Permis de Construire

There are a couple of different options when it comes to planning permission for renovations in France:

1. Déclaration Préalable: for minor works

2. Permis de Construire: planning application for a building permit (an architect must submit the application)

As the changes planned on my house were over a certain size, a Permis de Construire was necessary and that would take up to 3 months to be approved. Although this was a further delay, it gave me time to think about getting some different quotes in for the project as I didn't want to rely on only having one (I had received a new quote from the builder for the revised project and it had increased quite significantly from the first quote so getting some further quotes seemed like the only sensible option at this point).

Along with submitting the Permis de Construire to the Mairie, I also had to sign a separate form confirming that I would be responsible for thermal regulations during the renovation. I didn't feel very comfortable with this, however there was no other option if I wanted to get planning permission. The builder who offered to manage the renovation would be able to deal with this, however ultimately I was responsible and after some further research I found out I would need a certificate at the end of the renovation to confirm the regulations had been met. Regulations I had no idea about and no wish to learn about.

At this point I started to question how I wanted to work throughout the final phase (phase 3) of the project. I trusted the local builder would do a good job, however the price increase had made me nervous and there was no formal contract which made me even more nervous. He planned to use a team of professionals/companies for the different parts of the renovation, which included:

• Plastering/ceilings/insulation/painting

• Plumbing

• Electricity

• Asbestos removal

• Groundworks

• Reversible air con

• Windows & shutters

• Skylights

• Flooring & bathroom tiles

• Doors & wardrobes

• Toilets, showers, taps, sinks

• Rendering

I received all of these 12 quotes separately (and in French) along with the builders quote and had to try to make sense of them myself. This was not an easy task and as much as I really liked the builder, this felt overwhelming and I wanted to sign one contract for the entire job rather than engage separately with all of these different professionals/companies.

Due to the fact the second architect had come on board part way through the project, and was only involved in Phase 2, things were now a little complicated as I didn't know the best way to get any further quotes. If I had chosen to work with the same architect throughout the entire project, I'm sure things would have been easier and I would have had a contract with the architect to cover me from the beginning. With hindsight, I should have negotiated a fixed rate with the architect from the start and had a contract drawn up before we began phase 1. However hindsight's a wonderful thing as the saying goes.

During this confusion about the way forward, the good news was that the Mairie approved the Permis de Construire. This was definitely a reason to celebrate, and it also focused my thoughts on what to do next.