Planning and budgeting a renovation (reforma) in Spain

Key rules

• Contingency: Add 10% to 15% to your budget, and 15% to 20% for older homes or unsurveyed buildings.
• Survey: Have an architect or technician survey an older flat before you buy, so you know the real list of works.
• Asbestos: Fibrocement in buildings from before about 2002 must be removed by a licensed contractor.
• Quotes: Get several itemised local quotes, because costs per m² vary by city and finish.
• Order of work: Do hidden work such as electrics, plumbing and damp first, and finishes last.

Cost levels change every year and differ by city, so check current prices per m² against recent local contractor quotes.

Start with the scope: what needs doing, not what you want

Decide first what is essential, then what is nice to have. In an older flat the essentials are usually hidden: wiring, pipes and damp. Finishes come last.

Flats built before about 1980 are the most affected. If you are still buying, have an architect or technician survey the flat before you sign. That survey gives the real list of works. The list below is only a guide to what often turns up.

What older flats most often need

In rough order of how often they come up:

1. Electrics. Old wiring, no earthing or an undersized fuse board often have to be replaced to meet current rules.
2. Plumbing and drainage. Old galvanised or lead pipes and cast-iron or fibre-cement drains.
3. Bathroom and kitchen refits.
4. Floors and tiling.
5. Damp and condensation. Rising damp, leaks and poor ventilation.
6. Windows and insulation.
7. Partitions and layout changes.
8. Heating, boiler and air conditioning.
9. Asbestos. Fibrocement (a cement and asbestos mix) can turn up in old water tanks, pipes or roofs in buildings from before about 2002. Only a licensed contractor should remove it. Budget for it if your survey finds it.

Put the work in the right order

Do the work that is hidden in walls and floors first, and the visible finishes last. A typical order is:

• Demolition and layout changes.
• Structure, partitions and asbestos removal if needed.
• Electrics and plumbing, including new pipes and cables.
• Damp treatment, insulation and windows.
• Plastering, floors and tiling.
• Kitchen and bathroom fittings.
• Painting, then final fixtures.

Moving a kitchen or bathroom means moving pipes, which adds cost and time. The planner below helps you lay out the timeline and the order of trades.

How to budget

Reform prices are set by contractor quotes, so there is no fixed national price. Guides usually give three bands for a full-flat reform: basic, mid-range and high-end. Your price per m² depends on:

• the city
• the finishes
• whether electrics, plumbing and layout change
• the condition of the building

Costs per m² are generally highest in Barcelona, Madrid and the Balearics. Málaga and the Costa del Sol are somewhat lower but rising. Valencia and inland regions are lower still. Labour rates, material logistics and demand for contractors drive the difference.

Prices rise with construction costs and guides are updated yearly, so use a recent figure. Get several written quotes from local contractors and compare them line by line. The estimator below adds tax and fees to your figure.

Kitchens and bathrooms

Both are priced in tiers.

• Kitchen, basic: new units and worktop with light works.
• Kitchen, mid-range: new tiling, plumbing, electrics and appliances.
• Kitchen, high-end: custom units and premium appliances.
• Bathroom, basic: sanitaryware, tiles and a shower tray.
• Bathroom, mid-range: a full strip-out, new plumbing and a walk-in shower.
• Bathroom, high-end: premium fittings, underfloor heating and custom units.

Size, worktop material, appliances and the amount of building work move the total. Whether pipes must move matters most in a bathroom. Ask each contractor to price these as separate lines.

Add a contingency

Add a contingency of 10% to 15% to your budget. For older homes or unsurveyed buildings, add 15% to 20%. This money is for surprises such as damp behind a wall, bad wiring or a structural defect. Do not plan to spend it on upgrades.

Before you commit

• Get the survey before buying, not after.
• Ask for itemised quotes, with the same scope in each.
• Confirm that asbestos work goes to a licensed contractor.
• Decide which works can wait, so you can cut them if the budget tightens.

Renovation timeline and order of trades

Do the paperwork before any work starts

Permit and community consent come first. Demolition comes only after both are in place. Then the trades follow in a fixed order, because each one covers up or depends on the one before.

