How much does an apartment renovation cost in the canton of Vaud? Realistic 2026 budgets
It's the first question almost everyone asks, and it's also the one that gets the worst answers online. The ranges you find on forums run from CHF 800 to CHF 3,000 per square metre without ever specifying what they include — which explains why two quotes for the same Vaud apartment can differ by CHF 40,000 without either one being "wrong."
Light renovation vs. full renovation
A light renovation (paint, flooring, a refreshed kitchen and bathroom, without touching partition walls or utilities) generally falls between CHF 550 and CHF 1,100 per square metre in the canton of Vaud. A full renovation — one that involves the electrics, the plumbing, and sometimes the structure — climbs to between CHF 1,400 and CHF 2,600 per square metre, particularly in the older building stock of Lausanne or the Vaud Riviera, where bringing everything up to code is common once the walls are opened.
Price ranges per m² — canton of Vaud
- Kitchen: from CHF 14,000 (refacing and new worktop) to CHF 42,000 and above for a bespoke kitchen with high-end appliances
- Bathroom: from CHF 11,000 for a standard refresh, CHF 22,000 to CHF 32,000 for a bathroom with a walk-in shower and considered finishes
- Flooring: CHF 80 to CHF 240 per square metre depending on the material, excluding subfloor preparation
- Electrics and code compliance: to be budgeted for systematically in a building from before 1980, and hard to price accurately without opening the walls
These figures remain indicative until they're checked against your specific apartment. Compare architects in your canton
Why quotes diverge so much
The factor that weighs most heavily is almost never the trade itself — it's the quality of the preparation beforehand. An interior architect who has drawn up a precise brief before approaching contractors receives comparable quotes. Without that, each contractor interprets the project their own way, and the gaps between quotes mostly reflect differing assumptions, not differing skill.
Technical items that often get under-budgeted
The kitchen, the bathroom and the flooring capture most of the attention when a budget is drawn up — these are the visible items. Heating, windows and plumbing, on the other hand, stay invisible until they break down or a wall is opened, which is precisely why they are so consistently underestimated in early costings. In a Vaud building from before 1980, it's rare that at least one of these three items doesn't need to be addressed.
Additional technical items — canton of Vaud
Building permits: timelines and costs in the canton of Vaud
Any renovation that touches the structure, the façade or the designated use of a home goes through the Centrale des autorisations en matière de construction (CAMAC). The official timeline quoted is 2 to 3 months, but the reality observed by Vaud architecture firms runs more like 6 to 9 months for a heavy-renovation file, and can climb to 12-18 months in case of an objection. A purely interior renovation that changes neither the façade nor the designated use of the home, on the other hand, can often qualify for an exemption from public notice handled directly by the commune, which shortens the timeline considerably.
One point specific to older Vaud building stock: for any building constructed before 1991 and any file subject to authorisation, a pre-work asbestos survey is mandatory and must be attached to the permit application (art. 103a LATC). It needs to be budgeted for and planned before even requesting the first contractor quotes — remediation, if required, adds both time and a cost that no renovation quote can anticipate without this survey.
Grants and subsidies for an energy renovation
The canton of Vaud is allocating CHF 74 million in 2026 to the Programme Bâtiments to encourage energy renovations — an increase of nearly 22% compared with 2025, funded to the tune of CHF 34 million by the canton and CHF 40 million by the Confederation. These grants don't apply to a cosmetic kitchen or bathroom refresh: they target insulation, heating and the building's overall energy performance.
Up to CHF 120 per m² of insulated surface, depending on the performance achieved.
CHF 4,000 to 6,500 for an air-water heat pump, CHF 6,500 to 9,000 for a geothermal solution, with a possible bonus for a combined renovation.
CHF 1,000 for a single dwelling, CHF 1,500 for other building categories.
Up to CHF 4,000 for a single dwelling, CHF 8,000 for other categories.
CHF 90 to 130 per m² depending on the CECB class jump achieved, cumulative with the insulation and heating grants.
Two nuances worth knowing before counting on these grants. First, replacing windows in isolation isn't subsidised as such — it only becomes eligible once combined with a broader insulation project. Second, in a co-owned building, the subsidy application is in principle filed at building level, not for an individual apartment: it therefore needs to be coordinated collectively with the PPE before launching the project. The detail of each measure is available at vd.ch/subventions-energie.
