LesFlamands

Unfotunately, employing someone with a valid Siret and insurance doesn't protect you from being robbed or poor quality work. If you are employing a builder you must, as you would in the UK, make some checks on the quality of his work and reputation. He must have a valid Siret and insurance - if you don't check this you are risking a heavy fine apart from all the other good reasons mentioned in other posts. In my experience, far to many people are looking for an instant solution to their property problems in France and will generally, employ the first person they come across without making any checks. Some are unaware of the rules and some are definately trying to avoid them. It has only recently become law that all advertising has to include a siret/RCS no. This was introduced as part of the campaign to clamp down on illegal workers especially in the building trade. Those who have been caught working illegally and those employing them have been severely punished by way of example. 

Ernie, in your situation the responsibility (including insurance) rests with the contractor that billed you for the work. If all works were invoiced by the main contractor and he paid his subbies then the responsibilty rest with him. It would be in the contractors own interest to ensure that his subbies were registered and insured, as he would need invoices from them to offset against his profit (unless you were paying cash for all or some of the work). This is a very difficult situation for those building for the British in France. The system is set up such that each Artisan has only one or two trades. On a French site the Macon may be appointed main contractor (if this was the main element of the works), he may also arrange for other trades to quote for their element but they would quote directly to the client and if the quote was accepted then they would bill the client directly.  Many British clients wish to have the works carried out in their absence and, as they would in the UK, expect to appoint a main contractor (single point of contact) who will either have a team of skilled employees ( which would be impossibly expensive from a social charges point of view) or will employ sub-contractors as required who would be registered and insured in their own right, but even so the main contractor has to be insured for all the trades for which he invoices his clients. There are a few French builders who employ skilled men but pay them less than 10 euros an hour as social charges virtually double this. With the minimum wage at 8 something this doesn't provide much scope. Someone I know is a macon with 10 years experience and works as a 'chef de chantier' for a local builder takes home 1250 Euros a month. I 'employ' a number of very skilled registered British tradesmen who are paid more but pay their own charges as they are all micro entreprises. At the end of the day, I still have to be competitive on price with French builders which means my sub-contractors earn much less than they would in the UK. 

I agree with all that. Some 'Artsans' are aware of the rules and sometime create false Siret numbers. You can check that a number is valid (for the services offered) by typing in the name at www.infobilan.com . You should also ask to see an 'attestation decennale' which will list the trades that the Artisan is covered for - major works only, don't expect to see plasterboarding and painting listed unless these are the only insured trades. This all applies to French native as well as Artisans of foreign origin. As regards publications such as Living France and French Property News (both published in the UK) they have always been pretty vague and unprofessional about the legalities in France. This is in their own interest as it generates greater advertising income.

How many square metres?

Try www.lapeyre.fr (shops in most big towns). They offer are wide range of good quality stuff. Prices are justifiably more than Brico Depot

It is the builders resposibility to comply with building regs.. He should have (by law) assurance decennale and should have given you a copy of the 'attestation decennale' when you accepted the quote - this will list the trades that are insured. In your case, I would say it is very important that you check the insurance for the electrical work as in the event of a fire if it can be found to be caused by an electrical fault you house insurance may not cover you. With regard to final finishing works, create a 'snagging' list and withhold final payment until everything is finished to your satisfaction. This can be tricky as some items are often overlooked in the initial contract and added on as extras during the course of the works. It would not be reasonable to withhold final payment on the main contract for unfinished extras.

It would be difficult to draw a line as to your responsibilities to your guests if your electrics do not conform to the current 'norms' in terms of protection. Earthing and RCDs should at the very least be sorted out. I would imagine an insurance company wouldn't pay in the event of a claim unless you could show that you had, at least, attempted to bring the installation up to standard. I understood that if I intervene at the fuseboard that I would or could risk becoming liable for the safety of the whole installation. It is quite easy for someone who doesn't know what they are doing to turn a relatively safe installation into a dangerous one in a couple of minutes especially if three phases are involved.