Step 1: Permit and consent

1. Check what the works are. Ask the town hall's planning office (urbanismo) whether your plan needs a licencia de obra mayor, a licencia de obra menor, or only a declaración responsable. Also check that the use of the property allows the works.
2. Hire an architect or technician if the works need a project. Major works usually do.
3. Tell your community. You can do works inside your own flat, but you must tell the administrator or president. Anything that touches common elements or the facade needs the community's approval first. Depending on the case, that takes a majority or all owners.
4. File and pay. Submit the documents and pay the ICIO, the local tax on building works, plus the town hall fee. If the town hall asks you to fix something in your file, answer within 10 days.
5. Get street permits for a skip, scaffolding or any use of the pavement.

How long permits take

• Declaración responsable: you can start works when you file. There is no wait for approval, but the council can check afterwards.
• Licencia: the legal deadline is typically one to three months for minor works and longer for major works.
• Real waits in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga are often longer than the official deadline, especially for major licences. Ask the town hall's licensing service for the current time before you fix a start date.

Step 2: Trades, in this order

1. Demolition and rubble removal
2. Structural work and new partitions (bricklaying)
3. Rough installations: electrics, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning ducts
4. Plastering and screed
5. Windows and exterior joinery
6. Waterproofing
7. Floor and wall tiling
8. False ceilings
9. First coat of paint
10. Interior carpentry, doors and fitted wardrobes
11. Kitchen and bathroom fittings
12. Electrical sockets, switches and lighting
13. Flooring such as parquet
14. Final painting
15. Final cleaning and snagging (a walk-through to list and fix small defects)

The order can shift a little with the job. Your architect or lead contractor sets the final sequence.

Seasonal and time limits

• Daily hours. Many councils allow noisy works only on weekdays, commonly from about 8:00 to 20:00, and not on Sundays or holidays.
• Community rules. Your building's statutes or internal rules can set reasonable hours or even no works in August. They cannot ban works inside your flat altogether. Read them and the recent meeting minutes before you book trades.
• July and August. Some tourist and coastal towns ban or limit works in these months or in peak season. Ask the town hall.
• August shutdown. Many contractors, suppliers and architects close for two to three weeks, and councils work slowly. Permits and deliveries stall.
• September rush. Trades are busy then, so book them early.

Plan to file your permit well before the summer break, so approval and your trades line up with a September or October start.

Estimate renovation cost including tax and fees

Work it out

What you enter

• Floor area you will reform (m²): Your title deed, the listing or the floor plan.
• Price per m² for the general works, from your contractor quotes (EUR): Quotes from at least three local contractors for your type of reform.
• Kitchen reform quote, in euros (0 if none) (EUR): Quotes from kitchen fitters or contractors.
• Bathroom reform quote, in euros (0 if none) (EUR): Quotes from contractors or bathroom specialists.
• Works tax (ICIO) rate your town hall charges, in percent (%): Your town hall's tax ordinance or its licensing office.
• Permit fee (tasa) your town hall charges, in euros (EUR): Your town hall's fiscal ordinance or licensing office.

Figures used

• Reduced VAT on reform works on a home you live in: 10 % (as of 2026)
• Lower contingency: 10 % (as of 2026)
• Higher contingency: 15 % (as of 2026)

Worked example (with Floor area you will reform 70 m², Price per m² for the general works, from your contractor quotes 600 EUR, Kitchen reform quote, in euros (0 if none) 6,000 EUR, Bathroom reform quote, in euros (0 if none) 4,000 EUR, Works tax (ICIO) rate your town hall charges, in percent 3 %, Permit fee (tasa) your town hall charges, in euros 300 EUR)

When the sum misleads

• For an older home or an unsurveyed building, use a contingency of 15% to 20% instead.
• If the conditions for reduced VAT are not met, 21% applies: change the VAT figure.
• The works tax is capped at 4% of the real cost of the works; a rate above that is a reason to ask the town hall.
• Prices vary a lot by city and finish level: Barcelona, Madrid and the Balearics usually cost more than Valencia or inland areas.

Frequently asked questions

Which works do older Spanish flats most often need in a full reform?

Older flats most often need new electrics first, then new plumbing and drainage. Next come bathroom and kitchen refits, floors and tiling, and damp treatment.

Can an older flat contain asbestos?

Yes, buildings from before about 2002 can have asbestos (fibrocement) in old water tanks, pipes or roofs. Only a licensed contractor can remove it, so ask for this before you start works.

Do reform costs per square metre differ between Spanish cities?

Yes, costs are highest in Barcelona, Madrid and the Balearics.

How are kitchen and bathroom reform prices usually set out?

Prices come in three tiers: basic, mid-range and high-end. In a kitchen, size, worktop, appliances and building work move the total. In a bathroom, size, moving pipes and finishes do.