119 series apartment renovation

What is typical of a 119 series building

119 series buildings were built from the early 1980s until about the mid-1990s, usually 9 storeys, sometimes 6 or 10. The walls are reinforced concrete panels, and in some buildings the large external wall panels have glazed tiles. In Riga you will find this series in Zolitūde, Pļavnieki, Purvciems, Ziepniekkalns, Iļģuciems and Čiekurkalns.

The ceiling height for this series is usually given as about 2.6 m, against the 2.5 m usual in Soviet-era buildings. The kitchen is square: about 6 m² in a one-room apartment and about 7 m² in two-room and three-room apartments. The bathroom arrangement differs by layout: in a one-room apartment it tends to be combined, while in larger apartments the bathroom and toilet are separate. Check this on your plan.

Changing the layout of a 119 series apartment

If a partition wall is not load-bearing, then, according to Riga municipality's explanation, to demolish it and combine rooms an architect prepares a plan and a construction notice is filed in the Construction Information System (BIS) as a simplified renovation. Attached to the notice are a plan of the room group showing the changes and a room schedule with room heights.

Since December 2025 in Riga the Architecture Division of the City Development Department has checked notices more strictly and cancels non-compliant ones. If the wall separates two apartments, the consent of both owners is needed. That only the external walls are load-bearing applies, according to nopo.lv, to most apartments, not all, so check the type of wall before demolition.

Description of the work: demolishing walls in an apartment and approval of apartment reconstruction.

Ventilation shafts and electrical risers

For the 119 series, electrical risers and ventilation shafts are mentioned as typical issues. Kitchens, toilets and bathrooms in residential buildings are ventilated through natural extract ducts (LBN 231-15, paragraph 90.²). If there is a gas hob in the kitchen and no constant air exchange, a mechanical ventilation unit must not be connected to the natural ventilation duct (Cabinet Regulation No. 238, sub-paragraph 89.10). Bear this in mind when choosing a cooker hood.

Shafts and risers that also serve other apartments are not to be boxed in with a finish without access: the owner must allow specialists authorised by the building manager to carry out work on maintaining the building's utilities (Law on Residential Properties, Section 10). This is usually solved with a hatch. The wiring in the apartment up to the riser is yours, the riser itself is common property.

How a renovation usually goes

1. Plan and documents If walls change, first prepare the plan and file the notice; work starts after that.
2. Demolition The non-load-bearing partition is demolished, the old finish and floor covering are removed.
3. Electrical wiring When the wiring is rebuilt, it is fitted with residual current protection (a requirement since 01.07.2025).
4. New partitions If a different division of rooms is needed, a partition can be built from plasterboard on a metal profile frame.
5. Walls, floors, finishing Plastering, skimming, floor levelling, painting, floor covering and doors.

How long the renovation takes depends on the amount of work and the drying time of the materials.

A 119 series apartment plan for the estimate

For the estimate we need the plan of your apartment, not a typical one: mark on it which walls you want to demolish or move and where the kitchen and bathroom will be. Describe the ventilation openings in the kitchen and bathroom. In the request also write whether you will choose the materials yourself.

How much a 119 series apartment renovation costs

Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment area. Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area. Plasterboard partition wall: from €12/m² of wall. For replanning documents the price is by estimate, because it depends on whether the work affects load-bearing structures and which documents are needed. Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate. Removal of construction waste is not part of the renovation estimate.

Examples: for a 33 m² one-room apartment, a full renovation is 33 × €280 = from €9,240 (work). A new plasterboard partition 3 m × 2.6 m = 7.8 m² × €12 = from €93.60; insulation, skimming and painting are added. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. All prices: apartment renovation prices.

What the price includes in a 119 series apartment