Decennale insurance in France — your mandatory 10-year builder's cover
DigiCare is an independent, English-speaking broker placing garantie décennale (decennial liability insurance) for builders in France — French and foreign firms alike. We explain the rules in plain English and get you the attestation your client needs.
JAEG 2026
€77,400
GKV base rate
14.6%
Familienversicherung
€565/mo
Independent broker registered with ORIAS
Supervised by the ACPR (Banque de France)
English-speaking advisers for foreign builders
Attestation before your chantier opens
What is garantie décennale? (decennial liability insurance, explained in English)
It is the cornerstone of French construction law. The cover answers for any defect that threatens the solidité de l'ouvrage (structural soundness) or makes the building impropre à destination (unfit for its purpose). Whether décennale is compulsory is the next question most builders ask, and the answer is yes for almost everyone.
Garantie décennale (decennial liability insurance) is France's compulsory ten-year cover that makes a builder liable for serious defects in work they have done. The 10 years run from the day after the réception des travaux (acceptance of works), not from when the job finishes or is invoiced.
- Duration10 years, fixed
- StartsDay after the réception des travaux PV is signed
- Legal basisLoi Spinetta 1978 / Code civil art. 1792
- CoversStructural soundness + unfit-for-purpose defects
Source: service-public.gouv.fr (F2034)
Is décennale insurance compulsory in France?
Yes. Décennale is legally compulsory for almost every construction professional working in France. The loi Spinetta (n°78-12 of 1978) and Code civil art. 1792 create a presumption of liability against the builder; the Code des assurances (L241-1 and L241-2) then makes insuring it mandatory.
The legal chain
- Loi Spinetta 1978 (n°78-12) — founds the construction-insurance regime.
- Code civil art. 1792 — presumes the builder liable for ten years.
- Code des assurances L241-1 / L241-2 — makes holding décennale compulsory.
- Code des assurances L243-3 — sets the penalty for going without it.
Building without cover is a criminal offence; see what happens if you build without it.
You must hand your client an attestation décennale before the chantier opens. Many trades also need professional indemnity insurance (RC Pro) alongside it.
As good practice, building professionals are expected to show their décennale insurance on devis (quotes) and invoices. Treat this as regulatory practice rather than settled law, and confirm the current wording before publishing.
Who needs décennale — including foreign builders and auto-entrepreneurs?
Anyone working as a construction or renovation professional in France needs décennale, French or foreign alike. A foreign UK or Irish builder on French soil is as subject as a local firm, and so is an auto-entrepreneur.
Subject to décennale
- Building firms and entrepreneurs (general and trade contractors)
- Artisans across every trade band
- Auto-/micro-entrepreneurs in the BTP, fully subject; no micro regime exempts you
- Foreign / non-French builders working on French soil
- Architects, maîtres d'œuvre and bureaux d'études (design offices)
- CMI builders and developers (deemed builders, constructeurs réputés)
A sous-traitant has no direct legal duty to hold décennale (no contract with the maître d'ouvrage) but keeps a ten-year contractual liability to the main firm, and is usually required to insure anyway.
The maître d'ouvrage (project owner) does not buy décennale. They may take out dommages-ouvrage instead; see décennale vs dommages-ouvrage.
Décennale is roughly comparable to a UK latent-defects guarantee, but it is a French legal liability, not a substitute product. Trades that also advise often pair it with RC Pro.
When does the 10-year cover start — and how long does it last?
The single point English speakers get wrong: the ten years start the day after the procès-verbal de réception des travaux is signed (acceptance of works), not at completion or invoice.
- Year 0
Réception des travaux: the acceptance PV is signed; the clock starts the next day.
- Year 1
Garantie de parfait achèvement: the builder fixes any reported defects (a legal duty, not insurance).
- Year 2
Garantie biennale: working order of detachable equipment.
- Year 10
Décennale ends: the fixed ten-year liability period closes.
The period is fixed at ten years and cannot be shortened. Cover follows the building, protecting successive owners within that decade. Take cover before work starts and prove it with the attestation.
What does décennale cover (and what it doesn't)?
Décennale answers for the serious defects French law presumes the builder responsible for. It is not a catch-all repair warranty.
