Kitchen and bathroom renovation in Chambéry.

The bathroom is the most technical room in a home: constant humidity, water supply and waste networks, electrics in a wet environment, waterproofing. A successful bathroom or shower room renovation is not just about changing the tiles — it relies on precise coordination of several trades. In Chambéry, the challenge is often making the most of the space: in older flats in the centre, around Rue Croix-d'Or and the cathedral, shower rooms are cramped and squeezed between Sardinian-era load-bearing walls that have to be worked around.

The walk-in shower is now the most frequent request: level-access with no lip, it makes the room look bigger and is easier to use — a real advantage in Chambéry's small bathrooms. Fitting one requires rigorous work on the floor drain, the drainage fall and waterproofing under the tiles (membrane or SPEC system) to prevent any leaks into the flat below, a sensitive point in co-owned buildings. It is also the ideal solution for a wheelchair-accessible bathroom: ultra-low-profile tray, grab rails, turning space, thermostatic mixer.

On the technical side, we rework as needed the plumbing (hot/cold water supply, waste pipes, towel-rail connection), the electrics (safety zones, protected sockets, lighting), the ventilation (mechanical extract ventilation, essential to remove humidity and protect the often damp walls of older buildings), then the tiling: floor, shower, splashback and wall finishes. Basin, vanity unit, taps, mirror and radiator complete a bathroom that is durable and easy to maintain.

The kitchen is the heart of the home and one of the rooms that adds the most value to a property. A well-run kitchen renovation starts with the layout: optimising the work triangle (cooking, washing, storage), choosing between an L-shaped, U-shaped, galley or island kitchen, and making the most of every square metre. In Chambéry, many of our clients live in co-owned flats with closed, narrow kitchens: opening onto the living room is in high demand to gain light and conviviality — work that often involves removing a partition, sometimes load-bearing in older buildings, and therefore a prior structural study and the agreement of the co-owners.

The worktop (laminate, quartz, ceramic or wood) and the splashback set the tone of the room, while built-in appliances (oven, hob, extractor hood, dishwasher, fridge) require precise planning of the supply points. Because a kitchen is above all about services: moving the sink means reworking the water supply and waste (plumbing), often outdated in older Chambéry homes, and adding an induction hob or oven requires dedicated circuits (electrics) that meet current standards.

Our role as project manager is to coordinate everything: plumber for the water, electrician for circuits and lighting, plasterboard installer for partitions and openings, tiler for the floor and splashback, painter for the finishes, and kitchen fitter for installing the units. You get a functional, compliant and attractive kitchen, without having to juggle several firms.

Renovating a kitchen or bathroom means bringing in up to six different trades within a few square metres: plumber, electrician, tiler, plasterboard installer, painter, kitchen fitter. Managing these tradespeople yourself means obtaining and comparing several quotes, synchronising schedules, sorting out delays and taking responsibility for coordination. The slightest mismatch — a tiler arriving before the plumber has finished — causes delays to spiral.

With Atelier NovAlp, you have a single point of contact. Our project manager designs the project, draws up the schedule, sequences the work in the right order and supervises the site through to handover. As a general contractor, we can also offer you an overall price, all trades included, with a single invoice and a single guarantee. That is the whole point of a turnkey renovation: you decide, we orchestrate.

This coordination is all the more valuable in Chambéry, where older buildings often hold surprises: Sardinian-era buildings in the centre, co-owned buildings with strict site rules and suburban houses combine lead pipes, non-compliant electrics and uneven surfaces. Our presence in the Chambéry area and our knowledge of the local trades allow us to react quickly and meet the deadlines we announce, even when site access (narrow stairs, limited parking in the town centre) complicates things.

As a guide in the Chambéry area, a complete bathroom renovation (4 to 6 m²) most often costs between €6,000 and €15,000, supply and fitting included. An entry-level renovation starts at around €4,500; a high-end bathroom with a bespoke walk-in shower, double basin and large-format tiles can exceed €20,000. In older flats in the centre, plumbing and waterproofing often push the quote up, because outdated networks have to be replaced.

For a kitchen renovation, the budget excluding units (plumbing, electrics, flooring, splashback, painting) starts at around €5,000 to €8,000; adding an opening onto the living room and a mid-range to high-end fitted kitchen, the overall budget is generally between €12,000 and €30,000. These ranges are only a guide: only a detailed quote after a visit can accurately cost your project.

In terms of timescales, allow on average 2 to 3 weeks for a turnkey bathroom (strip-out, services, waterproofing, tiling and drying time, fittings) and 3 to 4 weeks for a kitchen, depending on the scale of the works. In Chambéry co-owned buildings, access constraints and authorised working hours also have to be planned for. Good coordination of the trades is the key to keeping to this schedule: that is precisely what we manage for you.