Friends of ours living in the UK would like to take a short break of 1 or 2 months from their jobs. She will be on maternity leave which is where the idea sprouted from. He is a carpenter and I would be happy to employ him, and he would enjoy the experience of working on French properties. He is employed by a medium sized company in England and whilst a key employee, I think they would agree to a short break. Does anyone know of any scheme whereby I could just carry on paying his UK wages, Paye and NI that, for example, we could set up with his existing employer. This sort of thing certainly goes on with teachers, university lecturers and British Aerospace engineers, so I can't see it would be too much of a problem with a carpenter.

I sent you a PM re. above a couple of days ago

I'm probably biased as I've had several GS models over the years. i now have a R1150GS and an R100GS (which we took overland to South Africa). Off Road on the 1150 would be, in my view, foolish. The newish 1200 GS is really very good if a little 'Japanese'. I've only tested it on road, but it feels light enough for off roading. Other makes in the same class (adventure touring, I think it is called) are OK. I wouldn't mind trying the Aprillia or Triumph just so that I can say I don't like them, based on fact. BTW, I love riding any bike but owning it and living with it is a different matter.

Will I'm insured with GAN who don't have a reputation for being the cheapest. I do have a lot of no claims, I suppose, but I am also considered to be 'experienced' by virtue of my age!

I see a lot of big bikes around here in the Dordogne, especially a lot of Harleys and other cruisers. I pay about 300 euros pa to insure my BMW 1150GS 'touts risques' which I don't think you could beat in the UK. With no road tax or CT I would say it is a lot cheaper to run a bike here than the UK, but then I am out of touch.

Villager stoves have both secondary combustion and an air wash facility to help keep the glass clear. The problem with using the air wash (as with all makes of stoves) is that the very low burn rate is affected and the heat output increased and, consequently, the the time between refills is reduced. The real solution for keeping the glass clear is to use very well seasoned timber but even then the glass will fog slightly when the stove is closed down , but should clear again when opened up. John and Di, I think we have trouble finding a stove with a genuinely larger output than 15kW, but I do agree with your comments re. inserts. The French love them but I've never come across one that produces much heat. 

Usual rate for floor and wall tiling is 30 to 40 Euros per square metre depending on the preparation required. It is usually more expensive for small areas as more cuts are needed (per sq.m.). The price should include glue and grout.

Motorcycles don't require a Control Technique and, as with cars, there is no road tax. The only essential is insurance, which I think, is a lot cheaper than the UK although I'm out of touch. No control Technique means that it can be a bit risky buying secondhand unless you really know what you are looking at. Mikes link is a company that does a quality inspection for 45 Euros which would probably be worth insisting upon, if you are buying privately.

[quote]Where do I find a registered 'handyman' - not even sure if this is classed as a profession? I'm not trying to bypass the system, or even get things cheaper, just we've tried all other avenues and fail...[/quote] Along with all the other things that have been said regarding registered labour, the system is designed to encourage you (the property owner0 to have the work done by insured, registered tradesmen in the hope that it is done properly to a decent standard. The state doesn't want to encourage you to carry out extensive building works using black labour. In Holland (for example) you are not allowed to even paint your own house and it has been rumoured that similar laws may come in in France. Artisans are continually complaining about the level of social charges they have to pay. At the end of 2005 when the incentive rate of TVA is suppossed to finish, the current building boom will slow down and the goverment will, once again, be under pressure from Artisans to reduce the number of illegal workers.

There are two main types of woodburning stove - a metal box to burn wood in or a  stove which allows you to control the rate of burn but also, by design, controls the rate of heat output to the room by virtue of its mass. Low cost stoves from Bricos are very poor quality. Most have no seals and those that do don't work well. If you can't control the rate of burn then you have no control over the heat output but also you are continuously feeding the fire just to keep the chimney warm. A well designed stove should require refilling once every four hours at half output ( dampers half open). Good quality dry wood is essential. If a stove will not 'stay in' overnight it is worse than useless. There are many good stoves available such as Jotul, Vermont Castings, Charnwood, Villager, Clearview. Jotul and Vermont Castings are very expensive. Other makes, your choice will depend on price and availability in France. Getting the stove fitted by the supplier can reduce the TVA payable to 5.5%.

