Building Work in the Canton of Neuchâtel

The canton of Neuchâtel combines a mild Littoral on the lakeshore with the cold, snowy Neuchâtel Mountains. Building sites do not face the same constraints from one region to the other, and neither does the housing stock. This page gathers useful pointers before you describe your work and request a quote.

The Littoral and the Neuchâtel Mountains: two terrains, two kinds of site

Along the lake, the climate is mild. Older buildings in town centres stand alongside more recent houses on the slopes above the water. Common topics include apartment renovation, updating bathrooms and kitchens, replacing windows, and maintaining facades exposed to lake humidity.

In the Neuchâtel Mountains, winter is cold and snow settles in. This climate weighs on everything that concerns the building envelope: roofing, insulation, waterproofing, and the drainage of rain and meltwater. Heating also plays a central role there, since it runs for a long part of each year. A poorly insulated building shows up quickly on the bill.

Between these two areas, the building season is not the same. On the Littoral, exterior work spreads more easily across the year. At altitude, roofing, facade work or earthworks are planned with frost and snow in mind. Mention the period you are aiming for in your request: it is information the tradesperson needs to prepare their offer.

Building permits in the canton of Neuchâtel: the SATAC desk and the commune

Building permit applications are filed through the cantonal SATAC desk. The decision, however, rests with the commune. Your commune therefore remains the main contact for finding out whether your project requires a permit.

In practice, a simple interior refresh does not have the same implications as an extension, a facade alteration, a new covered terrace, a conservatory or a swimming pool. For anything that changes the outward appearance, the volume or the use of a building, ask before starting work. For co-ownership, you also need to check what the regulations and the decisions of the owners’ meeting provide. A tenant needs the landlord’s agreement.

This page does not replace the opinion of the authorities. Contact your commune or the competent cantonal department: only they can tell you what applies to your plot or your building.

Energy and subsidies for a Neuchâtel building

The cantonal energy and environment department deals with energy matters, and the canton has a cantonal subsidy programme. If you are considering thermal insulation, a heat pump, solar panels or replacing your windows and double glazing, get information from that department before signing.

Two simple precautions:

• The conditions for obtaining support (type of work, timing, prior steps) are set by the competent department and may change. Check them before ordering.
• Any possible subsidy is not deducted in advance in a quote. Ask the tradespeople to itemise their offer, then compare it with the conditions the cantonal department has given you.

In the Mountains, where the heating season is long, these energy questions weigh more heavily. A heating engineer can explain what is feasible in your building.

Renovating in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle: the watchmaking heritage

The watchmaking heritage of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle is listed by UNESCO. For an owner, this calls for caution as soon as a project touches the exterior of the building or its original character: facade renovation, windows, roofing, shutters.

What this changes in practice can only be specified by the commune or the competent cantonal department for your address. Do not assume anything: a rule may apply to one building and not to its neighbour. Find out first, then describe it in your request, so that the tradespeople who contact you take it into account in their quote.

For interior work, the issues are more standard: apartment renovation, flooring, plastering and ornamental plasterwork in older rooms, interior painting. In an old building, walls and floors often need a precise survey before costing.

Typical work on the Neuchâtel Littoral

Around the town of Neuchâtel and along the lake, requests are often linked to improving an existing home:

• a bathroom renovation or kitchen renovation in an apartment that has not been touched for a long time;
• replacing windows to improve comfort;
• a facade renovation when the render is deteriorating;
• outdoor improvements, such as a patio, a gardener for the surroundings or a fence and gate.

The terrain on the Littoral is often sloping. For a terrace, a garage or a retaining wall, this means earthworks and some thought about water drainage. Describe the layout of your land in your request.

For an overview of the town, see the page on work in Neuchâtel.

Typical work in the Neuchâtel Mountains

Up there, winter sets the priorities. The most common requests concern what protects the building from cold and snow:

• the roof and the timber frame, when the covering is ageing or the insulation under the attic is insufficient;
• gutters and zinc work, which bear the snow and frost;
• thermal insulation of walls, attics or floors;
• the choice and upkeep of heating: a wood or pellet stove as a supplement, radiators, or replacing the heat source.

Note: in the list above, the timber frame is covered on the timber framing page, which details that trade.

For houses at higher altitudes, access to the site can be more difficult in winter. Mention it: the tradesperson will take it into account in their planning. For La Chaux-de-Fonds, see the page on work in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Requesting a quote for a Neuchâtel project

The site is a neutral matching service. It has no team of tradespeople and no named partner: you describe your work online, your request is passed on to tradespeople and companies in the area, who contact you to prepare a free, non-binding quote.

To make the offers comparable, describe your project carefully:

1. The location: commune, type of building (house, apartment, block), floor, access.
2. The nature of the work: what you want to do, and what you do not want to touch.
3. The current condition: age, known problems (damp, cracks, leaks).
4. The timing: the period you have in mind, especially if the work is outdoors.
5. Your status: owner, tenant (with the landlord’s agreement), co-ownership or company.

The price of a job depends on many factors: surface area, accessibility, condition of the substrate, chosen materials, preparatory stages, waste removal. That is why only a quote, drawn up after examining your situation, can give you a reliable figure. Compare the content of the offers, not just the total.

When you are ready, you can request a quote.

Trades and towns to consult in the canton of Neuchâtel

Depending on your project, these trade pages will help you prepare the discussion with tradespeople:

• masonry and concrete slab for structural work;
• electrician and electrical panel for bringing the installation up to standard;
• plumber for water and sanitary fittings;
• carpenter for made-to-measure work;
• house extension to enlarge an existing home.

For towns, two pages are available: work in Neuchâtel and work in La Chaux-de-Fonds.