Identify who contracts and who carries out the work
List the company signing each contract, designers, coordinators and announced installers. Match legal identity and work descriptions to the supplied documents. A network brand does not identify every contracting party. Ask how documents will be updated if an intervening company changes. Keep the contract structure understandable before discussing a general statement that the project is insured.
Examine the contractor’s insurance document
Compare insured activities with the actual work and check the document for the planned site opening. Seek insurer confirmation where the activity or method is unclear. Do not assume that an insurance certificate covers every finish defect or every operation a company offers. The official French reference explains the scope and conditions of décennale insurance.
Discuss the owner’s insurance before work begins
Dommages-ouvrage and the contractor’s insurance are different arrangements. Present the actual construction or renovation project to the relevant insurer early enough to clarify what applies before opening the site. This guide does not determine an exemption or the terms of a policy for an individual project. Use the official guidance and obtain a project-specific answer.
Keep handover and guarantee information together
Retain the dated handover record, reservations and evidence of correction alongside insurance and contract documents. The different guarantees have different scopes and procedures. Do not treat the presence of one policy as a replacement for the contract, inspection or other applicable steps. Check the current official reference when preparing a claim.
Prepare a usable file if a problem occurs
Keep accepted quotations, changes, invoices, product records and correspondence organised by company and work package. Record the location and circumstances of damage without altering useful evidence unnecessarily. Contact the appropriate party and check the applicable notification process promptly. This documentary method supports a discussion; it does not predict whether an insurer will accept a claim.
Your preparation checklist
- Contracting parties identified.
- Work matched to insurance activities.
- Timing and document validity examined.
- Owner’s insurance question raised before work.
- Handover and correction records retained.
- Claim-related documents kept identifiable.
Questions before you commit
Does RGE replace insurance?
No. A qualification and an insurance policy have different purposes. Verify the relevant documents separately.
Does insurance cover every visible defect?
Coverage depends on the policy, applicable rules and nature of the damage. Do not assume universal coverage from the word insured.
Sources and the scope of this guide
This English guide covers the same project need as its French counterpart, with an editorial explanation in English. It is not a professional survey or a translation of foreign rules to France. Check current official requirements and the documents applying to your building and contract.
French reference: Service Public : garantie décennale
French reference: Service Public : dommages-ouvrage
French reference: Service Public : garanties après réception