I have a few employees on the books but most my 'employees' are sub contractors who are registered as micro entreprises. Employment costs are unbelievable. They can only work 35 hours a week and get 5 weeks paid holiday. I make payments to Urssaf, Assedic, caisse conges paye and Pro BTP which amount to about the same as the wages. I know the building trade is supposed the most expensive but it seem to me that the only person who suffers is the employee as wages are insufficient to live on. A French colleague pays one of his 'chef de chantier' with 10 years experience, 1300 euros a month 'brut' so his net pay will be about 12% less. Amazingly, both he and his employee think this is a good wage.

Airflex is a brand name for a reflective foil insulation product. I think he must be suggesting this in place of roofing felt (ecran sous toiture) which would be the 262.97 euros. Airflex ia about 11 euros per square metre so 69 square metres would be around 760 euros.

Steven Nixon and others have missed my point entirely. the French plumbing systems ( central heating and sanitary) are completely different from the UK. Some of the materials used to install these systems are necessary to allow them to work correctly. The two posts above give very good reasons for sticking with the French materials. One house I worked on recently had been renovated by Brits. over several years. The new English owners contacted me to make some changes and improvements. The 6 KW immersion heater could not be used with anything else turned on so the tariff had to be increased. This lead to moving the point of entry of the supply so the meter could be relocated to the barn instead of the kitchen wall. This would need a certificate of Consuel. Of course, the whole house had been wired in Twin and earth and used single pole circuit breakers so the whole place had to be rewired. One thing leads to another and the whole job became very involved incuding changing the hot water cylinder and central heating boiler. Then, to cap it all, when the house was empty last winter with the CH on tickover the cold water storage tank burst and a lot of the 15mm pipe (thinner walled than the French copper) and joints ( soldered) burst in the attic.

[quote]LesFlambards - since when did you decide what this forum is for and how it should be used? And what gives you the right to tell people where they should or should not renovate. This forum is for exc...[/quote] I assume you are talking to me. I am quite entitled to my opinion and to express my views here. You may find my views irritating but I am equally irritated endless tribes of Brits. trying to plumb up there house using parts from B&Q. As has been pointed out by a number of posters on this thread French and UK plumbing systems are completely different and, in my opinion, the French system is vastly superior. If you are going to renovate a property here please take the time to find how it should be done and where to source the materials locally.  

It is very difficult for the French to escape the system completely as they have a social security number and are therefore 'pigeon holed' into employed, self employed or unemployed. Inevitably, as in the UK, there are those that sign on and work for cash. It is generally accepted in France that teachers give lessons outside school and gardeners do a bit of grass cutting as a cash sideline. There are, however, too many Brits. (and Dutch) who turn up here and think it's some kind of free-for-all. Working on the black puts the employer at risk on three counts: 1. If there is an accident on site the employer could be liable. 2. There is no invoice for the work, therefore no guarantee and nothing to put against capital gains tax in the event of sale. 3. The employer is at risk of prosecution for not checking the credentials of the employee. If, as the employer, you can show you were mislead ( eg photocopies of false papers) then it is unlikely that the Gendarmes will take it further. I would be quite happy to shop someone I knew to be working entirely illegally, but I've never had to, because the local French Artisan get there first.

Is there an existing septic tank or do you have mains drains? Admittance valve is fine but there is also supposed to be a secondary vent for a septic tank (after the tank). Most PVC fittings and pipe are available from most builders merchants. You may need a plumbers merchant to source the Durgo valve.

A first attempt to verify whether someone is registered can be made by entering their name on www.infobilan.com . If they come up click on their name as there is sometimes further information available. There is no substitute for checking on previous work and clients and checking all the relevant paperwork (decennale, responsibile civile and carte d'identification). If someone has been working illegally then the investigation will focus on the back tax and social charges due. The employer is only normally prosecuted if they have gone out of their way to find someone 'on the black'.

Lauzes roofs in the Dordogne are stone. The few that I have looked at have no boarding but each row of Lauze are 'clamped' in place using a hazel or poplar strap. It is considered very specialised work here and the last time I got a price from someone ( 1996 ) I think it was about 1500 Francs/sq.metre plus materials. Grants are available here for this sort of thing.