How much does it cost to renovate an apartment in Paris?

How much does apartment renovation in Paris cost? Search for an answer and you will find figures that vary sixfold, from a few hundred euros to more than €3,000 per square metre. These differences are not the result of miscalculations. They reflect what each price includes: refurbishment or complete renovation, building work alone or design included, a modern apartment or a Haussmannian property.

Specialising in bespoke, turnkey renovation in Paris, Maison Kyka designs, renovates, furnishes and delivers move-in-ready apartments across every arrondissement of the capital. Rather than adding another estimate to the many already available, this article presents the actual renovation costs of fifteen apartments we have completed, from a 16 m² studio to a 172 m² family apartment. You will also find costs per square metre according to the extent of the work, budgets by surface area, a breakdown of the main expenses, additional costs to anticipate and advice on comparing quotes.

The cost per m² of apartment renovation in Paris

Renovation costs are most commonly expressed per square metre, as this is the only unit that allows apartments of different sizes to be compared. For older apartments in Paris, the following price ranges reflect the extent of the work involved, excluding furniture.

These prices include VAT at the reduced rate of 10% applicable to improvement work on residential properties more than two years old. They cover supply and installation, including materials, equipment, fitting and labour, as well as design when the project is entrusted to a turnkey renovation company such as Maison Kyka.

Why advertised prices vary so widely

The first reason is the scope of work. The lowest prices generally refer to a simple refurbishment: painting, flooring and replacing a few fittings, without altering plumbing or electrical systems. This is fundamentally different from a complete apartment renovation, and the two cannot meaningfully be compared on a price-per-square-metre basis.

The second is what the price includes. Some prices per square metre exclude the kitchen and bathroom, while others omit equipment, design, architects' fees or VAT. A price per square metre is meaningless unless you know exactly which items it covers.

The third is Paris itself. For equivalent work, renovation costs are significantly higher in the capital than elsewhere in France: higher labour costs, older buildings with outdated services, difficult access, regulated rubble removal and parking, and working hours determined by co-ownership regulations. Applying a national price range to a Parisian apartment will almost always underestimate the budget.

The actual renovation costs of fifteen apartments in Paris

To provide figures grounded in real projects rather than theoretical estimates, here are the renovation costs of fifteen Parisian apartments completed by Maison Kyka, as published on our project pages. Each underwent a turnkey renovation, from design through to handover.

Three key observations emerge from these projects. First, the vast majority of complete renovations cost between €2,000 and €2,400 per m², regardless of the arrondissement. The neighbourhood has a significant impact on the purchase price, but much less on the renovation cost.

Second, the smaller the apartment, the higher the cost per square metre. Both 16 m² studios exceed €2,500 per m², while apartments of around 50 m² cost approximately €2,000 to €2,100 per m². A kitchen, bathroom and replacement plumbing and electrical systems cost roughly the same in a 16 m² studio as in a 50 m² apartment. These fixed expenses therefore account for a greater proportion of the budget in smaller properties.

Finally, it is the level of finish and extent of the work that push a project beyond the usual price range, rather than its size. Jade's 100 m² apartment near Les Invalides reached €3,500 per m² for a project featuring exceptional finishes. Stéphanie and Julien's 172 m² apartment in the 16ᵗʰ arrondissement cost around €2,700 per m². In larger properties, it is the quality of the finishes, not the number of square metres, that drives up the price.

How much should you budget according to your apartment's size?

Applying typical market rates to your apartment's surface area provides an initial estimate of the renovation budget, excluding furniture. This will need to be refined after a site visit, based on the condition of the property and your choice of finishes.

For smaller properties, fixed costs have an even greater impact: a completely renovated 20 m² studio rarely costs less than €40,000. We explore this in detail in our guide to studio renovation in Paris.

For larger apartments, the cost per square metre tends to decrease in a complete renovation, because living rooms and bedrooms are less expensive to renovate than kitchens and bathrooms. However, costs rise again when a project includes several bathrooms, a large bespoke kitchen or the restoration of period features.

What affects the cost of renovation in Paris?

Two apartments of the same size, in the same arrondissement, can require very different budgets. Five main factors explain these differences, and these are what we assess during the initial visit.

The condition of the building and its services

In older buildings, plumbing and electrical systems rarely meet current standards. Lead pipes, ageing water risers, electrical panels without residual-current protection and circuits without earthing are common. Complete replacement is often necessary, frequently requiring walls and suspended ceilings to be opened up. Timber floors that need strengthening, walls affected by damp or ceilings requiring repair also add to the budget, and some issues only become apparent during strip-out.

The extent of the work and changes to the layout

Keeping the existing layout or redesigning it entirely does not cost the same. Moving a kitchen or bathroom requires new drainage connections and sometimes the creation of a raised service floor. Opening a load-bearing wall requires a structural assessment, the involvement of a structural engineering firm and co-ownership approval. This is the main distinction between a complete renovation and an extensive renovation.

