How much contingency for a CHF 69,760 Zurich townhouse renovation?

[ari.brooks]

CHF 69,760 feels like a tight starting budget for a 160 m² Zurich townhouse. My main concern is that concealed damp or flood damage could disrupt both the cost plan and the order of work.

The project covers the kitchen, bathrooms, floors, decorating, an assessment of the electrics and some energy improvements; there is no extension. How much should remain uncommitted until the building is opened up? I also want bidders to define plumbing access, the difference between inspection and electrical remedial work, exclusions, material delivery times, permit dependencies and responsibility for making good. I care more about avoiding sequencing failures than upgrading finishes.

 

[ezra_research]

I would carry at least 15% while the electrical, plumbing and moisture questions remain open, and more if the existing services are concealed or poorly documented. Ask bidders to separate assumed work from fixed scope and list every exclusion. Also establish who pays for opening walls, making good afterward, waste removal and temporary protection; those gaps can turn a neat quotation into a moving target.

 

[otis.cove]

Before choosing a contingency percentage, how old are the kitchen, bathrooms and electrical installation, and is there any known flood or damp history? “Electrical checks” could mean an inspection only, or it could uncover remedial work that competes with the visible renovation budget. I’d also want to know whether the bathrooms share accessible plumbing routes.

 

[cairn.common]

I’m not convinced that simply increasing the reserve solves the main issue. CHF 69,760 across 160 m² already covers several trades, so unclear scope may be more dangerous than the percentage held back. Get room-by-room inclusions, specify whether substrates are assumed sound, and ask what happens to price and programme if moisture is found after stripping finishes.

 

[cairn.common]

For sequencing, I’d resolve investigation and any permit uncertainty before ordering the kitchen or committing to flooring dates. Have the surveyor identify likely opening-up points, then ask each contractor for material lead times and a trade sequence showing plumbing, electrical work, drying, finishes and installation. Compare exclusions side by side rather than comparing only totals. A separate contingency should remain under your control, not be treated as money already available to expand the specification.