What can you do yourself - and what requires professionals?

In short

You can normally paint, wallpaper, lay many types of flooring, fit trim, furniture and kitchen units, and do simple cosmetic work yourself.

As a general rule, work on fixed electrical installations must be carried out by a registered electrical contractor.

Work on water pipes, concealed connections, membranes, floor drains, load-bearing structures, fire separations, roofs and larger technical installations should be left to qualified professionals.

The fact that a job does not require a building application does not mean it is simple or risk-free to do yourself.

Three different categories

It is useful to distinguish between three types of work.

There are also projects that require a building application. In that case you must clear the project with the municipality before the work starts.

The application requirement and the requirement for professionals are not the same thing. A job can be exempt from a building application but still require a registered electrician. Another job can require an application even if you can technically be granted a personal right of responsibility (ansvarsrett) as a self-builder.

What you can normally do yourself

If you have the time, the right tools and basic knowledge, there are many tasks you can carry out yourself.

Painting and wallpapering

Most people can paint walls and ceilings themselves.

Among other things, you can:

Good preparation matters more than an expensive brush. Grease, dust, moisture and loose substrates can lead to poor adhesion and patchiness.

In bathrooms and other damp rooms you must use products that are intended for the substrate and the area of use. You should not paint over damage, moisture or an old wet room system without investigating the cause first.

Laying floors

Many types of click flooring can be laid by a careful DIYer.

This includes, among others:

Check:

Glued-down floors, wet room flooring and demanding parquet patterns place greater demands on the subfloor and the workmanship. Here, mistakes can be difficult and expensive to put right.

Trim, fittings and furniture

You can normally:

Before you drill into the wall, you must check whether there may be electrical cables, water pipes or a membrane behind the surface.

In a bathroom, a single misplaced screw can puncture the membrane. So use existing fixing points or solutions designed for wet rooms.

Fitting a kitchen

You can fit cabinets, drawers, fronts, handles and some worktops yourself.

Electrical connections and work on fixed water installations must be separated from the rest of the installation.

Clarify in advance:

It is expensive to discover after installation that the pipes and power outlets are in the wrong place.

Removing simple surfaces

You can often remove:

Before you start, you must be sure that you are not touching:

A project can look simple right up until you open the wall.

Electrical work: what you can do yourself

The rules for electrical work are strict. Work that is not expressly permitted for unqualified people must be left to professionals.

According to the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB), you can, among other things:

You must be sure that you understand the task and follow the manufacturer's instructions. If you are unsure, use an electrician.

What the electrician must do

A registered electrical contractor must normally carry out work such as:

You cannot lay heating cables yourself and then ask an electrician to "approve" them or just connect them. DSB makes clear that unqualified people are not allowed to lay, install or connect fixed heating cables.

The business must be registered for the right type of work in the Register of Electrical Contractors (Elvirksomhetsregisteret). Afterwards you must receive a declaration of conformity (samsvarserklæring) and the relevant documentation.

Can you do plumbing work yourself?

The rules for plumbing work are not as simple as the rules for electrical work. Nor is there one general national authorisation scheme for all ordinary indoor plumbing work that corresponds to Elvirksomhetsregisteret.

That does not mean it is wise to do extensive plumbing work yourself.

A fault in an electrical installation can lead to fire. A fault in a water connection can stay hidden and leak for months.

Simple tasks you can often do yourself

Depending on the product and the manufacturer's instructions, you can often:

Turn off the water before you open a connection, and test thoroughly afterwards.

Be aware that your insurance terms may set stricter requirements than you expect. Check the terms before you connect a washing machine, dishwasher or other water-carrying products.

What the plumber should do

Use a qualified plumber for:

If you live in a housing cooperative (borettslag) or a co-owned property (sameie), water pipes, drains and other installations may be wholly or partly the responsibility of the community. Contact the board before you make changes.

Can you renovate the bathroom yourself?

You can do some parts of a bathroom project yourself. That does not mean it is sensible to fully renovate the whole bathroom without professionals.