The type of building

A Haussmannian apartment, with its mouldings, chevron parquet flooring, fireplaces and ceiling heights exceeding 3 m, requires specialist expertise and materials to preserve its period features. An apartment in a more recent concrete building presents fewer constraints in some respects, but can limit changes to partitions and building services. Our article on renovating a Haussmannian apartment explores these considerations in detail.

The level of finish and materials

For the same surface area, material choices can change the budget by 30 % or more: solid or engineered parquet, standard tiles or natural stone, a modular or bespoke kitchen, entry-level or high-end brassware. This is often where budget decisions are made, allowing investment to be concentrated on the elements you see and touch every day.

Access and co-ownership constraints

A fifth-floor apartment without a lift, an inaccessible courtyard, a street where parking a delivery vehicle requires a permit, restricted working hours: in Paris, logistics come at a cost. You must also account for protecting common areas and, depending on the work, obtaining approval at a co-ownership general meeting, whose timing can affect the project schedule.

How the renovation budget is divided

For a complete renovation of an older apartment in Paris, the budget is generally distributed as follows. These are indicative proportions that vary from one project to another, particularly according to the number of bathrooms and the level of finish.

Two categories therefore account for almost half the budget: plumbing and electrical systems, which are no longer visible once the renovation is complete, and bathrooms and other wet areas. This is why an apartment whose plumbing and electrics have recently been replaced costs significantly less to renovate. Our guide to apartment renovation work in Paris provides a detailed breakdown of each type of work.

Additional costs to anticipate

The cost of building work is not the only expense to consider. Several additional items may be included or charged separately depending on the service you choose, and it is best to understand them before setting your overall budget.

The contingency allowance is the item most often overlooked. It is not an additional margin charged by the renovation company, but a reserve you retain to cover unexpected discoveries during the work. In a 19ᵗʰ-century Parisian building, it is rare for this reserve to be entirely unnecessary.

Turnkey renovation or architect and contractors: comparing costs

The cost of a renovation also depends on how the project is organised. Three main approaches are available in Paris, each with a different cost structure.

Comparing these approaches solely on the cost of building work gives a misleading picture. A quote from a contractor hired directly does not include design, coordination or the time you will spend managing the project. A turnkey renovation quote includes these services. At Maison Kyka, design by our interior architects, site supervision by a renovation project manager and coordination of all trades are included in our turnkey renovation service.

How to obtain and compare renovation quotes

A reliable estimate can only be provided after visiting the apartment. Here is how a detailed quote is prepared, and what to check when comparing proposals.

When comparing two quotes, check that they cover the same scope of work and level of finish, that quantities and material specifications are clearly stated, that the correct VAT rate has been applied and that any exclusions are explicitly listed. Also request proof of the company's ten-year liability insurance, a provisional schedule and a payment timetable. A quote that is significantly cheaper than the others often omits an item that will reappear once work is underway.

Financing your renovation and maximising its value

A renovation budget is rarely considered in isolation. It is often added to a purchase price or assessed against the property's value once renovated.

If you are buying an apartment in need of renovation, the cost of the work can be included in your mortgage, provided you submit the quotes to the bank before the loan offer is issued. This is one reason why it is useful to have renovation costs estimated during the viewing, before signing the preliminary sale agreement. Our guide to buying a property in need of renovation explains how to assess the work before committing.

A renovated apartment also generally sells for more, and more quickly, than one requiring work. The difference in price per square metre between the two often covers a substantial proportion of the renovation cost. For rental investments, renovation can even determine whether a property may legally be let: properties with a G rating on the DPE have been prohibited from being rented out since 2025, and F-rated properties will follow in 2028.

Éloi's home, 54 m² in the 18ᵗʰ arrondissement

At €2,000 per m², this project illustrates what the lower end of the complete renovation price range in Paris includes: replacement plumbing and electrical systems, a new kitchen and bathroom, bespoke storage and carefully considered finishes. Every detail of the interior architecture was designed with precision, with storage and circulation tailored to the apartment's exact proportions, and the property delivered turnkey and ready to move into. If this project inspires you, explore our dedicated project page. We also explain our work in this neighbourhood in our guide to apartment renovation in the 18ᵗʰ arrondissement, and you can discover other projects in our portfolio, from the 5ᵗʰ to the 14ᵗʰ arrondissement.

A clear renovation budget, one point of contact

The cost of renovating an apartment in Paris depends on what is being renovated, the condition of the property, the building itself and the finishes selected. What should never vary is the clarity of the quote: a detailed breakdown of each item, a budget that accounts for Parisian building constraints from the outset and a price that does not change during the renovation. Our guide to apartment renovation in Paris explains our entire approach, from design through to handover. To obtain an estimate for your project, visit our showroom or contact our team.

Questions fréquentes sur le prix d'une rénovation d'appartement à Paris

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