France Property Renovation

All enterprises registered in France will obtain a SIRET number at the time of registration. This is a number that you can check to be sure that an enterprise is correctly registered and authorised to work on your property.

An enterprise must be not just registered, but registered to do the kind of work that you are asking them to do. The SIRET number must appear on the devis as well as the final invoices – so you can check before accepting a devis whether the company is authorised.

Officially it should also appear on any publicity from the enterprise, but I think this happens rather less often.

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There are some items that you expect to see on all quotes you receive for your building works.

- The administrative details about the enterprise: name, address, phone number, SIRET number / SARL details

- The date the quote was prepared, and also the period within which the quoted price is valid

- A breakdown in detail of the goods that are to be supplied. This includes the quantity, the price per unit, and the number of units (e.g. 15 square metres of quarry tiles at 22 euros per square metre) Read more

Up-Front and Initial Payments

On one or two occasions we were asked for a small (10%) payment just as the work began, because the cost of materials involved was high. More frequently we were asked for stage payments as work progressed, but these never exceeded the value of the work already done.

We never paid anything in advance of the work beginning, or at the time of accepting a quote, and we never paid a large percentage of the total upfront. Neither should you. On the other hand, we always paid bills promptly when they arrived. Most artisans are small businesses, and can do without waiting months for you to pay. Word will get around the other tradesmen in the area pretty soon if you are a slow payer, or dispute your bills unnecessarily. Read more

Accepting Quotes and devis

Quotes need to be accepted in writing. If your written French is poor, a couple of sentences saying ‘We accept your devis of [date], number[ref]. Please confirm how soon you can start’ should be managed.

It is sometimes suggested that you try adding a clause that the quote be conditional on a certain start or completion date. I doubt if this will help you too much. Even if the dates (and the whole devis) are not rejected by the builder, there will be little you can do about it if the work does start late. Are you seriously going to take the plumber to a French court if he is behind schedule? I know some people like to try and insert penalty clauses in case a delay occurs. In my opinion, developing a positive relationship with your workers will get better results, but you may consider it worthwhile. Read more

Actually Getting Quotes

Now you have a list of builders and tradesmen you need to get them around to inspect the property, and then to give you quotes (known as ‘devis’).

This is often in itself a tricky process. You will often need to ring someone two or three times before they will come to your property to look around. Try flattery – “Madame Vernier suggested I call you because she was so pleased with the work you did for her” or persistence. Read more

Make a List of Recommended Artisans

Before you reach for the local ‘pagesjaunes’ (yellow pages) you need to ask around the neighbourhood. Anyone you know that has lived in the area for a while will have recommendations to offer you, and dire warnings as well. Listen to these recommendations – personal recommendations are the best way to find good workers.

It is often difficult to separate those with a vested interest in their recommendation from those making a genuine personal recommendation based on work they have themselves had done. Read more

Before you start discussing your plans with artisan builders you need to be absolutely clear yourself about your plans. Study them until you are familiar with every detail. Whenever possible you should follow the plans in every detail.

This is not because I think the local planning authorities will demand that your property be demolished because you have put a sink in the wrong place, rather it is because as soon as you allow one change that can escalate into misunderstandings between the different workers involved, disputes, and an uncontrollable increase in your costs. Read more