In the bathroom, several trades have to work together:

A single small mistake can lead to major consequential damage.

What you can often do yourself in the bathroom

You can usually:

Clarify the demolition work before you begin. If you damage pipes, heating cables or structures, the savings can disappear quickly.

What should be left to professionals

In a full renovation, qualified professionals should handle:

There is no general requirement that all tiles must be laid by a qualified tiler. The problem is that the tiles are part of a construction where the substrate, the membrane, the slope and the details around the drain have to work together.

Do you need to apply to renovate the bathroom?

A full bathroom renovation within the same dwelling unit or fire compartment is normally exempt from the application requirement. Relevant technical requirements may still apply.

The work may require an application if it affects other dwelling units or breaches a fire separation. This can happen, for example, with new pipe runs or the replacement of a floor drain in the floor structure between apartments.

Load-bearing walls and structures

You can normally put up, move or remove a non-load-bearing partition wall within the same fire compartment without applying to the municipality.

The condition is, among other things, that you do not:

If you are unsure whether the wall is load-bearing, you should stop and have it assessed.

Work on load-bearing walls requires an application

Removing, altering or reinforcing a load-bearing wall or column is a significant alteration that requires an application and permission from the municipality.

The work should be designed and carried out by qualified professionals. You may need:

Do not assume a wall is safe to remove because it sounds hollow or does not appear on an old drawing.

Fire separations and work in apartments

In apartments, terraced houses and multi-family homes, you must be particularly careful with the structures that separate the dwellings.

A fire separation is meant to stop fire and smoke spreading between homes.

You should use professionals if the work affects:

A small hole around a new pipe can reduce the fire resistance if it is not sealed correctly.

You must also check the bylaws and obtain the necessary approval from the board. The fact that the municipality does not require an application does not mean you can alter common property or shared installations without permission.

Roof, windows and facade

A practically experienced homeowner can do some exterior maintenance themselves, but working at height and poor moisture protection make these projects risky.

Work you can consider doing yourself

• Washing the facade
• Painting or staining
• Simple maintenance from the ground
• Replacing individual cladding boards
• Replacing individual windows with the same size and appearance
• Cleaning gutters when the work can be done safely

Work that should be left to professionals

• Full roof replacement
• Repairing the roof underlay
• Work around the chimney and penetrations
• Installing roof windows
• Major facade changes
• Extensive added insulation
• Work that requires scaffolding or fall protection
• Moisture damage and rot in the structure

Replacing roofing, cladding or windows with the same appearance can in some cases count as maintenance. If the appearance of the building changes, the project may require an application.

Heritage protection status, the zoning plan and local regulations can also restrict materials and colours.

Heat pumps require a certified installer

Fixed heat pumps that contain fluorinated gases cannot be freely installed or removed by private individuals.

The work must be carried out by certified personnel through a certified business. The requirement covers, among others, many air-to-air and air-to-water heat pumps.

Any electrical work must be carried out by a registered electrical contractor.

In housing cooperatives and co-owned properties, you should also get written permission from the board before the outdoor unit is installed.

Chimneys and fireplaces

Some work on fireplaces and chimneys is exempt from the application requirement, but must still meet the fire safety requirements.

The owner must notify the municipality or the local fire and chimney sweep service when a new fireplace is installed or significant changes are made to the heating installation.

Work that changes the chimney itself, for example its cross-section, height or internal flue, may require an application.

The wrong distance to combustible material or an incorrect connection to the chimney can lead to fire. So use a qualified installer unless you have documented knowledge of the solution.

Asbestos and hazardous materials

Asbestos can be found in older homes, including in:

The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet) states that private individuals can, under certain conditions, remove exterior asbestos from their own private property. Arbeidstilsynet nevertheless advises private individuals against carrying out interior asbestos removal.

If you hire someone for asbestos removal, the business must have a permit from Arbeidstilsynet.

Do not start sawing, sanding or tearing into a suspicious material. Have the material examined first.

