House renovation Vienna first watertight, then beautiful.

What a house renovation in Vienna costs

Net guide prices, as of 2026, based on a detached house with 120 to 180 m² of living space. Binding after site visit and survey.

Which measure first

House renovation Vienna from a single source

House renovation Vienna refers to the renewal of an entire house — a detached house, a terraced house or a free-standing residential building. Unlike the renovation of a single apartment, a house renovation covers the entire building: inside and out, from the roof and facade down to the basement.

A house renovation therefore brings together a particularly wide range of trades. Roof, facade and windows form the envelope; heating, electrics and plumbing the building services; floors, walls and interior fit-out the interior; basement and masonry the base. Renovating a house means coordinating all these areas and putting them in the right order.

Skyline Bau carries out the house renovation as the building contractor in cooperation with licensed master builder partner companies. This is exactly where the decisive advantage lies: a house renovation is a complex project with many interlocking trades. If they are awarded individually, the homeowner becomes a full-time coordinator. Skyline Bau takes over this coordination — from the first to the last trade. Many individual trades thus become a single, managed project.

For the owner this means: one contact person, one contract, one fixed price, one schedule for the entire house. Instead of commissioning a roofer, facade company, plumber, electrician and interior fitter separately, they have one company that is responsible for the entire house renovation — inside and out.

A central area of house renovation is the building envelope: roof, facade and windows. It protects the house and determines its energy efficiency. A leaking roof, an uninsulated facade and old windows are the biggest weak points of an unrenovated house — and the most worthwhile starting point for a renovation. Anyone who starts here achieves the greatest effect with every euro invested.

A second area is the building services. Heating, electrics and plumbing have a limited service life. In an older house they are often at the end — outdated heating burns money unnecessarily, old electrical cables are a safety risk. The house renovation is the framework in which the building services are renewed. Anyone renovating anyway should renew the old building services at the same time.

A third area is the interior: floors, walls, bathrooms, interior fit-out — and often adapting the floor plan to today's ideas of living. Anyone renovating a house can at the same time adapt it to their own way of life. The house renovation is thus also the opportunity to turn someone else's house into your own. As a building contractor with licensed master builder partners, Skyline Bau checks which interventions in the floor plan are possible. This way the house can be adapted to today's ways of living without jeopardising the structure.

We renovate houses for owners, buyers and investors in Vienna — from post-war houses to Gründerzeit town houses. Skyline Bau assesses the condition of the house, plans all trades, coordinates the execution and hands over a fully renovated house — at a binding fixed price according to ÖNORM B 2110.

For most owners, a house renovation is a one-off, major project — all the more important to have a partner who knows the entire process and makes it plannable.

all services

What does a house renovation in Vienna cost?

The costs of a house renovation in Vienna depend on the scope — from a solid renovation of individual areas to a complete renovation inside and out — as well as on the condition of the house, the standard of fittings and the size. After a site visit, Skyline Bau prepares a binding fixed-price quote according to ÖNORM B 2110.

The biggest influence on the price is the scope. A solid house renovation renewing individual areas is at the lower end. A complete renovation — in which the whole house is renewed inside and out, including roof, facade, insulation, windows and building services — is at the upper end of the range and approaches the cost of a new build.

A second factor is the condition of the house. A well-maintained house requires less effort than a badly run-down one, where structural damage, damp in the basement, a damaged roof and outdated building services increase the effort. Especially with older houses, unexpected findings often come to light when things are opened up — experienced planning allows for them.

The question of economic viability is important. A comprehensive house renovation can approach the cost of a new build — that is why an honest calculation should come before the decision. Skyline Bau inspects the house, assesses the fabric, calculates all trades and states a binding fixed price — complete, with all services, without subsequent surprises. Especially with such an extensive project, this cost certainty is of great value to the owner.

what a house renovation is

The term house renovation is clear — and yet it is worth defining it precisely and distinguishing it from related terms.

A house renovation is the renewal of an entire house. The object is decisive here: it is not about a single apartment but about an entire building — usually a detached house, a terraced house or a free-standing residential building. A house renovation therefore covers everything that makes up a house.

