I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up trade?

Steve

Usually the Algerians

Adam

In message ,
writes
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up trade?

From what I remember watching one of these 'A clueless couple who can't
speak French go and do up a wreck' type programs, that's correct.
--
Chris French, Leeds

In message ,
writes
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up trade?

But what does registered mean? You could say the same about builders
in this country cos they all need a CIS card from the Inland Revenue,
but thats not a problem, the card is available on demand

Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

"Anna Kettle" wrote in message
...
In message ,
writes
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are
allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up
trade?

But what does registered mean? You could say the same about builders
in this country cos they all need a CIS card from the Inland Revenue,
but thats not a problem, the card is available on demand

Almost every profession in France requires attending the correct academy for
apprenticeship/professional training.

I believe you can't even run for president unless you went to certain
schools.

"G&M" wrote in message
...

"Anna Kettle" wrote in message
...
In message ,
writes
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are
allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up
trade?

But what does registered mean? You could say the same about builders
in this country cos they all need a CIS card from the Inland Revenue,
but thats not a problem, the card is available on demand

Almost every profession in France requires attending the correct academy
for
apprenticeship/professional training.

I believe you can't even run for president unless you went to certain
schools.

There's something (in French) about an ass and a nay ..
Graduate of Ecole Nationale Adminsitration (ENA's);
and Ecole Nationale de E?... ..(ENE's)

It sounded funny in the bar ...

--

Brian

In article , G&M
writes
In message ,
writes
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders
are allowed to do building work in France. Is this true or is he
just drumming up trade?
Almost every profession in France requires attending the correct academy for
apprenticeship/professional training.
I believe you can't even run for president unless you went to certain
schools.

And/or pay the right people the appropriate bribes?

--
Paul

"Paul C. Dickie" wrote in message
...
In article , G&M
writes
In message ,
writes
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders
are allowed to do building work in France. Is this true or is he
just drumming up trade?
Almost every profession in France requires attending the correct academy
for
apprenticeship/professional training.
I believe you can't even run for president unless you went to certain
schools.

And/or pay the right people the appropriate bribes?

So where do you think you learn who to pay and how much ? ;-)

In message , Anna Kettle
writes
In message ,
writes
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up trade?

But what does registered mean?

I've no idea precisely, AFAICR the builder has to be registered with he
local council (Town? Department? don't know).

--
Chris French, Leeds

In message , Anna Kettle
writes
In message ,
writes
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up trade?

But what does registered mean? You could say the same about builders
in this country cos they all need a CIS card from the Inland Revenue,
but thats not a problem, the card is available on demand



Only if you're a subby. Its not required if you only work for private
customers.

--
mark

wrote in message
. uk...
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are
allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up
trade?

You can also do it yourself. However, if you do hire a builder, that builder
must be registered under French law.

Colin Bignell

On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 19:45:16 +0100, "nightjar"
wrote:


wrote in message
.uk...
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are
allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up
trade?

You can also do it yourself. However, if you do hire a builder, that builder
must be registered under French law.

Colin Bignell


Somebody in France also told me that if you hire a builder, the VAT
can be reclaimed even on refurbishment and other work but not for DIY.

Has that been your experience, Colin?



..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
....
Somebody in France also told me that if you hire a builder, the VAT
can be reclaimed even on refurbishment and other work but not for DIY.

Has that been your experience, Colin?

Having bought a fairly modern house in good condition, I've not needed to do
more than correct some of the previous owner's DIY :-)

I am told that it is very important to keep any invoices, provided that they
are made out in your name at your French address. Both work done by
professionals and materials bought by you for DIY that meet those conditions
can be offset against Capital Gains Tax when you sell.

Colin Bignell

Colin Bignell

wrote in message
. uk...
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are
allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up
trade?


Only registered builders may do work for reward. There have been umpteen
cases of Irish builders going there quoting EU laws but they always end up
in court.

If you do it yourself, I believe you need a local 'architect' (more like a
constructional engineer) to okay it.

Most of their builders in fact do very little but send in teams of
Greeks/Spaniards/whoever and can be quite cost effective.

On 10-Oct-2004, wrote:

I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are
allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up
trade?

Steve

Thanks to all who replied. That was a nervous moment.

Steve

In article ,
writes
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up trade?

As someone is (almost) certain to say it...

It's a job protection scheme for the masons.

--
Paul

wrote in message
. uk...
I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are
allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up
trade?

Sorry, I'm a bit late replying to this. I've been very busy since moving
to France but I'm still lurking. I'll try to answer this and some of
the other points made in this thread all together.

My understanding of this is as follows:
The law says that only registered artisans can work in France. You could
do the work yourself and as long as you didn't sell the house I don't
think there would be any problem with that, I have never heard of anyone
getting in trouble, but YMMV. When you came to sell, you
would need all the receipts for materials for capital gains tax purposes
and, I think, an architects certificate. I suspect you would have
difficulty getting an architect to certify the house unless he/she had
seen the construction going on. If you are applying for planning
permission, unless it is your own house and less than a certain area,
(75 sq m rings a bell, not sure) you will need an architect to put in
the plans anyway, so could discuss this with him/her. I don't have any
personal experience in this area though, you would need to check with
the local mairie or the notaire.