Typical timeline, from planning to handover
The timeline depends almost entirely on two factors: the scale of the works and whether or not a building permit is required. A light renovation with no permit can be wrapped up in 2 to 3 months from the first contact. A heavy renovation touching the structure or the utilities, going through CAMAC, more realistically spreads over 8 to 14 months once the planning and permit phase is factored in.
3 to 6 weeks to draw up a precise brief and compare quotes that are genuinely comparable.
2 to 3 months in theory, 6 to 9 months in practice for a heavy-renovation file, up to 12-18 months in case of an objection.
5 to 6 weeks for a kitchen or bathroom alone, 2 to 3 months for a full apartment.
4 to 5 months on site for an apartment of around 100 m² touching the electrics and plumbing.
Interior architect or general contractor?
In the older building stock of the canton of Vaud — Lausanne, the Riviera, the historic centres of the smaller towns — this question carries more weight than elsewhere, because there are more unknowns behind the walls and navigating the administrative process (CAMAC, asbestos survey, communal exemptions) requires real know-how. The choice comes down less to the price quoted than to who carries the technical and administrative risk of the project.
- Precise brief, tenders and choice of contractors under your control
- Fees generally 15 to 22% of the cost of works for a renovation, or CHF 120 to 300 per hour
- Several points of contact if something goes wrong, but a brief that limits bad surprises upfront
- Worthwhile for an older building or a heavy renovation that requires genuine technical coordination
- A single point of contact, a fixed price set before the site work begins
- Less day-to-day management burden for the owner
- Any change during the works is negotiated from a position of weakness, outside any competitive process
- Worthwhile for a standardised renovation, without particular heritage or technical stakes
The most common budget overruns
Most renovation projects in Switzerland exceed their initial budget, with a typical overrun of 15 to 25%. Homeowners' associations recommend building in a reserve of 10 to 20% of the total estimated cost before starting — and up to 25% for an older building whose utilities couldn't be checked before the walls were opened.
- Asbestos survey and, where necessary, remediation — mandatory for any building predating 1991 and rarely included in the first quote
- Corroded plumbing or non-compliant electrical conduits discovered once the walls are opened
- Poor coordination between trades, a source of rework costed at 10-20% in extra cost depending on the case
- Outdated insulation under floors or in the attic, left out of the initial quote because it's invisible before the works begin
Get an estimate tailored to your apartment
Describe your project in the canton of Vaud to receive proposals from interior architects who price against the same brief — and are therefore genuinely comparable.
Describe my projectFAQ
No. A purely interior renovation that touches neither the façade, the structure, nor the designated use of the home can often qualify for an exemption from public notice handled directly by the commune. As soon as the works touch the structure, the façade, or involve an energy renovation subject to authorisation, the file goes through CAMAC, with an official timeline of 2 to 3 months that more often reaches 6 to 9 months in practice.
The 2026 Programme Bâtiments funds thermal insulation (up to CHF 120/m²), replacing the heating system with a heat pump (CHF 4,000 to 9,000 depending on the technology), the CECB Plus (CHF 1,000 to 1,500) and support from an accredited project owner's advisor (up to CHF 4,000 to 8,000). A bonus of CHF 90 to 130/m² is added for a full renovation that jumps a CECB class. Replacing windows in isolation, however, is not subsidised as such.
For a light renovation with no permit, allow 2 to 3 months from the first contact to the end of the works. For a heavy renovation requiring a CAMAC application, the realistic timeline is more like 8 to 14 months once planning, the permit and the works are added together — and longer in case of an objection to the permit.
Yes, for any building built before 1991 as soon as the works are subject to authorisation. The pre-work survey must be attached to the permit application (art. 103a LATC) and, if it reveals the presence of asbestos, remediation is required before the site work begins — a cost and a timeline to factor in from the planning stage, not after receiving quotes.
Yes. Most renovation projects in Switzerland exceed their initial budget by 15 to 25%, mainly because of what's discovered once the walls are opened — corroded plumbing, non-compliant electrics, outdated insulation. A reserve of 10 to 20% of the total estimated cost is the recommended standard, more for an older building whose utilities couldn't be checked in advance.