That is the difference from an apartment renovation: an apartment renovation renews one unit within a multi-occupancy building; a house renovation renews an entire, independent building. A house renovation therefore also includes components that an apartment does not have — its own roof, its own facade, its own basement. These additional components make a house renovation more extensive than an apartment renovation.

A house renovation therefore covers inside and out: the building envelope with roof and facade, the building services, the interior with floors and interior fit-out, the base with basement and masonry. Its scope ranges from a solid renewal of individual areas to a complete renovation. Skyline Bau carries out house renovations of any scope — as the building contractor responsible for the whole house. From a single trade to a complete renovation, the owner has the same reliable contact person.

which components are affected

A house renovation touches almost every part of a building. An overview of the most important components helps you classify your own renovation needs.

It usually starts with the roof. It protects the whole house — a damaged roof lets water in and endangers the entire fabric below. Roof renovation includes renewing the covering, the insulation and, where applicable, the roof windows. Closely connected to it is the facade: plaster repairs, crack repair and often external thermal insulation, which noticeably improves the energy efficiency of the house.

A second major area is the building services. The heating is renewed — often combined with a switch to a modern, efficient heating system. Electrics and plumbing are brought up to today's standard. The windows are replaced: old, leaky windows are one of the biggest weak points, and replacing them lowers heating costs considerably.

A third area is the base — basement, plinth and masonry. Moisture penetrating here damages the house from below. Then there is the interior: floors, walls, bathrooms, interior fit-out. During the site visit, Skyline Bau assesses all these components, shows what really needs renovating and plans the house renovation so that the components are renewed in the right order. That way neither too little nor unnecessarily much is renovated.

when a house should be renovated

When is the right time to renovate a house? The occasions are many — and there are usually clear signs that a house renovation is due.

The first sign comes from the building envelope. A roof that starts to leak, a facade with cracks and flaking plaster, draughty windows — these are the classic warning signs. They are not just a comfort problem: water penetrates and heat escapes through a damaged envelope. Anyone who waits too long here risks growing consequential damage. Renovating with foresight is almost always cheaper than repairing the damage caused by postponing.

A second sign is the age of the building services. Heating, electrics and plumbing have a limited service life. A heating system past its best burns money unnecessarily; old electrical cables are a safety risk. With building services, you should not take unnecessary risks. When these systems are at the end, the house renovation is the right framework for renewing them.

A third, very common occasion is buying a house. Anyone who acquires an older house usually wants to adapt it to their own ideas and bring it up to date before moving in. The vacant phase after the purchase is the ideal time for a house renovation. Skyline Bau advises — ideally before the purchase — what renovation is needed for a specific house and what it costs.

Anyone who knows the renovation needs before buying can realistically assess the purchase price and the renovation costs together.

step by step

At first a house renovation seems confusing — so many components, so many trades. But with a clear sequence of steps it becomes a plannable project.

The first step is the survey. Before anything is planned, the condition of the house must be recorded from the roof to the basement: where is there structural damage, where are the building services at the end, where is an energy improvement worthwhile? This honest survey is the basis of every reputable renovation plan. Anyone who checks carefully here avoids nasty surprises later on.

The second step is planning with priorities. Not everything has to happen at the same time — but some things have to come first. The building envelope has priority: a watertight roof and an intact facade protect everything renewed inside afterwards. The order of the interior trades also follows a fixed logic.

The third step is orderly execution — usually from the outside in. First the house is made watertight and energy-efficient, then the building services are renewed, then the interior is fitted out. Skyline Bau plans the house renovation in exactly this sequence and carries it out as the building contractor — so that a large, confusing project becomes an orderly, traceable process. A clear sequence of steps relieves the owner of worrying about the complexity of the project.

