Masonry in Lausanne: wall, slab and foundation work

Hiring a mason in Lausanne means first dealing with the topography: the city slopes down from the heights towards Ouchy and Lake Geneva, and almost every masonry job there involves a slope. Whether you are looking for a masonry company in Lausanne for a wall, a slab or a stone repair, the request is prepared differently depending on the neighbourhood and the type of building.

This page describes the most common masonry jobs in the Vaud capital, what the location changes in practice, the steps to plan ahead and how to compare quotes.

The most common masonry jobs in Lausanne

The mason’s trade (CFC training, the Swiss federal vocational certificate) covers walls, openings in walls, load-bearing or not, foundations, slabs, low walls, small extensions and concrete and stone repairs. In Lausanne, this work falls mostly into two situations.

In apartment buildings, you find the opening of a passage between kitchen and living room, the repair of a balcony slab or a concrete staircase, the reworking of a cellar wall. In houses and villas on the heights, the talk is more of garden walls, retaining walls, a terrace slab or a small extension.

The city is also home to a large student and academic population, with the neighbouring UNIL and EPFL campuses: many homes are rented, which often leaves the decision to the landlord or the property manager rather than the occupant.

Masonry in Lausanne and sloping ground

Lausanne is built on a slope between the lake and the upper town; the very steep m2 metro line is the most visible illustration. For a mason, this has very direct consequences:

• Foundations: on inclined ground, they are designed according to the slope and the nature of the soil. A professional must study the site before proposing a solution.
• Retaining walls: they hold back the earth and must be sized for it. This is not work to improvise, and the pressure of water behind the wall matters as much as its height.
• Site access: in a narrow or steep street, getting materials, concrete and the rubble skip to the site can complicate the organisation. Describe the access in your request: the company will take it into account in its offer.
• Water drainage: on a slope, runoff towards the wall or the slab is a point to deal with, not a detail.

Cité stone and older buildings

The old town of the Cité, around the cathedral, has older stone buildings. Stone masonry repairs there are of a different nature from those on a recent concrete building: attention goes to the compatibility of mortars with the substrate, the condition of the joints, and damp rising in a cellar wall.

An old wall was not designed like a modern one. Before opening a bay in it or fixing a load to it, you need to understand how it carries weight. For a building in an old-town area or of heritage interest, check with the municipality which constraints apply to façades and to work on the structure.

Vineyard walls, gardens and terraces on the slopes

The canton of Vaud is shaped by its vineyards, and the Lavaux vineyard is a World Heritage site. Even if your property is not within that perimeter, the tradition of dry-stone walls and terraces is present on the slopes of Lake Geneva. Repairing or rebuilding such a wall requires particular skill, and its status may bring specific requirements. Ask the municipality whether your plot is concerned before starting work.

Load-bearing walls, openings and small extensions

Opening a load-bearing wall requires a civil engineer’s calculation and often authorisation. This calculation sets the size of the beam that will take the load, the supports and the propping during the work. A serious mason does not start without this step.

For a non-load-bearing wall, the question is simpler, but you must make sure it is not load-bearing. In an older building, a partition can contribute to stability without it being visible. Have the nature of the wall confirmed before cutting into it.

A small extension (a masonry conservatory, enlarging a room, an annex) almost always falls under a permit procedure. Do not treat it as a simple masonry job.

Procedures: permit, CAMAC, landlord’s consent

In the canton of Vaud, the building permit is issued by the municipality. When cantonal departments must give an opinion, the file goes through the cantonal permits centre (CAMAC). To find out whether your work requires an application, contact the relevant municipal department in Lausanne; it will tell you what is required depending on the nature and scale of the work.

If the project affects the building envelope and its performance, the Vaud energy law and the cantonal energy directorate may come into play, and a cantonal subsidy programme exists. Ask the cantonal department what applies to your case, without assuming any aid.

On the ownership side:

• House owner: you decide, within the framework of the authorisations.
• Co-ownership: any work on the structure or common areas goes through the owners’ association.
• Tenant: the landlord’s written consent is essential for any work on a wall.

Preparing your request and comparing masonry quotes in Lausanne

The more precise the description, the more comparable the offers. State:

1. the nature of the work (opening, slab, low wall, stone or concrete repair);
2. the type of building and its approximate age, as well as the neighbourhood;
3. the slope of the ground and the site access conditions;
4. whether a plan, an engineer’s calculation or an authorisation has already been obtained;
5. your scheduling constraints, without expecting a promise on timing.

A good quote details the materials, labour, any propping, rubble removal, protection of the premises, finishes and what remains at your expense. The cost varies mainly with the complexity of access, the nature of the substrate (old stone or concrete), the scale of the structural work and the need to involve an engineer. Always compare line by line rather than on a total.

To start the process, you can request a quote: your request is passed on to craftspeople and companies in the region, who will contact you to prepare a free, no-obligation quote.

Useful pages for your project in Lausanne

• The trade: masonry
• The city: works in Lausanne
• The canton: canton of Vaud
• In the same municipality: thermal insulation in Lausanne, plumber in Lausanne, roofing in Lausanne