Das Haus wird geladen
In an apartment building, water supply and waste pipes run as risers through every storey. When a riser is replaced (Strangsanierung), every flat along it is affected. We replace the pipes flat by flat, test every new pipe with a pressure and leak test and a test report, and close up the bathroom and kitchen again — following a schedule that lets the property management give tenants notice in good time. In Zurich, Winterthur and throughout Switzerland.
With the quote you receive the construction schedule: which riser when, which flat when, when the water will be turned off. Start and handover are set out in the contract for work (Werkvertrag). This lets the property management give tenants notice of the work in good time.
We test every new pipe with a pressure and leak test before the wall is closed and give you the test report. Photos record the open pipework — for your files and for future work on the building.
Strip-out, plumbing, plastering, waterproofing, tiling and painting come from us; electrical work by a licensed electrical contractor, coordinated by us. One site manager, one invoice — and a 5-year warranty from acceptance.
Replacing a riser is not a repair in one spot. The pipes of a riser run through every storey, often through bathrooms and kitchens stacked one above the other. When the riser is replaced, the wall along the pipe has to be opened up in each of these flats and then closed again. When the time has come depends on the condition of the pipes: an SRF report with the Swiss homeowners' association (Hauseigentümerverband Schweiz) assumes around 30 years for galvanised steel pipes, depending on use, and a good 50 years for copper as well as stainless steel and composite pipes; rust-brown water is usually the first sign. What counts, however, is the condition found in the building, not the year of construction alone. That is why every riser replacement starts with a site visit by our chief engineer: risers, shut-off valves, the bathrooms and kitchens along the riser, access and stairwell. We then plan the work flat by flat: open up, remove the old pipes, install new water supply and waste pipes, pressure and leak test with a report, and only then close up — waterproofing, tiling and painting in the same sequence. Tenants know their date before we ring the bell.
Usually not, if pipes are only replaced. In the canton of Zurich, under § 1 of the cantonal Building Procedures Ordinance (Bauverfahrensverordnung, BVV), bathroom, laundry and toilet installations as well as water and electrical connections that are not visible from outside normally need no building permit (Baubewilligung) in the building zone. Changes of use and structural changes beyond that, for example to the facade or load-bearing walls, do require a permit (§ 309 of the Planning and Building Act, PBG). This applies in Zurich and in Winterthur alike; in Winterthur the city's building permits office (Amt für Baubewilligungen, Pionierstrasse 7) is responsible. We clarify your case before work starts and confirm the result in writing.
From our photo archive — every image can be opened.
Five steps — at each one, the property management knows which flat is next.
Our chief engineer records the risers, shut-off valves and the bathrooms and kitchens along the riser, documents their condition with photos and clarifies whether a permit or a structural assessment is needed.
Our work item by item, materials separate, plus the schedule flat by flat — the basis for giving notice to tenants.
The property management gives notice of the work in good time. We agree water shut-offs with it in advance; floors, stairwell and lift are covered.
Open up, remove the old pipes, install new water supply and waste pipes. Pressure and leak test with a report, photos before closing up, then plastering, waterproofing, tiling and painting.
Joint acceptance with a report and photos, test reports for all pipes and an invoice that matches the quote. 5-year warranty from acceptance.
What a riser replacement costs depends on the number of risers and flats, the pipe material and what has to be removed and rebuilt in the bathroom and kitchen once they are opened up. We therefore give a price per riser or per flat after the site visit, as a fixed-price quote item by item. As a guide, our rates for labour: water supply pipe CHF 55 to 70 per running metre including a pressure test, waste pipe CHF 55 per running metre, core drilling up to 120 mm CHF 220 each, plaster repairs CHF 25 per m². All prices excl. VAT, materials separate; structural engineering and permits, if needed, appear as separate items in the quote. In Zurich and the surrounding agglomeration travel is included; in Winterthur and further afield it appears as a fixed item in the quote. Guide prices for the work around the riser:
What property managers and owners ask us most often about riser replacement.
The condition of the pipes tells you. An SRF report with the Swiss homeowners' association gives a service life of around 30 years for galvanised steel pipes, depending on use, and a good 50 years for copper as well as stainless steel and composite pipes; rust-brown water is usually the first sign. If leaks keep occurring in the same riser, it is worth asking whether the whole riser should be replaced. At the site visit our chief engineer records the condition and documents it with photos.
We plan the work flat by flat, so that each flat is only affected during its own stage. During that time the bathroom or kitchen can only be used to a limited extent; how many days is set out in the schedule after the site visit. If a flat has only one bathroom, the question of how tenants will manage belongs at the start of the planning. We agree water shut-offs with the property management in advance.
Tenants must tolerate work that is necessary to remedy defects or to repair or prevent damage (Art. 257h para. 1 of the Swiss Code of Obligations, OR). The landlord must give notice of it in good time and take the tenant's interests into account when carrying it out (Art. 257h para. 3 OR). Renovations and alterations may only be carried out by the landlord if they are reasonable for the tenant and the tenancy has not been terminated (Art. 260 OR). Which provision applies in a given case is for the property management to clarify with its legal advisers.
The law reserves this right: both Art. 257h para. 3 and Art. 260 para. 2 OR state that the tenant's claims to a rent reduction (Art. 259d OR) and to damages remain reserved. The law does not specify a fixed percentage. A reliable schedule and short stages per flat help keep the disruption small. More on this in the article «Bathroom renovation in a rented flat».
In the canton of Zurich, water connections that are not visible from outside normally need no building permit in the building zone (§ 1 BVV). If load-bearing walls are altered or the use changes beyond that, a permit is required (§ 309 PBG). We clarify this before work starts and confirm the result in writing.
We only give a flat price per riser or per flat after the site visit, because pipe material, access and the rebuilding of bathroom and kitchen vary widely. Our rates for labour: water supply pipe CHF 55 to 70 per running metre including a pressure test, waste pipe CHF 55 per running metre, core drilling up to 120 mm CHF 220 each, removing tiles CHF 32 to 40 per m², wall tiles CHF 62 to 85 per m², painting walls CHF 18 to 25 per m². Materials and VAT are added; the fixed-price quote is binding.
If you intend to renew the bathrooms anyway, you can combine this with the riser replacement: the walls are already open, and tenants are only disrupted once. For a complete bathroom renovation we calculate CHF 8'500 to 19'000 for the labour, materials and sanitary fixtures separate. In the quote, riser and bathroom appear as separate items — so it is clear what is maintenance and what goes beyond it.
Yes — in Winterthur, in the city of Zurich and throughout Switzerland. The same cantonal permit rule (§ 1 BVV) applies in Winterthur; the city's building permits office is responsible. For Winterthur, travel appears as a fixed item in the quote.
The pressure and leak test reports for all new pipes, photos of the open pipework before closing up, the acceptance report with photos and an invoice that matches the quote. We give a 5-year warranty on our work from acceptance.
Choose an area, choose a service, move the slider — you see the guide price for the labour straight away. Materials and VAT come on top; the fixed-price quote is binding.
CHF 18–25 per m²
Two coats, covering included (paint as materials extra)
Unit prices for the labour from our 2026 price list (lower price segment), excl. VAT. The higher figure applies in difficult conditions. Materials, disposal of strip-out material, crane, scaffolding and permits come on top. The guide price does not replace a site visit.
The consultation is free. You get a confirmation straight away, and we call you back within one hour (Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00).
