Apartment and house renovation in Ķegums - for houses of the hydropower plant village and detached houses

Houses of the hydropower plant village from 1936 and newer detached houses

Ķegums began to form as a settlement in 1936 with the construction of the hydroelectric power station, and the first houses were built for the power plant's workers on what is now Skolas iela and Liepu aleja. In 1949 Ķegums received the status of a workers' village, and it has been a town since 1993. The spatial structure of the town is still determined by the hydroelectric power station, the railway and the A6 corridor. The development includes detached houses, apartment buildings, technical and energy sites and wooded outlying areas.

In a place of mixed development the renovation needs differ: from refreshing an apartment in an apartment building to the interior finishing of a detached house or a new build. In a building built many decades ago, you first have to find out what has already been changed: wires, pipes, floor base, windows. If the installations are old, a cosmetic renovation does not renew them; then you need a full renovation, in which new wires, pipes and screed are fitted. If the installations have already been changed, a cosmetic renovation is enough.

The Ķegums hydroelectric power station with the workers' village development is an architectural monument of national significance (protection No. 8223). If the work changes the protected values of the monument, for example the facade, the roof covering or windows and doors (the infill of openings), the permission of the National Heritage Board is needed. So if your house is in the former hydropower plant village, before work on windows, external doors or the roof find out from the heritage board whether the building is within the monument's area. If you do not know the year the house was built, ask the building manager and write it in the form.

By the A6 and the railway: what to know before the price

The A6 and the railway link Ķegums with Ogre, Riga and Lielvārde. The hydroelectric power station, the Daugava and technical areas create their own route restrictions, so in the request give the exact address and the part of the village.

• detached house or apartment and the approximate year of construction;
• floor and number of floors in the house;
• area to be renovated in m², rooms and their dimensions;
• whether the electrical wiring has been changed and when, and whether there is an inspection report;
• type of floors: wooden boards, concrete, tiles;
• condition of the rooms and the electrical distribution board.

If the house has a bathroom that was fitted later than the building itself, write when it was done and whether the floor in it is wooden or concrete. This determines whether waterproofing can be applied straight away or a stable base has to be made first. Bathroom renovation (the whole job) costs from €3,000, with materials and plumbing separately.

Old wires: inspection and new electrical wiring

According to the explanation on LV portāls, in many homes the electrical wiring was installed in Soviet times, and the wires are 30–50 years old and worn. The Fire Safety Regulations currently in force provide for an inspection of the electrical wiring every 10 years and for the result to be recorded in an inspection report. If there is no report or it shows problems, it makes sense to change the wires at the start of the renovation, while the walls are not yet finished.

When electrical wiring in an existing building is reconstructed, since 01.07.2025 it must be fitted with residual current protection. The installation is carried out under the direction of a certified construction specialist, and the wire resistance, loop resistance and earthing are measured by a certified electrical specialist. In an apartment building, the electricity supply of common property, for example the staircase distribution board, is a matter of managing the building. See electrical wiring replacement in Ķegums and old electrical wiring.

Floors: wooden boards, screed and underfloor heating

In an older house there can be a wooden plank floor under the linoleum or carpet. If the boards are sound, they can be sanded and restored; if laminate or tiles are to be laid, a level base is needed. Quick-Step recommends levelling out unevenness in the base greater than 2 mm per 1 m. A concrete base is levelled with a self-levelling compound; the manufacturer of Ceresit CN 76 states that it can be walked on after 3 hours and tiled after 3 days.

Underfloor heating in a detached house is the owner's decision. In an apartment building, connecting water underfloor heating to the building's heating affects common property and requires the association's consent, while for electric underfloor heating, when the electrical wiring is reconstructed, residual current protection is needed. See floor levelling in Ķegums, restoring a wooden floor and underfloor heating.

Extending a detached house and the Ogre Municipality building board

If you want to adapt a detached house for year-round living, extend it or convert the attic, you must find out before the work which document is needed. For interior work without renovation, reconstruction or demolition, no documents are needed. In other cases the documents are submitted in BIS, and approval of reconstruction in Ķegums is handled by the Ogre Municipality building board. With an explanatory memorandum or a building permit, work starts only after the building board's note. See summer house renovation and attic renovation in Ķegums.

A ramp or lift: Ogre Municipality support in Ķegums

Ķegums is in Ogre Municipality. Ogre Municipality regulations No. 3/2025 support the installation of a ramp or lift for a person with mobility difficulties if the home is on the ground floor or the building has a lift. In an apartment building, the owner may install a lift in the staircase or a ramp after first informing the apartment owners' association or the building manager.

Adapting the inside of an apartment or house can mean a shower without a threshold with a floor drain, wider doors and a floor without differences in level. In the request, write the floor and which rooms have to be adapted. See renovation for seniors and adaptation and shower with a floor drain in Ķegums.

Prices in Ķegums: electricity, floors, renovation

• Electrical wiring replacement in an apartment: from €20/m² of apartment area
• Socket, switch or light point: from €12 per point
• Floor levelling, pouring or screed: from €6.50/m²
• Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area

Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate. Example: a 2-room apartment of 50 m² in a full renovation is 50 × €280 = from €14,000 (labour). If only the electrical wiring is changed, the same apartment is 50 × €20 = from €1,000, with sockets and switches separately per point. The thickness of the layer changes the price of levelling. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. Other work: bathroom renovation in Ķegums and kitchen renovation in Ķegums.