Renovating apartments in Vangaži - for the multi-storey blocks of the factory workers' village

A reinforced concrete factory village by the quarry of 1955

Vangaži took shape as a village for the workers of a reinforced concrete structures factory by a quarry opened in 1955. In 1961 the village of Oktobra was renamed Vangaži, and in 1991 Vangaži received town status. The factory began producing expanded clay concrete in 1964, and in 1967 also aerated concrete. The wall material matters when you drill, fix shelves or plaster walls during a renovation, so if you know what your building is made of, write it in the request.

In such buildings, typical work is renewing the old wiring, the bathroom and the kitchen, while the layout is limited by load-bearing walls and shared risers. If only the finish in the apartment is changed, it is a cosmetic renovation in Vangaži. If wires and pipes must be replaced and a new screed laid, it is a full renovation in Vangaži. Which walls are load-bearing is determined by the building's design or by a structural engineer, not by how the wall looks.

Approval of reconstruction in Vangaži is handled by the Development and Construction Department of Ropaži Municipality (its Construction Control Division; there are no separate building boards any more), and the documents are submitted in the BIS. Demolishing a non-load-bearing wall is a simplified renovation: before the work, a construction notice is submitted in the BIS with a plan prepared by a registered construction company or a construction specialist. An opening in a load-bearing wall needs an explanatory memorandum and the consent of more than half of the apartment owners.

The A2, the railway and the courtyards: what to state in the request

The A2 and the railway line connect Vangaži with Riga and Sigulda, and local access can depend on the highway and the railway crossings. In the request, write the exact address.

• the year the building was built and the number of floors;
• the floor of the apartment, and whether there is a lift;
• the area in m², the number of rooms and which rooms to renovate;
• whether the wiring has already been replaced;
• whether the risers in the building have been replaced, and when;
• the condition of all rooms and of the electrical panel.

Vangaži also has private houses at the edge of the forested surroundings. If you are renovating a house rather than an apartment, write the number of floors, the type of heating and whether the work will be only inside or also, for example, in the attic or the basement. In a private house there are no common-property questions, but changing structures still needs construction documents.

Risers: when to agree with the building manager

The pipes up to the common-property risers belong to the apartment. The riser itself is the common property of all the apartment owners, so replacing it needs a decision of the apartment owners' association, and the work is organised by the building manager who has been assigned riser maintenance. If in a bathroom renovation you want to replace a section of riser in your apartment, write that in the request and first talk to the building manager.

Ropaži Municipality regulations No. 46/22 co-finance an energy audit, a technical survey and a renovation building design for buildings with at least four apartments that were put into service by the end of 1999. If your building is preparing a renovation, ask whether the project includes the risers before replacing them in your apartment.

Each owner usually covers the costs of the building's systems according to their share of the common property, on the basis of an association decision. In 2023 the Supreme Court held that the water supply inlet valve at the apartment entry is part of the building's common water supply system. In the finishing, leave a hatch by the risers. See riser replacement in Vangaži and who pays for risers.

Old wiring and a new installation

According to an explanation on LV portāls, in many homes the 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 every 10 years, with an inspection report. If the wires are replaced, from 01.07.2025 the new installation must be equipped with residual current protection, and it is installed under the direction of a certified construction specialist.

When planning a new installation, write where you need sockets in the kitchen, by the bed and at the desk, and how many light points in each room. The electricity supply of the common property, for example in the stairwell, is a matter of managing the building. See rewiring in Vangaži and old electrical wiring.

An apartment to rent or sell in Vangaži

If you are preparing an apartment for rent, the list of work can be built from the things that matter to a tenant day to day: a bathroom without leaks, working ventilation, safe wiring, a durable floor covering. Before a sale a cosmetic renovation may be enough: skimmed and painted walls and ceilings, a new floor covering and doors put in order. The Fire Safety Regulations currently in force require an autonomous smoke detector on every floor of an apartment. See rental apartment renovation in Vangaži and renovation before selling.

Prices in Vangaži

• Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area
• Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment area
• Rewiring in an apartment: from €20/m² of apartment area
• Replacing a section of riser in an apartment: from €100 per riser

Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate. Example: a 2-room apartment of 50 m² in a cosmetic renovation: 50 × €100 = from €5,000, in a full renovation: 50 × €280 = from €14,000 (labour). The total is determined by the area and the number of rooms, the condition of the walls and floors, whether the wiring, pipes and risers are replaced, and the chosen finish. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. Other work: bathroom renovation in Vangaži and kitchen renovation in Vangaži.