Estimate renovation costs in Biel/Bienne

Local housing stock

In Biel/Bienne, the federal building register lists 6'314 residential buildings and 31'200 dwellings. These municipal benchmarks help put your home in context, but do not replace an individual assessment.

80 %built before 1980

83 %heated by oil or gas

23.6 %electric hot water

2.2 %with declared solar thermal

Age of residential buildings

80 % built before 1980

Before 191919 %
1919–194528 %
1946–196021 %
1961–19708 %
1971–19804 %
1981–19905 %
1991–20006 %
2001–20105 %
Since 20114 %

Construction year does not reveal past renovations: check the current insulation condition.

Main heating energy

58 % · Gas

Gas58 %
Heating oil25 %
Heat pump10 %
District heating4 %
Wood2 %
Electricity1 %

This distribution describes recorded buildings, not your system's consumption or efficiency.

Heating and hot water: which energies?

Energy	Heating	Hot water
Gas	58 %	44.6 %
Heating oil	25 %	18.8 %
District heating	4 %	3.3 %
Heat pump	10 %	6.7 %
Electricity	1 %	23.6 %
Wood	2 %	1.1 %
Solar thermal	0 %	1.4 %

Each line gives the share of buildings using that energy, separately for heating and for hot water. The two columns do not always reach 100%: some buildings combine two systems, or reported none.

Type of heating system

Boiler (unspecified)45.7 %
Standard boiler24.4 %
Condensing boiler14.8 %
Heat pump10.3 %
Heat exchanger (district)3.7 %
Central electric heating0.7 %

A standard non-condensing boiler is usually older and less efficient.

Houses or apartment buildings?

Single-family houses31.8 %
Two-dwelling houses8.7 %
Apartment buildings (3+)59.5 %

16.6 % of buildings mix housing with shops or offices.

The typical building

storeys (median): 3
median footprint: 132 m²
median dwelling area: 75 m²

Dwellings by number of rooms

7 %1 rm

17.5 %2 rm

40.4 %3 rm

25.1 %4 rm

9.9 %5+ rm

Dwellings per building

1 dwelling31.9 %
2 to 431.4 %
5 to 924.3 %
10 to 199.9 %
20 or more2.5 %

Renovations, heritage and volumes

For renovation projects in Biel, official building register figures highlight that nine buildings are under heritage protection, necessitating early consultation with municipal authorities for permit requirements. Regarding building volume, data coverage is currently very limited, with only four buildings measured according to SIA 416 standards out of 2011 units, showing a median volume of 683.5 m3. Because this data is highly partial, homeowners must conduct their own professional site measurements. Accurate volume assessments remain crucial for planning the appropriate scale of your heating and insulation upgrades to ensure your renovation project meets all technical and regulatory standards.

9

buildings flagged as protected

status known for 54 of 6'314 buildings; check with the municipality

683.5 m³

median house volume (SIA 416)

measured for 4 of 2'011 houses

Source : OFS — RegBL (export communal complet). Existing residential buildings; percentages of recorded values.

Renovating in Biel/Bienne: what to know

Planning works in Biel/Bienne, canton of Bern? Before requesting quotes, local context helps: climate drives the value of insulation and heating, cantonal rules govern boiler replacement, and tax deductions can noticeably reduce the bill.

Renovation works in Biel/Bienne