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The Journal · July 2, 2026 · 8 min read · By Émilie, Head of Content
It is the first question every client asks — and the honest answer is: it depends on the ambition. Here are the real ranges we see in Paris, line item by line item, and what makes the budget move.
In Paris, budgets for a Haussmann apartment fall into three broad families depending on how deep the intervention goes:
| Level of intervention | Typical budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh | €1,000 – 1,200/m² | Paint, floors, partial electrical work, simple bathroom |
| Full quality renovation | €1,800 – 2,500/m² | New room layout, plumbing and electrical redone, kitchen and bathrooms, quality finishes |
| High-end renovation | €2,500/m² and up | Noble materials, custom millwork, restoration of original mouldings and parquet, home automation |
At W.A.R.D, a quality residential renovation averages around €2,000/m² (observed range: €1,800 to €2,500/m²) — the level that reconciles exacting finishes with budget control. A 150 m² apartment therefore represents a works budget in the region of €270,000 to €375,000, excluding furniture.
Rather than adding up itemised prices — which vary from one project to the next — the most telling view is how a full renovation budget is actually distributed. On our Haussmann projects, the typical breakdown looks like this:
| Line item | Indicative share of budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition and strip-out | 5 – 10% | Removing partitions, floors and fittings, clearing rubble |
| Structure and shell | 5 – 15% | Floor reinforcement, openings in load-bearing walls, structural repairs |
| Services (plumbing, electrical, ventilation) | 20 – 25% | Complete renewal of installations, consumer unit, risers, ventilation |
| Plastering, partitions, suspended ceilings | 10 – 15% | New room layout, linings, staff plaster, cornices |
| Kitchen and bathrooms | 15 – 20% | Equipment, wall tiling, sanitaryware, taps and fittings |
| Surfaces and finishes | 15 – 20% | Parquet, paint, natural stone, wallpaper |
| Custom millwork | 10 – 20% | Walk-in wardrobes, bookcases, designed joinery |
These proportions are orders of magnitude — they deliberately overlap, because every project makes its own trade-offs. Above all, remember the lesson they carry: close to a quarter of the budget goes into the services — the part you never see in the photos. It is the foundation of a renovation that lasts; it is also the first line that over-optimistic quotes leave out.
These proportions hold for an apartment. On a complete heritage property — grand staircase, façades, roof, garden — the balance shifts markedly: we set it out on our page devoted to hôtel particulier renovation in Paris.
Two apartments that look identical on paper can have budgets that differ by a factor of two. The real drivers:
The classic trap: comparing quotes that do not cover the same scope. A quote 20% cheaper that excludes project management, structural repairs "to be assessed" and finishes almost always ends up costing more.
Beyond the surprises old buildings hold, most of the overruns we see have avoidable causes. The five most frequent:
Renovating a Haussmann apartment is not renovating a modern open floor plate. Three points of attention we encounter on every project:
To make these ranges concrete, here are three scenarios calculated simply — surface × price per m²:
These calculations do not replace a proper costing — they give the right order of magnitude to frame an apartment search or a financing plan. For an apartment renovation in Paris, it is the most honest starting point for a conversation that we know.
For a full renovation in Paris: allow 2 to 3 months of design (surveys, plans, material selection, consultations) then 4 to 7 months of works depending on the surface. Our recent projects: 5 months for 145 m² (Le St Georges, Paris 9th), 10 months for a heavy transformation of 227 m² (Le Trocadéro, Paris 16th).
A project of this kind? Tell us about it in a few lines: we come back to you within 48 hours with a first reading — scope, order of magnitude, realistic timeline.
Before committing your signature — and your budget — verify these eight points:
A serious general contractor ticks these eight boxes by design: it is the very point of the model.
In an apartment that is structurally sound, with healthy services and no change of layout, you sit between a refresh (€1,000 – 1,200/m²) and a full renovation (€1,800 – 2,500/m²): it is workable by concentrating the effort on a few rooms. As soon as the plumbing, the electrics or the layout need redoing, a full renovation is unavoidable — and so is its budget.
A little: fixed costs (site set-up, studies) are spread over more square metres. But the effect is marginal compared with the level of finish — a large apartment at a high-end specification will always cost more per m² than a small one at a standard level.
Tell us about your project — surface, condition, ambition — and we will come back to you within 48 hours with a first estimate. For an immediate order of magnitude, request an estimate and we will frame the range with you.
Every project deserves a precise answer rather than an average: tell us about yours, and we will come back to you within 48 hours with a first estimate.
"Many thanks to Anthony and his team for their professionalism, their advice and the quality of the work. The result is refined and exactly what I expected." (translated)Adrien A. · Google review
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