In a one-room apartment the bathroom and toilet are usually combined, in a two-room apartment they are separate, and the kitchen is 8–9 m². We do cosmetic and full renovation of apartments in the 104 series in Riga and the Riga region.
What is typical of a 104 series building
The 104 series is a prefabricated panel building from the 1970s with 9, 12 or 16 storeys. The external walls are aerated concrete panels, and the internal load-bearing walls are reinforced concrete panels. These buildings have no rubbish chute. In Riga they are in many neighbourhoods: Purvciems, Pļavnieki, Ziepniekkalns, Zolitūde, Imanta, Mežciems, Dzirciems, Iļģuciems, Čiekurkalns, Mežaparks and Jugla.
The kitchen is about 8 m² in a one-room apartment, 9 m² in a two-room apartment and 8 m² in a three-room apartment. A three-room apartment has one bathroom and toilet unit. The ceiling height depends on the particular apartment, so measure it before choosing a ceiling.
Load-bearing walls: what to know before an opening
For an opening in a load-bearing wall, according to the Riga municipality's explanation you need an architect and a structural engineer, who inspect the structures and calculate the solution for the opening. An explanatory memorandum is submitted to the building board as a simplified reconstruction, with the structural solution for the opening and an assessment of its effect on the strength of the building.
The work may start only after the building board has recorded in BIS that the conditions for starting construction work have been met. The consent of the apartment owners' association is also needed: the owners who represent more than half of the apartment properties must vote for it. For construction work without an explanatory memorandum, a private individual can be fined up to 400 fine units (up to €2,000).
Cabinet Regulation No. 529, sub-paragraph 7.² 8, sub-paragraphs 24.4.2 and 24.4.3; Construction Law (Būvniecības likums), Section 17(1) and Section 25(1); Law on Residential Properties, Section 16(3). Checked 11.11.2026.
A combined bathroom in a one-room apartment
In a combined bathroom, a bath or shower, a toilet, a washbasin and also a washing machine have to fit into a small area. The main choice is a bath or a shower with a floor drain: a shower needs a floor slope towards the drain and careful waterproofing. The manufacturer Ceresit recommends applying CL 51 waterproofing in at least two coats and setting waterproofing tape into the joints between wall and floor.
In residential buildings the bathroom, toilet and shower are ventilated through natural extract ducts, so do not cover the ventilation grilles. For more on the work: combined bathroom renovation and building a shower with a floor drain.
Radiators and risers in a tall building
A radiator in an apartment is common property if its operation depends on the building's heating system. So replacing a radiator affects common property and needs the consent of the apartment owners' association; shutting down and refilling the heating system must be agreed with the building manager. The same applies to risers: they serve all floors, and in an apartment only a riser section can be replaced; this needs the association's consent, and the building manager organises the work.
In a building with 12 or 16 storeys, write the floor and whether there is a lift in your request. For radiators: radiator replacement in an apartment.
Law on Residential Properties, Section 4(1) paragraph 1 and Section 11(3). Checked 11.11.2026.
How a renovation usually goes
- Approvals For radiator replacement the association's consent is obtained, for replacing a riser section the association's consent is obtained; for an opening in a load-bearing wall the documents are prepared.
- Demolition The old finish, the bathroom tiles, the floor covering and, if needed, the old pipes are removed.
- Utilities New pipes, electrical wiring and radiators.
- Bathroom Floor slope, waterproofing, tiling, installing plumbing.
- Rooms and kitchen Wall plastering and skimming, painting, floor covering, doors.
How long the renovation takes depends on the amount of work and the drying time of the materials.
How much a 104 series apartment renovation costs
Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment floor area. Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment floor area. Bathroom renovation (all the work): from €3,000. Radiator replacement: from €115 per radiator. Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate. Construction waste removal is not part of the renovation estimate.
Example: for a 33 m² one-room apartment, full renovation is 33 × €280 = from €9,240 (labour). The price is affected by the area and the number of rooms, the condition of the walls and floors, whether the wires, pipes and risers are changed, and the chosen finish. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. All prices: apartment renovation prices.
What the price includes in a 104 series apartment
What this work includes
- demolition, pipes and electrical wiring in the apartment;
- bathroom waterproofing, tiling and installing plumbing;
- finishing of walls, floors and ceilings.
What is calculated separately
- radiators, plumbing, tiles and other materials;
- shutting down and refilling the heating system (to be agreed with the building manager);
- opening documents and structural engineer's calculations.
Sources
- 104 series years, storeys and districts in Riga checked 11 November 2026
- 104 series walls, kitchen, bathroom, rubbish chute checked 11 November 2026
- A study of 104 series buildings checked 11 November 2026
- An opening in a load-bearing wall in Riga checked 11 November 2026
- Explanatory memorandum and the opening solution checked 11 November 2026
- Starting work and the fine for work without an explanatory memorandum checked 11 November 2026
- Radiators as common property, association decision checked 11 November 2026
- Reconstruction of the heating system checked 11 November 2026
- Waterproofing coats and tape checked 11 November 2026
- Natural extract ducts checked 11 November 2026