Building work in the canton of Bern

The canton of Bern extends well beyond what this site covers; here we focus on its French-speaking and bilingual part, from the foot of the Jura to the shores of Lake Biel. Building work there varies with altitude, exposure and the age of the building. This page gathers useful pointers before you send a quote request.

Building work in the canton of Bern: from the foot of the Jura to Lake Biel

The area we are talking about lies between the first foothills of the Jura and the edge of Lake Biel. This position gives a noticeably different climate from the Lake Geneva arc: winters are colder. For a homeowner, the consequence is practical. A poorly insulated house or ageing windows cost you in comfort and heating, and the roof and gutters work harder during the cold season.

The building stock is varied too. There are apartment blocks in town, detached houses on the outskirts, farmhouses and older buildings in the villages. Each type of building raises its own questions: a flat in co-ownership needs the community’s agreement for certain work, an old house sometimes holds surprises once the walls are opened, and a more recent house is more likely to raise questions about energy.

If you are a tenant, remember that most alterations require the landlord’s agreement before any quote is accepted.

Building permits in the canton of Bern: municipality or prefecture

In the canton of Bern, the building permit is issued by the municipality or by the prefecture, depending on the nature of the project. This is the first thing to check for an extension, an additional storey, a conservatory, a garage, a swimming pool or a visible change to the facade.

A few pointers to help you see more clearly:

• purely interior work, such as painting or changing a floor covering, does not generally raise any permit question, but a quick call to the municipal administration will settle any doubt;
• work that changes the building envelope (roof, facade, openings) deserves a systematic check;
• new buildings and enlargements almost always go through a formal procedure.

This site cannot tell you whether your project requires a permit. Only the municipality, or the competent cantonal department, can confirm that. An architect, for example via the architect page, can also prepare the application if your project warrants it.

Energy and subsidies for your home in Bern

The canton of Bern manages energy through the cantonal office for the environment and energy, which offers a cantonal subsidy programme. For a homeowner, it is worth looking into before starting a project involving insulation or heating.

The work most often considered in an energy review is as follows:

• thermal insulation of walls, roof or floors;
• replacing windows and double glazing;
• switching to a heat pump;
• installing solar panels;
• renewing the water heater and boiler or the system installed by a heating engineer.

The conditions for granting subsidies, any amounts and the timetable should be checked directly with the cantonal office. One simple rule: find out before signing a quote or starting the work, so as not to close a door by taking steps in the wrong order.

Older buildings and heritage: check before touching the facade

In old town centres and for certain buildings, heritage protection constraints may apply to the facade, windows or roof. We do not detail any precise rule here, as it depends on the building and any listing it may have. The municipality or the competent cantonal department will tell you whether your building is affected and what is permitted.

This check matters before a facade renovation, a colour change, a replacement of joinery or a new roof covering. It is better to have done it before the tradespeople visit: the quote will then be for a project that can actually be carried out.

Biel/Bienne, a bilingual city on the lake

Biel/Bienne is officially bilingual, French and German. For a French-speaking resident, this changes nothing about how to request a quote: you describe your work in the language of your choice. It may, however, explain why some municipal documents or information leaflets exist in both languages.

The city has its own page: see building work in Bienne for pointers specific to this area, between the city centre, residential districts and the lakeside.

Typical work between Biel/Bienne and the foot of the Jura

Without claiming to draw up a complete catalogue, here are the projects that come up most naturally in this region, given the climate and the building stock.

Heating and insulating

With colder winters, insulation and heating together are often at the heart of projects. You start with the envelope: thermal insulation, windows, roof. You then look at heat production, with a heat pump, a wood or pellet stove as back-up, or radiators to replace. In the opposite order, a new installation may end up oversized as soon as the building is better insulated.

Roofing and water drainage

A roof exposed to cold winters needs regular upkeep. Depending on the condition of the covering, tradespeople will work on the roof, the timber frame, the gutters or the zinc work. The quote will specify whether a repair is enough or a more complete replacement is needed.

Renovating the interior

In homes in towns and villages, interior projects are the most common: bathroom renovation, kitchen renovation, apartment renovation, interior painting, tiling or flooring. For heavier work, an interior demolition sometimes comes before the rebuilding of partitions and floors.

Extending and landscaping the outdoors

To gain space, people consider a house extension, a conservatory or a garage and carport. The surroundings involve other trades: earthworks, a patio, fencing and gates. Almost all of these projects may require a permit, hence the value of contacting the municipality beforehand.

Request a quote for your work in the canton of Bern

To obtain comparable quotes, you need a clear description. Before filling in the form, gather a few details:

• the nature of the work you want and, if you know it, the trade concerned;
• the type of building (flat, house, apartment block, commercial premises) and its approximate age;
• your status: owner, co-owner, or tenant with the landlord’s agreement;
• known constraints: difficult access, neighbours, a permit to obtain, co-ownership;
• your photos or plans, if you have them.

You can then request a quote. Your request is passed on to tradespeople and companies in the region, who contact you to prepare a free, no-obligation quote. This site does not carry out the work itself and commits to no price and no tradesperson: the cost depends on the size of the job, the condition of the building, the materials chosen and accessibility, and it is the quote that will specify it.

Compare the proposals on their content as much as on the total: work included or excluded, materials, waste removal, making good. Do not hesitate to ask for clarification in writing before signing anything.