What you should know about monument preservation in Bern

Around 7% of buildings in the Canton of Bern are listed in the inventory of protected buildings, and approximately 1.6% are formally heritage-listed. For restorations of listed properties, renovation grants are available—typically covering 20 to 40% of value-preserving measures.

Prerequisite: Contact the heritage conservation office before starting any work.

Building Inventory in Figures

  • 7%

    of the building stock are included in the building inventory of the Canton of Bern — legal upper limit according to the building law.

  • 29,000

    Individual objects are recorded in the cantonal building inventory, along with around 1,100 building groups.

  • 1.6%

    of all buildings are formally listed — a small fraction of the inventory.

  • 101

    Objects of national importance can be found in the city of Bern alone — UNESCO World Heritage Site included.

Worth protecting, worth preserving, landmarked — what does what mean?

The Bernese Building Act (Art. 10b BauG) distinguishes between three categories, which are often confused in practice. The distinction determines what changes may be made to your property and what contributions are possible.

If in doubt, it is worth calling the heritage conservation office before you plan – the information is free of charge.

  • Worth preserving

    Objects significant to the townscape or streetscape. Focus on appearance and volume — internal changes are more feasible than for heritage objects. Contributions of a lesser extent are possible.

  • Worth protecting

    Objects of high heritage value. Interventions require approval and must be closely coordinated with heritage authorities. The substance and characteristic details should be preserved as much as possible. Typical candidates for restoration grants.

  • Listed

    Legal status with land register entry. Any intervention requires a permit. Only about 1.6% of all buildings in the Canton of Bern have this status — the building inventory itself is not yet protection, but a preliminary stage and basis for permit procedures.

Renovation contributions — this is how the process works

  • 01 · Preliminary Discussion

    Before planning begins, contact the municipal or cantonal monument preservation office. Review existing structures, clarify goals, and explore possible contributions. Free and non-binding.

  • 02 · Support

    Heritage conservation accompanies planning and execution. Material and color choices are coordinated, and sample openings are made on site. Materials and techniques must meet the requirements of heritage conservation.

  • 03 · Funding Application

    Before work begins, the grant application must be submitted – with a cost estimate, description of the measures, plans and photos. Important: Wait for confirmation before starting.

  • 04 · Payout

    Upon completion, the final invoice will be issued with receipts. Contributions over CHF 5,000 are secured in the land register with a safeguarding contract.

Value-preserving versus value-enhancing — the crucial difference

  • Value-preserving

    Measures that preserve or restore the existing condition — Restoration of doors, wooden surfaces, traditional folk painting, stucco work, original fixtures.

    → Eligible for subsidies
    → Tax deductible (property maintenance)

    Example: Careful restoration of a traditional folk painting

  • Value-enhancing

    Measures that create new value — extensions, comfort improvements, energy upgrades beyond the existing standard.

    → Not subsidized
    → Increases the asset value (no maintenance deduction)

    Example: Interior fittings to increase comfort

Frequently Asked Questions about Monument Preservation in Bern

How do I find out if my property is listed in the building inventory?

Via the Canton of Bern's geoportal (map.apps.be.ch) or directly from the Monuments and Heritage Office of the City/Canton of Bern. The information is free of charge. There you can also see the classification - worthy of protection, worthy of preservation, or part of a building group.

How high are the subsidies typically?

Customary contributions are between 20 to 40% of the value-retaining measures, depending on the significance of the object, the financial situation of the owner, and the availability of funds. For objects of national significance, the canton has contributed a maximum of 25% since 2019. The city, canton, and federal government contributions sometimes accumulate.

What is subsidized and what is not?

Subsidies are provided for value-preserving measures on the inventoried building stock: restoration of historical surfaces, doors, windows, stucco work, folk art painting, original fixtures. Value-enhancing measures, comfort improvements, new fixtures without historical relevance, or energy upgrades beyond the existing stock are not subsidised.

What do I need to consider before starting the work?

Most important rule: Before commencing work, contact the monument preservation authority and submit an application for contributions. Anyone who starts without prior inquiry loses the right to contributions – even retroactively. On-site sample openings are standard for sensitive surfaces.

What exactly does "denkmalgeschützt" mean legally?

Heritage protection is a formal status entered in the land register. Any intervention on the protected property requires a permit. The building inventory as such is not yet protection, but an inventory with a preliminary review obligation for interventions.

What happens during the conservation agreement?

For renovation contributions exceeding CHF 5,000, a contract will be concluded between the property owner and the monument preservation authority and registered in the land registry. It ensures the preservation of the restored condition. The contract remains valid even in the event of a sale — the new owner takes it over.

How are subsidies treated for tax purposes?

Value-preserving measures are generally tax-deductible from income. However, subsidies received reduce the deductible amount – you can only deduct the portion you paid yourself. Clarify this in advance with your trustee or tax advisor.

What happens if I renovate without heritage conservation approval?

In the case of protected or listed objects, this constitutes a violation of the permit requirement. Consequences can include demolition, fines, and the permanent loss of grant entitlements. For objects worth preserving, the requirements are less stringent, but a preliminary inquiry is still advisable.

What is the role of conservator-restorers?

Conservator-restorers with university degrees conduct the scientific preliminary examination of sensitive objects, including findings, stratigraphy, and pigment analyses. Workshops like CARMINE HOME then undertake the practical restoration work, in consultation with the findings and monument preservation authorities.

Is the collaboration worthwhile in the long term?

Usually, yes. Carefully restored historic properties retain their value better than those modernized insensitively. Added to this are the contributions and a clear gain in substance—a restored shellac polish outlives a cheap paint job by decades.

CARMINE HOME as implementation partner

We are an executing restoration company with a workshop in Bern Ostermundigen – not a studio for conservational preliminary investigations.

Stratigraphic findings, pigment analyses, or art historical reports are prepared by conservator-restorers with university degrees, with whom we collaborate as needed.

Our contribution to monument preservation projects lies in the artisanal execution: doors, wood surfaces, furniture, peasant painting, stucco, partial wood reconstructions.

We work reversibly, coordinate material selection with the existing structure, and provide BKP or eBKP-H compliant quotations as standard.

Our Services

Do you own a landmark property and are planning a restoration?

Write us a short message about your request — we will get back to you with an initial assessment and discuss the next steps.

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Or call: 031 312 61 61