Apartment renovation types
Apartment renovation types differ in how deeply the work goes into the apartment. Cosmetic renovation refreshes surfaces, while full renovation also replaces the wiring, pipes and screed. In Riga and the Riga region we do both, as well as turnkey renovation and new-build apartment fit-out. Below is how to choose a type and what each costs per square metre.
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How to choose a renovation type
The main question is what stays in the walls and the floor. If the wiring and pipes are in good condition and only the finish needs renewing, a cosmetic renovation is enough. If the cables are old, the pipes leak or the floors are uneven, it is not worth putting a finish on them, and a full renovation is needed.
The second question is how much work you want in one order. You can renovate one room, the whole apartment in stages, or hand over all the work from demolition to the skirting board. The third question is the building: in a Soviet-series panel building, a pre-war masonry building and a new-build project the starting condition is very different.
Whichever type it is, the apartment owner decides what belongs to the apartment: non-load-bearing partitions, the finish of walls, ceilings and floors, doors and utilities up to the common-property risers. Load-bearing walls, walls between apartments and the building's engineering systems are common property, and work that affects them needs the consent of the apartment owners' association.
Law on Residential Properties, Section 3(2), Section 4(1) paragraph 1 and Section 11(3). Checked 11.11.2026.
Renovation types by scope of work
Cosmetic renovation is the finish of walls and ceilings, floor covering, doors and skirting boards. The wiring and pipes stay in place. It is chosen when the apartment is in order technically but looks worn.
Full renovation of an apartment starts with demolition down to the structure. Then new wiring and pipes are installed, the screed is poured, the walls are plastered and only after that is the finish laid.
Turnkey apartment renovation is all the work in one order, from demolition to the last finish. All the work is in one order and one list of work.
New-build apartment fit-out is the work for an apartment that the developer has handed over with a grey or white finish. There is usually nothing to demolish, but the moisture of the screed has to be checked and the whole finish decided.
Renovation of an old apartment is about apartments where worn wiring, pipes or a timber floor structure may be found under the old finish. The list of work can change after demolition.
Budget renovation in an apartment is a choice of what to do first when money is limited. Renovation while living in the apartment is renovation in stages, when you also have to live in the apartment during the work.
Renovation by apartment size, and planning
If you only know how many rooms the apartment has, start with the page for your size: 1-room apartment renovation, 2-room apartment renovation or 3-room apartment renovation. There are examples with sums for a specific area.
Two things help before the work. The renovation estimate shows each job with its quantity and price, and you can compare offers by it. An interior design project for an apartment is useful if you are changing the layout or want to know all the finishing choices before the work starts.
Comparison of renovation types
| Work | When it is needed | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic renovation | Wiring and pipes in order, walls, floors and doors need renewing | from €100/m² |
| Full renovation | Old wiring, pipes, uneven floors | from €280/m² |
| Turnkey renovation | All the work from demolition to finishing in one order | from €600/m² |
| New-build apartment fit-out | A new apartment with a grey or white finish | by estimate |
| Renovation of an old apartment | Soviet-series or pre-war building, unknown condition under the finish | by estimate |
| Budget renovation | A limited sum, the most important work has to be chosen | by estimate |
| Renovation while living in the apartment | You have to live in the apartment during the work | by estimate |
How much does it cost?
Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment area. Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area. Turnkey renovation: from €600/m². Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate. Construction waste removal is not part of the renovation estimate.
Example: a 2-room apartment of 50 m². Cosmetic renovation: 50 × €100 = from €5,000 for labour. The same apartment with a full renovation: 50 × €280 = from €14,000 for labour.
The price is affected by:
- apartment area in m² and number of rooms
- cosmetic or full renovation
- condition of the walls, floors and ceilings
- whether the wiring, pipes and risers are changed
- the chosen finish (tiles, floor covering, doors)
An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. All the prices in one table are in apartment renovation prices.
What to write in the request
The more you write in the request, the more exact the price will be. In the form, write:
- the address, or at least the neighbourhood or town
- the apartment area in m²
- the building series or year of construction, if you know it
- which rooms need renovating
- whether the wiring, pipes or risers need changing
- whether you will choose the materials yourself
Describe each room; you can send photos or an apartment plan to the specialist when they contact you. After you submit the form, we contact you within 5 minutes.
What the price includes
What this work includes
- Cosmetic renovation: finish of walls and ceilings, floor covering, doors and skirting boards
- Full renovation: demolition down to the structure, new wiring and pipes, screed, plastering and all the finishing
- Turnkey renovation: all the work from demolition to finishing in one order
What is calculated separately
- Materials, plumbing, tiles and doors as products
- Replacement of common-property risers and radiators, which needs the association's consent
- Replanning documents and the interior design project
Main prices
| Renovation types | from €100 |
|---|---|
| Room renovation | from €3,000 |
| Renovation work | from €24 |
| Renovation by building series | from €280 |
| Apartment replanning | from €12 |
| Renovation for your situation | from €100 |
| Private house interiors | from €280 |
| Business premises | from €100 |
Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.
Get an estimateAfter you submit the form, we contact you within 5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How do cosmetic and full renovation differ?
In a cosmetic renovation the finish is changed, but the wiring and pipes stay. In a full renovation the apartment is opened down to the structure and the wiring, pipes and screed are replaced too. A wider comparison is in the article cosmetic or full renovation.
Does a cosmetic renovation need approval from the building board?
Construction proposal documents are not needed for interior work that does not involve renovation, reconstruction or demolition (Cabinet Regulation No. 529, sub-paragraph 7.1). If you move walls or change the layout, check whether a construction notice is needed.
Can I start with a cosmetic renovation and change the wiring later?
You can, but pulling new cables through the walls means opening up the new finish again. So it is better to decide about the wiring and pipes before the finishing work.
How do I choose if I have to live in the apartment during the work?
Then the renovation can be split by rooms, with work in only part of the apartment at a time. For how to split it, see the page on renovating while living in the apartment.
When will you contact me after I send the form?
After you submit the form, we contact you within 5 minutes.
Tell us about the apartment
A specialist will contact you within 5 minutes to confirm the work and the estimate.
Request
Fill in the form: name, phone, address and briefly what needs renovating.
Contact within 5 minutes
A specialist confirms the work, the floor area and when you need it.
Visit and estimate
An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment: work, area, materials separately.
The price before the job
We agree the price and the list of work before the job starts, in Riga and the Riga region.