In practice most people use registered artisans. There isn't really
such a thing as a general builder in France, there just isn't a category
in the system to register them under. You would have to employ separate
masons/blocklayers, carpenters, electrician/plumbers etc. Anyone
qualified in any of these trades in another EU country can, with an
official translation of their qualifications and a fair amount of wading
through red tape and doing a one week course on starting a business,
become registered in France. You might find a "constructor of
individual houses",who are allowed to do all building and renovation
work except plumbing and electrics, but the requirements for this
category need building/engineering qualifications and suitable
management experience and most of them really do only build whole
houses.

So, if you are going to employ anyone, you have to decide whether to use
a registered builder on an unregistered one. Legally they should be
registered but in practice some, in my experience mostly English ones
but a couple of French, are not. You should be aware that it is an
offence to use an unregistered one and you as well as they would get in
trouble if you were caught. As always, there are advantages and
disadvantages.

If you are going to sell the house within 5-15 years you will be liable
for capital gains tax, on a sliding scale, so you will need builders
receipts for that. You will also need a 10 year guarantee certificate
which registered builders should provide. Someone mentioned VAT rates.
If you are buying materials yourself you will pay 19.6% TVA. Artisans
can, at the moment, charge 5% TVA on the whole job if they are doing the
work and supplying the materials, for renovation work on houses over a
certain age, not sure what. That system is due to end 'soon' but it has
been due to end soon for the past few years! There is much talk and fear
of it happening amongst the artisans but no one seems to know exactly
when it is to happen. If you are lucky enough to find a small builder
working as a micro-enterprise they will not have to charge TVA on the
labour but you will have to buy your own materials and pay the full TVA
on those. So the relative amounts of labour and materials involved could
make it more or less expensive overall, depending on the exact nature of
the work involved.

The advantage of using an unregistered builder is that you will not have
to pay TVA on the labour and it may be cheaper because they will be
working for cash, don't pay tax, social insurance etc. You are also more
likely to find someone English speaking if doing it all in French is a
problem for you. They may well also be available more quickly since
good builders tend to have alot of work ahead of them here.

I'm not sure that all that is very clear, but hope it helps.

A quick undisguised advert whilst I'm here. We have been in France, in
the Dordogne/Charente/Haute Vienne border area for three years, running
a small building company (registered!). We have just finished renovating
a gite/holiday home beside our house. Anyone interested in coming on
holiday please contact me by email. I'll also post details of our
website when it is online. If you are thinking of buying in this area,
wondering about moving to France, starting a business, getting children
into schools etc we could tell you a bit about it when you were here.

Holly
to email use holly1 then the at symbol then tiscali then dot then fr

On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 15:41:29 GMT, wrote:

I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming up trade?

Have a word with these guys http://www.buildersabroad.com/

Phil
The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/
Remove NOSPAM from address to email me

Phil Addison wrote in message
...
On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 15:41:29 GMT, wrote:

I've just seen a website that says that only registered builders are
allowed
to do building work in France. Is this true or is he just drumming
up trade?

Have a word with these guys http://www.buildersabroad.com/

Well! Thanks for that - I think :-) I discovered that they are charging
750 euro for something that we do as a favour! Also their prices, for
septic tanks at least, are higher than one would pay locally. Then
again they do say that they can do the work quickly so it might be worth
it for someone who is living without a septic tank and with no prospect
of getting one in the next six months or so.....

Interesting site though, and one that I will suggest to clients when we
can't help them.

Holly

Holly wrote in message
...

some waffle....all snipped

Not that I am attention seeking or anything, no no no, but is anybody
seeing my messages apart from me?!

TIA
Holly

On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 22:09:35 +0100, "Holly" wrote:


Holly wrote in message
...

some waffle....all snipped

Not that I am attention seeking or anything, no no no, but is anybody
seeing my messages apart from me?!

TIA
Holly

I can see them - maybe you have a slow ISP?


Replace 'spam' with 'org' to reply

"Holly" wrote in message
...

Holly wrote in message
...

some waffle....all snipped

Not that I am attention seeking or anything, no no no, but is anybody
seeing my messages apart from me?!

Yes. What sort of attention would you like ? :-)

G&M wrote in message

Holly wrote in message
....

some waffle....all snipped

Not that I am attention seeking or anything, no no no, but is
anybody seeing my messages apart from me?!

Yes. What sort of attention would you like ? :-)

LOL, what sort have you to offer? :-) I'm in the middle of acres of
varnishing atm, so just about anything would be acceptable if it gave me
an excuse for a break.

Seriously, thanks both posters for the replies. There had been a fair
amount of interest in the thread so I thought someone might have a
comment, that was all. Didn't like to think all that typing had
disappeared into the ether.....

Holly