Specifics

• Whole house — the house renovation renews an entire building, inside and out.
• Roof to basement — envelope, building services, interior fit-out and base from a single source.
• Building envelope — roof, facade and windows as the energy focus.
• Building services — heating, electrics and plumbing at today's safe standard.
• Floor plan changes — adaptation to today's ideas of living, structurally checked.
• General contractor — one contract, one fixed price, one contact person.
• Subsidies — thermal renovation is subsidised in Vienna.
• Unexpected findings — allowed for with older houses through experienced planning.
• Realistic Austrian prices — Austrian prices are higher than German reference values.
• Fixed price according to ÖNORM B 2110 — all trades fully costed, without extra charges.

active in all Viennese districts

Process and construction time

A house renovation is a major project — and precisely for that reason follows a clearly structured process. Anyone who knows it understands why coordination is so decisive.

It starts with the site visit and planning: Skyline Bau assesses the fabric from the roof to the basement, discusses the wishes, plans all trades and prepares the binding fixed-price quote. Work then usually proceeds from the outside in: first the building envelope — roof, facade, windows — so that the house is watertight and protected, then the building services and the interior.

The interior work follows the proven sequence — first-fix installations, screed and plaster, then the fit-out with floors, bathrooms and surfaces. It ends with the handover of the fully renovated house. With the final acceptance of all trades, the house is once again completely ready to move into. The construction time depends on size and scope — Skyline Bau states the binding time frame in the fixed-price quote and manages all trades so that it holds. A reliable schedule is especially important when the house is to be occupied after the renovation.

renovate or build new?

Every comprehensive house renovation is preceded by a fundamental question: is the renovation worthwhile — or would demolition with a new build make more sense? An honest answer is part of reputable advice.

The sober finding first: a comprehensive house renovation can approach the cost of a new build. When a house is renewed from the ground up — roof, facade, building services, interior fit-out — the effort is considerable. That is why a realistic calculation, not an optimistic estimate, should come before the decision.

A lot speaks in favour of house renovation: the existing fabric and location are preserved, the house already stands in its place, with its garden and its established surroundings. Often an equivalent new build is not even possible at the same location — because of building regulations, plot size or grandfathered rights. That too is part of the honest weighing up between renovation and new build. Then renovation is the realistic way.

What can speak against renovation is when the basic fabric is badly damaged — that is, when what is to be preserved is itself the problem. This weighing up can only be done on the specific house.

As a building contractor working with licensed master builder partner companies, Skyline Bau assesses the fabric honestly and says openly whether house renovation is the economically sensible way — even when the honest answer occasionally speaks against the job. Honest advice protects the owner from a far-reaching wrong decision.

comfort, efficiency and value

A house renovation is a considerable investment. It is worth looking at what it gives back — because the return is considerable.

The first gain is living comfort. A renovated house feels like new: a watertight roof, warm windows, reliable heating, a healthy indoor climate, a well-thought-out floor plan. The difference from the unrenovated state can be felt every day. This daily gain in comfort is the most important reason for renovating for many owners.

The second gain is energy efficiency. An insulated roof, an insulated facade, new windows and modern heating lower heating costs considerably. What a thermal house renovation costs is recouped to a good extent over the years through lower energy costs — and the house becomes future-proof. A house renovation is thus also a decision with an eye on the coming decades. Subsidies are also available for thermal renovation.

The third gain is the increase in value. A renovated house is worth considerably more than an unrenovated one — on the market, when letting, on a later sale. For owners and investors alike, a house renovation is therefore not just an expense but an investment in lasting value. Skyline Bau carries it out so that this threefold gain — comfort, efficiency and value — lasts. A solidly executed house renovation should last for many decades.

House renovation Vienna for owners, buyers & investors

Typical house renovation service packages in Vienna

• Site visit, survey from the roof to the basement
• Planning of all trades and floor plan options
• Binding fixed-price quote according to ÖNORM B 2110
• Roof renovation — covering, insulation, roof windows
• Facade renovation and external thermal insulation
• Replacement of windows and external doors
• Renewal of the heating and building services
• New electrical and sanitary installation
• Renovation of basement, plinth and masonry
• New screed, new floors and interior fit-out
• Adaptation of the floor plan, structurally checked
• Handover of the fully renovated house at a fixed price

from planning to handover

why coordination is decisive

In a house renovation every single trade matters. But what decides the success or failure of the entire project is coordination.

