Accepting a building estimate : Renovation in France

Getting and Accepting Quotes (devis) in France

Introduction : Making a list of artisans : Getting a quote : Accepting a quote : Payments and price changes

See HERE for a list of what specific things to check for in a devis

Quotes should be accepted in writing. Even if your 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 possible.

You can try adding a clause that your accepting the quote is conditional on a certain start or completion date but I doubt if it will help you much. Even if the dates 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 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.

I recently received a query from someone who had paid a 25% deposit on a new roof, with work to start in a month or two. They had now decided not to proceed with the work for various reasons. In this case the situation was unavoidable, but generally try and be sure that you only accept a quote, whether or not you pay a deposit, if you are absolutely sure you want to proceed with the work. Otherwise you could potentially create a difficult situation, if the workers involved have bought materials, postponed other work and so on to fit your work in.

Don't sign up for work unless you have the money to pay for it! I know of someone who borrowed the money to renovate a gite (from a bank). The gite didn't generate enough income to pay the loan, and the bank are forcing a sale of the property.

Keep a copy of the letter you sent accepting the devis. See HERE regarding up-front payments.