Wall demolition in an apartment - partition or load-bearing wall

Partition or load-bearing wall

Under the Law on Residential Properties, non-load-bearing internal partitions belong to the apartment owner. Load-bearing walls and columns, walls between apartments and floor slabs are the common property of all the apartment owners. So the first step is not a hammer, but the answer to the question of what kind of wall this is.

The building series gives only a direction. For the 602 series it has been published that all the internal walls are usually load-bearing, for the 467 series that practically all the walls are load-bearing, while in the 103 series the partitions are described as non-load-bearing. Plans differ within one series, and walls may have been changed earlier. Which walls in a particular apartment are load-bearing is determined from the building's design documents and a structural engineer's assessment.

Demolishing a partition

According to the Riga municipality's explanation, to demolish a non-load-bearing wall in order to join rooms, an architect with a construction practice certificate prepares a plan, and a construction notice is submitted in BIS (the Construction Information System) as a simplified renovation. If the non-load-bearing wall separates two apartments, the owners of both apartments must agree; the consent of the other owners in the building is not needed.

A partition often contains electrical wires, switches and sockets, and sometimes a ventilation duct. A ventilation duct can be part of the building's engineering systems, which are common property, so it is checked before the work, and the wires are disconnected before demolition.

Demolishing a load-bearing wall

Making, reconstructing or demolishing an opening in a load-bearing wall is a simplified reconstruction. For it, an explanatory memorandum is submitted to the building board, with the solution for the structural details of the opening and an assessment of the effect on the overall strength and stability of the building. An architect and a structural engineer with a construction practice certificate are needed, and, if the building is divided into apartment properties, the consent of more than half (50% + 1) of the apartment owners.

If a load-bearing wall is to be demolished completely, or the work strengthens load-bearing elements, it is a reconstruction that does not fall under the simplified types. For such cases a building design of minimum scope is prepared and a building permit is obtained. Work with an explanatory memorandum or a building permit may be started only after the building board's mark that the conditions for starting construction work have been met.

How a wall is demolished

1. Documents and consents A notice or an explanatory memorandum in BIS; with an explanatory memorandum, work only after the building board's mark.
2. Disconnecting utilities The wires in the wall are disconnected, and the sockets and switches are removed.
3. Demolition The finish and the wall are removed in parts so as not to damage the floor and the neighbouring walls.
4. Waste The wall material is heavy and bulky. For removal of construction waste, see buvgruzuizvesanariga.lv.
5. Joints Where the wall was, a strip is left in the floor, ceiling and neighbouring walls: it is plastered, levelled and then finished together with the room.

In older buildings the finish and some materials can contain asbestos, for example asbestos-cement boards or vinyl floor tiles and their adhesive. It cannot be reliably identified by appearance; it is determined in a laboratory. More on the page asbestos in an apartment during renovation.

If a wall was demolished without documents

If a building inspector finds unauthorised construction, they stop the work, and the authority decides on restoring the previous condition or on permission to continue after the requirements are met. The owner pays the costs. When buying an apartment in which a wall has already been demolished, it is worth comparing the plan in the cadastral survey file with what is actually there.

How much does wall demolition in an apartment cost?

Demolition of walls, floors and finishing: from €6/m². Example: a partition 3 m long and 2.6 m high is 7.8 m², and demolition is 7.8 × €6 = from €46.80. Replanning documents and approval: price by estimate, determined by whether the work affects load-bearing structures, which document is needed and whether a structural engineer's opinion is needed. Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.

After demolition, plastering of walls from €8/m² and floor levelling from €6.50/m² usually follow, where the wall was. The price is affected by the wall material and thickness, whether there are wires in the wall, and the condition of the walls, floors and ceilings. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment.