parts are affected. Also warn the neighbours below: a leak during the work is far better dealt with between people who have been informed.

Staying at home. For an adaptation linked to age or disability, ask the landlord or the co-ownership from the outset what is permitted (level-access shower, widening a door) so as to avoid undoing the work afterwards.

Comparing bathroom renovation quotes in Lausanne

The more precise your request, the more comparable the quotes. For your quote request, prepare:

1. the type of home (rental flat, co-owned flat, villa), the approximate age of the building and the floor;
2. what is changing: fittings only, shower instead of bath, tiling, ventilation, electrics;
3. the dimensions of the room and photos of its current state, including the ceiling and joints;
4. the access constraints described above;
5. your accessibility needs, if you are thinking about the future;
6. the dates that suit you, without aiming for a specific deadline.

A good quote itemises each item: removal and disposal, plumbing work, waterproofing, tiling, electrics, ventilation, supplies, making good. Check whether the fittings are included or are your responsibility, who coordinates the trades, and what happens if a damaged pipe or a deteriorated substrate is discovered when the room is opened up, which is common in older buildings.

The cost varies with the scale of the project, the number of trades, the quality of the fittings and finishes, the condition of the substrates and pipes, and the difficulty of access. That is why no serious figure is given without a visit: compare written quotes, item by item, rather than an isolated total.

Other useful pages for Lausanne

• The trade in general: bathroom renovation
• The city: work in Lausanne
• The canton: canton of Vaud
• In the same municipality: carpenter in Lausanne, solar panels in Lausanne, heating engineer in Lausanne