Kitchen Renovation in Bienne

A kitchen renovation in Bienne is not prepared in the same way in a two-room flat near the old town as in a villa on the heights. The age of the building, the slope, the cold at the foot of the Jura and the city’s bilingualism all weigh on the project. If you are thinking of redoing your kitchen in Bienne, this page describes the usual works, the points specific to the city and how to compare quotes.

Your request, described online on the site, is passed on to tradespeople and companies in the region, who get back to you to prepare a free, no-obligation quote.

Redoing your kitchen in Bienne, from the old town to the Evilard slopes

The city stretches along Lake Biel at the foot of the Jura, then climbs towards Evilard and Macolin. This geography gives three main types of home, and therefore three ways of renovating a kitchen:

• old houses in the old town, often narrow, with rooms of irregular shape;
• apartment-block districts, where the kitchen is frequently an enclosed space of modest size;
• hillside villas, where the idea is more often to open the kitchen onto the living room or give it access to the outdoors.

Before choosing fronts or a worktop, identify which situation you are in: it determines what is simple, what is delicate and who has to give their consent.

Kitchen works in Bienne, item by item

A complete renovation brings together several interventions that follow one another in a precise order:

• removal of the old kitchen and clearing away of the elements;
• plumbing: water supply, drainage, connection of the dishwasher and sink;
• electrics: additional sockets, dedicated circuits for large appliances, worktop lighting;
• fitting: base and wall units, worktop, fronts, hardware;
• appliances: oven, hob, fridge, dishwasher;
• tiling or splashback, as well as floors and paintwork affected by the works;
• ventilation or extractor hood, with its outlet or recirculation.

In a small apartment-block kitchen, the challenge is to make the most of every centimetre: made-to-measure units, compact appliances, storage reaching up to the ceiling. In a villa there is more room, but the connections are sometimes far from where you would like to put the island or the sink.

Old town houses in Bienne: working with the old

Old houses hold surprises from the moment of removal. Walls that are not square, floors that are not level, water pipes and conduits of another age, an old electrical installation: units delivered in standard ranges adapt poorly, and the fitter often has to take precise measurements and plan for adjustments on site.

If the building is protected or lies within a heritage protection perimeter, certain changes visible from outside, such as a hood outlet on the façade, may be regulated. Find out before ordering anything: the municipality will tell you whether your project affects an element that must be preserved. For purely interior changes the question arises less, but it is worth asking.

Rental buildings and hillside villas: two different logics

In an apartment building, the kitchen depends on shared risers. Moving the sink or the dishwasher may mean touching pipes that serve other homes, which is not always possible. Disruption from the works also affects the neighbours: noise, materials passing through the stairwell, use of the lift. Inform the property manager or the co-ownership and ask the companies to protect the common areas.

On the slopes towards Evilard and Macolin, access is a subject in its own right. A steep street or narrow path makes it harder to deliver bulky units, a stone worktop or a large fridge. Mention it in your request: the tradesperson can plan another means of transport and take it into account in their offer.

Winters at the foot of the Jura and kitchen ventilation in Bienne

Winters there are colder than around Lake Geneva. The practical consequence: windows are opened for a shorter time, and cooking steam, grease and humidity linger. A kitchen renovated without thought given to ventilation risks condensation on the windows, marks on the walls or mould in the corners.

Ask the tradesperson from the outset:

• is a hood venting to the outside possible in your building or house?
• if not, is a recirculating hood with filters enough for your use?
• are the kitchen window and its seal in good condition, or do they need work?

If your renovation comes with more economical appliances or an energy improvement of the home, find out from the cantonal office for the environment and energy: the canton of Bern has a subsidy programme, whose conditions and amounts must be checked directly with the relevant department, before work begins.

Permits, landlord and co-ownership for a kitchen in Bienne

Depending on the project, the steps vary:

• Like-for-like renovation (units, appliances, tiling): in principle no permit, but check with the city.
• Change to structure or façade (opening a wall, new hood outlet, window change): a building permit may be required, issued by the municipality or the prefecture depending on the project.
• Tenant: written consent from the landlord, before work begins, with a description of what will be changed.
• Co-ownership: consult the rules and inform the administrator, especially if shared pipes, the façade or the hood outlet are involved.

As Bienne is officially bilingual, forms and exchanges with the administration can be in French or German. Ask the municipality which procedure applies to your case.

Describing your Bienne kitchen to compare quotes

A quote is only comparable if the tradespeople received the same description. Prepare:

• the type of home (apartment, old town house, villa), the floor and the access: stairs, lift, steep street;
• the dimensions of the room, a few photos and the current position of the water supplies, sockets and hood;
• what you wish to keep or move;
• the quality level of the units, worktop and appliances, or the models already chosen;
• your preferred language for the quote and communication;
• if you are a tenant, the landlord’s consent or the process under way.

A good quote details each item: removal and clearing, plumbing, electrics, fitting, appliances, tiling, finishes, ventilation. Also check who coordinates the trades, which items are supplied by whom, and what is excluded. A single lump-sum line without detail makes any comparison impossible.

The cost depends mainly on the number of trades involved, the state of the installations discovered at removal, the choice of materials and appliances, access to the home and the extent of changes to connections. That is why only a quote prepared for your own kitchen gives a reliable answer.

To get started, you can request a quote by describing your project.

Other useful pages for your project in Bienne

• the trade page: kitchen renovation
• the city page: works in Bienne
• the canton page: canton of Bern
• also in Bienne: bathroom renovation in Bienne, air conditioning in Bienne and electrician in Bienne