Renovating your home: finding a good tradesperson in 4 steps

Your new property purchase has enormous potential that you want to realise to the highest standards. To achieve this, surrounding yourself with reputable companies is essential, particularly for work that is best not attempted yourself for insurance purposes: windows and roofs in particular will benefit from being covered by a 10-year structural guarantee. Electrical work, plumbing and tiling, for example, are also not within everyone’s capabilities. Regardless of the scale of the work, an efficient and attentive tradesperson will be key to the success of your renovation. Here is some advice on how to choose well.

Checking company reliability

During your search and even before requesting a quote, several steps are necessary. The first concerns the tradesperson’s stability and their ability to meet your needs. Ensure that the company in question has reassuring basic characteristics. Several questions need to be asked, which can be answered in a few minutes online:

• How long has the tradesperson been established?
• Is the SIRET number listed on business directories such as societe.com or Yellow Pages?
• Does the tradesperson’s website, if they have one, show past projects that give an idea of the quality of their work?
• Is the tradesperson’s general reputation good online? However, be aware that dissatisfied customers tend to communicate more than the – presumably – more numerous satisfied customers.

Once these points have been validated, you are ready to dig deeper, with the aim of confirming whether the company is suitable for your specific project.

Checking skills and certifications

A tradesperson’s certifications are guarantees of quality. There are many that validate specific skills across the different building trades. For example, you will find the Qualitoit label and Qualibat certification available to roofers, the ENR qualification for installations using renewable energies, the various certifications from the Qualifelec label, and so on.

The most important certification, however, found across all building trades, is undoubtedly the RGE certification, standing for “recognised guarantor of the environment”. Using an RGE-certified tradesperson will give you access to grants from the My Prime Rénov’ scheme, which replaces the energy transition tax credit (CITE) and grants from the national housing agency (Anah). To determine the financial grant you may be entitled to and find the right contacts, the government has set up an online simulation platform.

To supplement your information on the tradesperson’s proven skills and ensure their professionalism, do not hesitate, when dealing with a local company, to make enquiries with local institutions. The town hall, estate agents and DIY stores are all places where you will find people able to recommend the best local tradespeople.

Obtaining several quality quotes

The next step is to contact the selected companies to obtain a quote. It is advisable to request at least three, enabling you to compare prices and the level of service offered. You will then be able to get a clear picture of the market, technical possibilities and completion timescales. Be as precise as possible and do not omit any of your requirements and subsidiary constraints: the tradesperson will be better able to respond to you as a result.

This initial contact is crucial on several levels. Firstly, communication with the tradesperson (and their employees) must be smooth and friendly, otherwise you may struggle to make your expectations understood later. This is mainly a feeling, but it proves important. Secondly, the response time to your request will show the tradesperson’s motivation for your project. A quote may be provided in under three days or take over a month to arrive, which is not very encouraging.

Finally, the quote must be clear, precisely defining the scope of the company’s work and the costs associated with each item. Completion dates must be indicated so that signing the quote commits the tradesperson to meeting them.

Securing a safe contract

Your choice is made, and the tradesperson sends you their final contract. Again, caution is advised on several points. Starting with the (mandatory) insurance policies taken out by the tradesperson, for which we recommend you request a certificate to cover you during the works and in the years to come. We can list:

• the 10-year structural guarantee, covering damage or defects found on the building (structural work only) for 10 years;
• professional liability insurance, protecting against any failure on the part of the tradesperson;
• the guarantee of proper completion, taken out for one year following acceptance of the works and covering defects in conformity with the original order;
• the delivery timescale guarantee, which may enable you to receive compensation if timescales are not met.

You can also check whether your tradesperson commits to complying with DTU rules (Documents Techniques Unifiés – Unified Technical Documents). Purchasing these is not mandatory; they are regularly updated French standards ensuring the proper progress of works for each building trade. The DTU documents include the technical specifications for implementation, the special specifications for the scope of work (essential particularly when several trades are involved) and the calculation rules for sizing structures. A company adhering to these rules is reassuring.

Finally, check the payment terms set out in the contract. Payment of the balance on completion of the works (at least 30%) ensures you do not see your project suddenly abandoned, and gives you leverage over the tradesperson in the event of poor execution of the works.

As you will have gathered, to choose a tradesperson well, it is necessary not to rush into signing a contract. Beyond administrative and technical checks, make the most of the tradesperson’s expertise when they visit you: they may be able to help evolve your project for improved quality or reduced cost. Once again, the personal rapport will be decisive in finalising your choice.