Contingency for a CHF 105,400 student-housing renovation in Zurich

A

ari.brooks

Homeowner
Established
The preliminary view is that CHF 105,400 can cover the planned work, but I am hesitant to rely on that before the hidden conditions are checked. The project is 155 m² of student housing in Zurich, involving kitchens, bathrooms, floors, painting, electrical checks and some energy improvements. No extension is intended.

My priority is not a higher finish specification. I need to know whether opening floors, walls or ceilings will reveal electrical, plumbing, moisture or structural work that changes both the cost and sequence. Occupancy during construction and the number of kitchens and bathrooms could also affect temporary services and scheduling.

What contingency would you keep separate from the trade budgets at this stage, and which investigations should happen before quotes are treated as dependable? Cosmetic items can be postponed, whereas water ingress or unsafe services would have to be addressed immediately.
 
That is roughly CHF 680 per m² across several trades, so I would treat it as tight unless the scope is unusually clear. My preliminary contingency would be 15–20%, kept outside the trade budgets until the electrical, plumbing and moisture unknowns have been investigated.
 
How many bathrooms and kitchens are included, and will the building be vacant during the work? Those two details could change both sequencing and temporary-service costs. I would also ask whether any walls, floors or ceilings must be opened to reach pipes and cables.
 
I’m not convinced a percentage alone solves this. A large contingency can still disappear immediately if “electrical checks” actually means repairs throughout. Spend some of the planning effort on limited investigative openings and tracing services, then set the reserve against the remaining unknowns.
 
The electrical wording needs expansion. Ask what the quoted amount includes after faults are found: diagnosis only, minor corrections, replacement work, making good, and repeat inspection. Each contractor should state exclusions in writing rather than leaving “checks” as a catch-all.
 
Agreed that the CHF 105,400 figure is only comparable once all bidders price the same boundaries. I would issue a room-by-room list showing what stays, what is replaced and who repairs surfaces after electrical or plumbing access.
 
For plumbing, establish where the shutoffs, vertical runs and concealed connections are before fixing the programme. Ask whether bathrooms can be isolated individually and which access points require opening. A small leak behind a finished wall is exactly the kind of sequence-breaking discovery you want early.
 
Moisture deserves its own investigation rather than being bundled into bathroom renovation. Check around wet areas, external walls and any visibly damaged finishes. If damp is found, ask for the cause and drying implications before agreeing to new flooring or paint.
 
Also request one consolidated exclusions list. Typical ambiguity comes from disposal, protection of retained areas, access equipment, temporary water or power, and reinstatement after hidden services are reached. I’m not saying all are missing—only that each should receive a clear yes or no.
 
My sequence would be investigation and selective opening first, then urgent electrical and water decisions. Complete concealed work before closing surfaces; leave flooring and final paint until disruptive trades are finished. That protects the items you can postpone from consuming money needed for essential repairs.
 
The phrase “moderate energy upgrades” may be another budget trap. Define the actual measures before tendering, because changes to insulation, windows, heating controls or ventilation can interact with moisture and finishing work. If the measures are still optional, price them separately.
 
Permit timing should be tested against that list of energy measures and any building alterations. Rather than assume the whole project needs the same process, ask the relevant Zurich authority or project adviser which specific items require approval and how that affects the intended start.
 
On materials, identify only the items capable of holding up essential rooms—kitchen components, bathroom fittings and anything with fixed dimensions. Confirm availability before demolition, but avoid ordering every finish early just because the initial budget contains it.
 
There is a counter-risk to early ordering: investigative work may change dimensions or quantities. I would confirm site measurements and concealed conditions first, then place orders. Where timing is critical, ask suppliers how long quoted availability and pricing remain valid rather than guessing.
 
When comparing contractor offers, line them up by room and trade rather than total price. One may include access and reinstatement while another assumes somebody else handles them. Require separate prices for known work, optional energy measures and repairs that can only be authorised after opening up.
 
Is the work tied to a student move-in date? If so, define a minimum habitable package: safe electrics, working water, usable bathrooms and kitchen, then durable surfaces. That gives you a fallback if hidden conditions consume time, without pretending cosmetic completion is equally urgent.
 
I would split the reserve internally even if it remains one contingency sum: concealed electrical and plumbing, moisture-related work, and programme disruption. Any use should require a written description, price and schedule effect. Otherwise the reserve quietly becomes funding for ordinary omissions.
 
Questions for the survey visit: Where are there signs of movement or previous patching? Which pipe and cable routes are confirmed rather than assumed? Are wet areas showing moisture beyond the visible finishes? What must be opened to answer the remaining questions, and who makes those openings good?
 
Have the contractor mark findings on plans or room photographs. Written phrases such as “allow for access” are too vague once several trades overlap. A marked location also helps decide whether one opening can serve both the electrical and plumbing investigations.
 
The practical next step seems to be a short investigation package before locking the main contract: trace services, inspect moisture risks, clarify electrical remedies and confirm any approval-sensitive energy work. Then revise the CHF 105,400 scope and set the contingency from what remains genuinely hidden, not from unfinished specifications.
 
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