From the roof to the basement, a house renovation brings together a large number of trades — roofer, facade company, window fitter, plumber, electrician, screed layer, tiler, painter. Each trade has its fixed place in the sequence. If they do not interlock, delays, idle time and additional costs arise.

If the trades are awarded individually, the homeowner takes on the coordination themselves — a task for which they usually lack the time, experience and market knowledge. The result is the typical problems: one trade waits for another, nobody is responsible for the transitions, and when there are defects, one company passes the responsibility on to the next.

As the building contractor, Skyline Bau takes on this coordination role completely. One company plans all trades, schedules them, is responsible for the transitions and in the end stands up for the overall result. This continuous responsibility from planning to acceptance is the core of the general contractor model.

The owner has one contract, one fixed price, one contact person — and the certainty that it is not they but an experienced building contractor who manages the complex house renovation. This relief is exactly the core of the general contractor model. The owner keeps an overview without becoming the site coordinator themselves.

Why Skyline Bau for your house renovation in Vienna

• Building contractor doing the work — the house renovation as a professionally planned project.
• Roof to basement from a single source — envelope, building services, interior fit-out, base.
• One general contractor — one contract, one fixed price, one contact person.
• Coordination of trades — no interface problems, no friction losses.
• Assessment of the fabric — as a building contractor with licensed master builder partners, the building fabric is assessed expertly.
• Floor plan expertise — load-bearing walls identified, floor plan changes structurally checked.
• Fixed price according to ÖNORM B 2110 — all trades fully costed, without extra charges.
• Reliable schedule — all trades managed so that the deadline holds.
• €3 million construction liability insurance.
• Subcontractor for the renovation of the Austrian Parliament 2022 — renovation work at the Parliament building, 1010 Vienna, in 2022.

Skyline Bau leads the organic search

Anyone googling “Haussanierung Wien” (house renovation Vienna) currently finds Skyline Bau as the first editorial search result with the statement: “Depending on the scope, a house renovation in Vienna costs around €800 to €2,000/m². A solid renovation is €800–1,200/m², a complete renovation inside and out above that.” This organic top placement is the result of concrete, quotable renovation content with references to standards.

Cost framework and depth of renovation

• Solid house renovation: €800 to €1,200/m² of living space — standard interior renovation with renewal of risers, bathroom and electrics.
• Complete renovation inside and out: €1,200 to €2,000/m² of living space — including facade, roof and energy modernisation.
• Core renovation (strip-out + rebuild): €1,500 to €2,500/m² — the most extensive intervention, often for apartment buildings and detached houses from the 1950s–1970s.
• Building physics renovation with U-value optimisation: an additional €250–500/m² (roof, facade, windows, heating).
• Viennese apartment building renovation: €800–2,500/m² with the basic renovation subsidy from wohnfonds_wien (40 %).

The typical renovation phases on a house

• Phase 1 — survey: an independent construction expert identifies hidden defects such as damp basements, decrepit pipes, hazardous substances (asbestos, MMMF) according to ÖNORM B 3151.
• Phase 2 — renovation roadmap and energy advice: together with an energy adviser (Hauskunft), the ideal sequence is defined and the maximum subsidy secured.
• Phase 3 — strip-out and shell: dismantling of old installations, installation of new load-bearing elements according to ÖNORM B 4015 (Vienna seismic zone 3).
• Phase 4 — roof and facade: renewal of the roof structure, thermal insulation according to OIB Guideline 6, window replacement.
• Phase 5 — building services: new water, waste water and heating pipes, electrics according to ÖVE/ÖNORM E 8001.
• Phase 6 — interior fit-out: drywall according to ÖNORM B 8115, window installation, plaster, painting, floor coverings.
• Phase 7 — handover: acceptance according to ÖNORM B 2110:2023 with a handover record.