What's covered
- Defects affecting solidité de l'ouvrage (structural soundness)
- Defects making the building impropre à destination (unfit for purpose)
- Éléments d'équipement indissociables (embedded / indivisible equipment)
- Damage that emerges within the ten-year period
What's not covered
- Cosmetic or minor defects (surface cracks, paintwork)
- Normal wear and lack of maintenance
- Fraud or intentional damage
- Force majeure and undeclared activities
Claims-made basis: Décennale is not RC Pro (professional civil liability), which covers in-progress damage on a separate term; trades usually carry both. The garantie biennale (two-year working order) and garantie de parfait achèvement (year one) sit alongside décennale but are separate guarantees. Source: service-public.gouv.fr (F2034).
How to get décennale insurance in France (and the attestation)
Getting covered is straightforward once your business is registered.
Gather your details
Your SIRET / SIREN number, declared trades and turnover. You need a registered business to be quoted.
Declare every activity
List each trade, so there are no cover gaps if a claim touches one you forgot to mention.
Take cover before you start
Your policy must be live before the chantier opens.
Receive your attestation décennale
The proof document. Attach it to your devis and invoices, and give it to the maître d'ouvrage before work begins.
The attestation is what clients and notaires verify; without it you cannot legally begin. DigiCare's English-speaking advisers place your décennale with a specialist French insurer at a premium matched to your trade band. French-fluent users can use the fr-FR décennale quote page.
What happens if you build without décennale insurance?
Building without compulsory décennale is a criminal offence. Under Code des assurances art. L243-3 it carries a penalty of up to €75,000 and/or 6 months' imprisonment. The figure is a maximum, not a fixed fine.
The criminal penalty is rarely the worst part. Without cover you stay personally liable for ten years of repair costs that can bankrupt the business. Clients and notaires also refuse to engage you without a valid attestation, so in practice you cannot win work.
The criminal sanction does not reach a private individual building a home for themselves or close family, nor public bodies. Everyone trading as a builder is caught.
How much does décennale insurance cost in France?
There is no single price. Décennale premiums are quoted per trade; the figures below are indicative ranges for a new business with modest turnover in 2026, not fixed quotes.
- Electrician~€750/yr
- Painter~€800–1,214/yr
- Plasterer~€780–2,440/yr
- Plumber / heating~€1,300/yr
- Tiler~€1,350/yr
- Mason / structural~€2,200–3,734/yr
- Waterproofer~€5,000/yr
What drives your premium
- Declared trade and its risk band (structural work costs most)
- Annual turnover
- Years of experience and the firm's track record
- Optional cover added (RC Pro, protection juridique)
- Claims history
Expect a franchise (excess) on a claim, often around 10% of the indemnity.
These are indicative 2026 ranges, not offers. Premiums move with your trade, turnover and history. Get a personalised quote.
Chapter VI
Décennale insurance FAQ
- What is garantie décennale in English?
- Decennial liability insurance: France's mandatory ten-year cover making a builder liable for serious defects in their work, running from the réception des travaux (acceptance of works).
- Do foreign (UK/Irish) builders working in France need décennale?
- Yes. Any company, French or foreign, doing construction on French soil is subject. The UK latent-defects guarantee is a rough equivalent, not a substitute.
- Does an auto-entrepreneur need décennale?
- Yes. Auto-/micro-entrepreneurs in the BTP are fully subject and must hold cover before any chantier opens. No micro regime exempts them.
- What is the difference between décennale and dommages-ouvrage?
- Décennale is the builder's policy for their 10-year liability. Dommages-ouvrage is the client's policy that pre-finances repairs without proving fault, then recovers from the builder's insurer.
- Are foreign builders subject to the same penalty for working without décennale?
- Yes. A foreign firm on French soil faces the same exposure as a French one: ten years of repair liability, and clients won't engage you without a valid attestation. Self-builders of a personal or family home are exempt from the criminal sanction under C. assur. L243-3.
- When do the 10 years start?
- The day after the procès-verbal de réception des travaux is signed (acceptance), not at completion or invoice. The period is fixed and cannot be shortened.
- How much does décennale cost?
- Indicative ranges run from about €750/yr for an electrician to about €5,000/yr for a waterproofer, driven by trade risk band, turnover and experience. Get a personalised quote.
DigiCare is an independent insurance broker registered with ORIAS and supervised by the ACPR (Banque de France) under the French Insurance Code (art. L511-1).
- · Disputes may be referred to the Médiateur de l'assurance (mediateur-assurance.fr).
Get your décennale quote
Talk to an English-speaking décennale specialist and get the attestation your client needs. Prefer French? Continue in French.