Bathroom renovation in Morges

Are you looking for a bathroom renovation in Morges, or a tradesperson to redo the bathroom of a flat or a house on the shores of Lake Geneva? This type of job brings several trades in one after another and is better prepared with a few pointers on the local building stock. This page explains what the commune changes for your works, the procedures to plan for and how to compare quotes.

What bathroom work is done in Morges?

Requests fall into a few families, which can be combined:

• replacing the sanitaryware: washbasin, vanity unit, WC, taps and mixers;
• converting a bathtub into a level-access walk-in shower;
• waterproofing the walls and floor, the basis of any lasting wet room;
• tiling on the floor and walls, with its grout and thresholds;
• ventilation, often forgotten and yet a source of damp and mould;
• electrics in wet areas, subject to the NIBT rules;
• adapting the room for older age.

A fully renovated bathroom involves a plumber, a tiler and an electrician. The challenge is less choosing each of them than making sure their visits are coordinated, because tiles cannot be laid before the waterproofing, and the electrician must work before the walls are closed up.

Bathrooms in the old town and Grand-Rue buildings

Morges is organised around its castle, its old town along the Grand-Rue and its quays. In an old town centre, homes are often set in buildings whose floors, wall thicknesses and circulation do not resemble those of a recent block. What this changes for a bathroom:

• running the pipes: in an old building, the service ducts are sometimes narrow or missing, and moving a washbasin or a WC can become a real job of reworking the drainage;
• the state of the pipework: when replacing sanitaryware, old pipes are sometimes discovered that are better changed at the same time than opening a wall a second time;
• floors and walls: an old floor does not have the same rigidity as a recent slab, which matters when laying tiles and fitting a level-access shower;
• space: in a narrow wet room, the choice between bathtub and shower, the door and the storage is decided to the centimetre.

If your home is in a protected area or in a listed building, certain works, notably on the façade or ventilation openings, may be regulated. Nothing should be taken for granted: check with the commune or the competent cantonal service before settling the project.

Rental buildings, houses and co-ownerships in Morges

One town, two realities. In an apartment, the bathroom is connected to water and drainage stacks that are often shared by several homes. A water shut-off affects the neighbours, a waterproofing defect is paid for in their home, and the site noise is handled with the managing agent or the co-ownership. Working hours, lift use and protection of the common areas are settled before the tradespeople arrive.

In a house, you decide alone, but the job affects the structure more: floor, slab, ventilation to the outside, sometimes enlarging the wet room at the expense of a bedroom. Site organisation is more flexible there, and so is access.

In both cases, the proximity of the lake and the La Côte slopes makes controlling humidity all the more useful: a wet room without good ventilation ages badly, whatever finish is chosen.

Staying at home in Morges: adapting the bathroom

Many requests come from people who wish to keep living at home as they age. The bathroom is the room where falls are most frequent, and it is largely there that staying at home is decided. Common adaptations:

• a level-access shower in place of the bathtub, with a non-slip floor;
• grab bars and a seat in the shower;
• a WC at a suitable height and enough room to manoeuvre;
• bright lighting without shadowy areas, compliant with the NIBT rules in wet areas.

It is better to plan these from the renovation stage: redoing tiling a few years later costs far more than including a level-access shower from the start. State this need in your request, even if it is not urgent.

Procedures in Morges: permit, landlord, co-ownership

The canton of Vaud entrusts the issuing of building permits to the municipality of the commune. When cantonal services must give an opinion, the file goes through the cantonal authorisations centre (CAMAC). For an interior renovation with no change to the structure or façade, a permit is in principle not needed, but it is for the commune to confirm. If in doubt, a call or a visit to the Morges building department avoids an unpleasant surprise.

If the project affects water heating or energy equipment, the Vaud energy law and the cantonal energy directorate may apply, as may a cantonal subsidy programme. Enquire with the cantonal office before ordering: any aid, if it exists for your case, is generally requested before the works.

On the agreements side:

• tenant: the landlord’s written consent is needed for anything that alters the dwelling (shower instead of the bathtub, new partition, new drainage);
• owner of a flat in co-ownership: the co-ownership regulations say what is possible, notably for noise, working hours and common areas;
• house owner: no private agreement is needed, but the commune’s rules still apply.

Preparing your request and comparing quotes

The more precise your description, the more comparable the quotes will be. Give:

1. the type of home (flat, house, floor, lift or not) and the approximate age of the building;
2. what you want to replace or move, with a few photos;
3. the plan for the shower or bathtub, and the size of the room;
4. accessibility needs, present or future;
5. whether the landlord or the co-ownership has given consent;
6. your scheduling constraints, such as having no water during the works.

A good quote itemises each item: removal and disposal, sanitaryware, waterproofing, tiling, electrics, ventilation, making good. It states what is supplied by the company and what you provide, as well as what is not included. The cost varies mainly with the surface area, whether or not the pipes are moved, the quality of the fittings and tiles, the condition of what is discovered when the walls are opened and the difficulty of access to the home. That is why a price given without a visit has little value: compare quotes drawn up on the same description.

To describe your project and receive proposals, you can request a quote: your request is passed on to tradespeople and companies in the region, who will contact you to prepare a free, no-obligation quote.

Useful pages around Morges

• bathroom renovation: the general page for the trade;
• works in Morges: all the works in the commune;
• canton of Vaud: pointers on the canton;
• carpenter in Morges, heating engineer in Morges and solar panels in Morges: other jobs that often overlap with a bathroom, notably for furniture, hot water or energy.