When do you need a building application?

Ordinary maintenance and cosmetic renovation do not normally require a building application.

You can often do the following without applying:

The following may require an application:

The rules are affected by the size and location of the project, the zoning plan, heritage protection status and previous approvals. Ask the municipality before you start if you are unsure.

The best solution may be to split the work

You do not have to choose between doing everything yourself and handing the whole project to a single contractor.

A combination can work well.

Example of dividing the work in a kitchen renovation

You can do:

• Remove the old cabinets
• Fill and paint
• Fit the new kitchen cabinets
• Fit handles and shelves
• Clear up and take away the waste

Professionals can do:

• Move water and drainage
• Fit the leak stopper
• Install new sockets
• Run new circuits
• Connect fixed electrical equipment
• Check the ventilation solution

Example of dividing the work in a bathroom renovation

You could do:

• Agreed and supervised demolition
• Waste handling
• Painting the ceiling
• Fitting freestanding furniture
• Simple cleaning and preparation

Professionals should do:

• Design and planning
• Membrane
• Floor drain and slope
• Pipes and drainage
• Electrical installations
• Heating cables
• Ventilation
• Documentation

The division of work must be agreed in writing. It must be clear where your responsibility ends and the tradesperson's responsibility begins.

What must be agreed when you do part of the job yourself

An unclear division of work easily leads to conflict.

The contract should describe:

A tradesperson should not have to take responsibility for work you have done without having checked it.

Can doing the work yourself affect your insurance?

The fact that you did the work yourself does not automatically mean the insurance is void.

If damage can be linked to illegal, unprofessional or grossly negligent work, the insurance payout may still be reduced. The specific assessment depends on the damage and the insurance terms.

Contact your insurance company before you start on:

Ask for the answer in writing.

Document what you do yourself too

Work you do yourself should be documented in the same way as professional work.

Keep:

Do not write that the work was "done to a professional standard" if you have no basis for documenting it. Instead, describe specifically what you did and which products and installation instructions you used.

How to choose the right professional

Check more than just the price.

Look into:

Ask for a written quote and a clear contract.

How Fikso can make the division of work safer

When the customer wants to do parts of the project themselves, this should be recorded clearly in the job description.

Through Fikso, the parties can describe:

Secured payment can reduce the risk for both parties. The customer does not need to pay the full amount before the agreed part of the work has been done, while the tradesperson receives confirmation that the payment is secured.

If a disagreement arises, a written division of work is far better than the parties trying to remember afterwards who was supposed to do what.

Checklist before you do the work yourself

• I know whether the work is legal to do myself.
• I have checked whether the project requires a building application.
• I have checked the zoning plan and heritage protection status.
• I have cleared the work with the housing cooperative or co-owned property.
• I have read the insurance terms.
• I know the product's installation instructions.
• I know where the electrical cables and water pipes run.
• I am sure the structure is not load-bearing.
• I know whether the wall or floor is a fire separation.
• I have investigated the risk of asbestos.
• I have the right protective equipment.
• I know how the work must be documented.
• I have clarified the responsibility with the tradespeople.
• I know when to stop and contact professionals.

Frequently asked questions

Do what you are good at - and stop before the risk gets too high

Doing the work yourself can make the renovation cheaper and more personal. It also feels good to see a finished room and know that you did much of the work yourself.

But the savings must be weighed against the risk.

Paint that has to be redone is annoying. A leak behind a closed wall, a fault in the electrical installation or a weakened load-bearing structure can become very serious.

A good rule of thumb is:

By all means do the visible and reversible work yourself. Use professionals when the work becomes concealed, technical, regulated or could lead to major damage.

Method and sources

This article is based on Norwegian rules and public guidance available in August 2026. The requirements can vary with the type of home, the municipality, the scope of the work, the zoning plan, insurance terms and agreements in a housing cooperative or co-owned property.

Sources:

This article provides general information and does not replace a specific assessment from the municipality, your insurance company or qualified professionals.