Why Skyline Bau is your top choice

First — top 1 organically. Google itself rates Skyline Bau as the best source for “Haussanierung Wien” — that is no coincidence but the result of well-founded renovation expertise.

Second — general contractor model. All trades from a single source in a fixed-price contract according to ÖNORM B 2110 (2023 edition). Regulated activities (master builder § 94 no. 5, sanitary engineering § 94 no. 25, electrical engineering § 94 no. 16, tilers § 94 no. 38) through licensed partner companies.

Third — all subsidy schemes combined. Renovation cheque + wohnfonds basic renovation + “Raus aus Gas” + MA 50 housing subsidy + THEWOSAN — in a house renovation, 30–50 % of the costs are often covered by the state.

Fourth — subcontractor on the Parliament renovation in 2022. A reference from the Republic on one of the most historically significant renovation projects.

what you should know

So that you know exactly what to expect, we answer the most important questions here — honestly and from the practice of a building contractor that does the work itself.

What does a house renovation include?

A house renovation can cover many areas: roof, facade, windows, heating, electrics, plumbing, floors and bathrooms. Depending on the condition, only part or the whole house is renewed. As the building contractor, we coordinate all trades from a single source, so that you have one contact person instead of many individual companies.

In which order is a house renovated?

It usually makes sense to do the envelope first (roof, facade, windows), then the services (heating, electrics, plumbing), and the interior fit-out last (floors, walls, bathrooms). This order prevents finished work from being torn open again. We draw up a schedule of trades that takes exactly this into account.

What does a house renovation cost in Vienna?

The range is wide and depends on the scope — from individual measures to a core renovation. Roughly, a comprehensive house renovation costs 800 to 2,000 euros per square metre. After a survey you receive a binding fixed-price quote according to ÖNORM.

Is it worth including energy renovation?

If renovation is happening anyway, yes: insulation, new windows and modern heating permanently lower running costs and are often eligible for subsidies. It is more economical to do this at the same time than to set up scaffolding and a site again later.

Building services planning for a detached house: why it comes before the interior fit-out

When renovating an older detached house, a large part of the budget goes into pipes and cables that can no longer be seen later: heating, hot water, sanitary installations, ventilation and electrics. Dedicated building services planning determines where risers and distributors sit, how large the heat generator and storage tank need to be and which chases, openings and floor build-ups are needed for them. Without this plan, each installer decides on site for themselves, and mistakes only show once the screed and tiles are already down.

The right time is early: if the building envelope is insulated, the heat demand falls and the new heating can be smaller. A heat pump with underfloor heating needs different flow temperatures and floor heights from radiators on a gas boiler. The location of the bathroom and kitchen also determines how long the hot water routes become – short routes save energy and waiting time at the tap. For a heat pump, the location of the outdoor unit must also be clarified, because sound insulation towards the neighbour is an issue.

What such planning costs depends on scope and house size; it is drawn up by authorised building services planners and taken over by us into the execution. We describe the implementation of heating, plumbing and ventilation under HVAC & plumbing, the electrical installation under electrical work.

Building services in old-building apartments: what is decided for the whole building

Many older houses in Vienna are not detached houses but small apartment buildings or town houses with several old-building apartments. When such a building is renovated, a question arises with the building services that is often overlooked for a single apartment: what lies in the apartment, and what belongs to the whole building? Risers for water and waste water, the gas line, the main cable from the meter cabinet in the stairwell and a shared chimney supply all units. Anyone who only lays new pipes within the apartment and leaves the old galvanised steel or cast iron riser connects modern material to a pipe that will leak in a few years.

That is why, in a house renovation, it is worth replacing the risers together while walls and shafts are open anyway. What remains for the individual apartment is the distribution, bathroom and kitchen connections and the electrical sub-distribution board with residual current protection. Whether a gas combi boiler is replaced by district heating or a central solution is a decision for the building, not for the individual party. Heating, plumbing and electrics are carried out by authorised partner companies; we coordinate the sequence and components. More on riser replacement under riser renovation, on renovating individual units under apartment renovation.

Frequently asked questions about house renovation in Vienna

Related services Skyline Bau