Bathroom renovation in Sion

Are you looking for a bathroom renovation in Sion? Whether you are refreshing the bathroom of an older building or rethinking the one in a villa, the request needs preparing before the first hammer blow. This neutral service passes your description on to tradespeople and firms in the area, who get back to you with a free, no-obligation quote.

Common bathroom work in Sion

A bathroom renovation rarely involves a single task. The most frequent requests are:

• replacing the sanitary fittings: washbasin, WC, taps;
• converting a bathtub into a walk-in shower;
• redoing the waterproofing under and around the shower or bathtub;
• laying new tiles on the floor and walls;
• improving ventilation, which is essential to remove moisture;
• bringing the electrics in wet areas up to standard, under the NIBT rules (the Swiss low-voltage installation standard);
• adapting the room for age: non-slip floor, grab rails, step-free access.

This work involves a plumber, a tiler and an electrician. Describing them separately in your request helps firms see what is planned and what is not.

A bathroom in Sion: old town, apartment districts or villa

As the capital of Valais, Sion combines very different types of building, and a bathroom is not renovated the same way everywhere.

Old town, at the foot of Valère and Tourbillon. Older buildings often have wet rooms set into a structure that was not designed for them: old pipework, floors whose support needs checking, thick walls that are hard to drill. Before planning a walk-in shower, you must make sure the floor allows the drainage slope. If the building is protected or lies within a sensitive perimeter, check with the municipality what is permitted, especially if ventilation runs through the façade.

Apartment districts. This is where much of the demand lies: rented flats and flats owned by floor. The water and waste stacks are shared, the service ducts are communal, and the neighbours below are directly affected by a leak or by redoing the waterproofing. Work in these buildings is planned with the owner, the managing agent or the administrator.

Villas. In principle there is more freedom: moving a partition, enlarging the room, adding a second bathroom. The project still needs to be assessed according to the structure and access.

What Sion’s dry climate changes for a bathroom

Sion lies in the Rhône valley, with a dry, sunny climate that is hot in summer. This does not remove the need for ventilation: a bathroom produces its own moisture, whatever the outside air. On the other hand, dry air often makes natural airing through a window easier, but many bathrooms in apartment buildings have no window and depend on mechanical ventilation, which should be checked during the work.

Another point follows from the building: in midsummer, work in a flat without air conditioning is gruelling, and dust from tiling or sanding gets everywhere. Agree with the firms on protection for the other rooms and on noise hours.

Procedures: permit, landlord and co-ownership

Several levels of decision may come into play.

• The municipality. In Valais, the building permit is issued by the municipality within the building zone. Simply replacing fittings does not normally require one, but anything affecting the façade, the windows or the structure deserves a check with the municipality of Sion.
• The landlord. As a tenant, you need consent for any lasting change: a shower instead of the bathtub, new tiles, moving fittings. Ask for it in writing, with a description of the work.
• Co-ownership. If you own a flat by floor, consult the regulations and the administrator. Common parts, including the stacks, cannot be touched without a collective decision.
• Energy. If the renovation comes with a new water heater or another hot-water system, the cantonal energy and hydropower service can tell you whether a cantonal subsidy programme applies. Check the conditions before ordering.

In every case, confirm these points with the municipality or the competent cantonal service: the rules change and every situation is particular.

Preparing your request and comparing bathroom quotes

A clear request saves everyone time. Indicate:

1. the type of home: older or newer flat, apartment building, villa, floor;
2. what you want to change and what you are keeping;
3. the starting condition: leaks, mould, cracked tiles, a floor that sounds hollow;
4. your accessibility needs, current or future;
5. whether you are a tenant, owner or co-owner, and whether the landlord’s consent has been obtained;
6. your scheduling constraints, especially if the bathroom is the only one in the home.

A good quote itemises each item: stripping out and removal, plumbing, waterproofing, tiling, electrics, ventilation, finishes. It states what is included and what is not, for example fittings supplied by you. Comparing quotes with different scopes is misleading: ask for them on an identical scope.

The cost varies with the surface area, the condition of the substrates and pipework, the quality of materials, the number of trades, access to the building and the need to open a wall or a duct. No serious figure can be given without seeing the room: that is what the quote is for. To get started, you can request a quote in a few lines.

Further reading on Sion and Valais

• The trade page: bathroom renovation
• The city: work in Sion
• The canton: canton of Valais
• Other work in Sion: carpenter in Sion, solar panels in Sion, heating engineer in Sion