How we vet our partner contractors

The referrals we make to homeowners carry our name. If a contractor we introduced turns out to be unreliable, that's on us. So the vetting process matters, and it's worth being transparent about what it involves. This page explains what we check, why we check it, and what we don't claim to guarantee.

Garantie décennale: the non-negotiable starting point

Every contractor we work with must hold a current garantie décennale: the 10-year liability insurance that covers installation defects in France. This is a legal requirement for any contractor carrying out construction or installation work, but in practice it lapses, gets overlooked, or isn't held at all by some operators.

We ask for the attestation de garantie décennale before any referrals are made. We check that it's current, that it covers the type of work being done, and that the insured entity matches the company on the quote. We re-check it when it comes up for renewal. A contractor who can't or won't provide this document doesn't make it into our pool.

RGE certification: verified against the official register

For energy renovation work that homeowners may claim MaPrimeRénov' or CEE subsidies on, the installer must hold the relevant RGE qualification: QualiPAC for heat pumps, QualiPV for solar, QualiSol for solar thermal, QualiBAT for insulation. We verify this directly on the France Rénov' register at france-renov.gouv.fr, not by taking the contractor's word for it.

RGE certifications are issued per qualification type and per work category. A contractor certified for heat pumps is not automatically certified for solar. We only refer contractors for work within the scope of their current certification. We also check expiry dates: a certification that lapses between a referral and the work being done can void the client's subsidy claim, and we've seen this happen.

For EV charging installations, we verify IRVE certification through the QUALIFELEC register. For general electrical work, Qualibat or equivalent. Each work type has its own check.

English capability: a direct conversation, not self-certification

We don't ask contractors to rate their own English on a scale. We have a call with them. The threshold we're looking for is: can you take a clear brief from an English-speaking homeowner, confirm you've understood it, and write a devis that describes the work accurately enough for the client to understand what they're agreeing to?

Perfect English isn't the bar. The bar is functional communication. Some contractors have excellent English from years of working with international clients. Others communicate through a mix of English and translated documents with a bilingual colleague handling the calls. Both work. What doesn't work is a contractor who routinely miscommunicates with clients about what was agreed and what was delivered.

Written devis as standard: no exceptions

Every job we refer must result in a proper written devis before any work begins. This is a legal requirement in France for work above a certain threshold, but it's also basic professional practice. We won't refer a contractor who gives verbal quotes, and we tell clients to treat the absence of a written quote as a reason to stop the conversation.

We also tell contractors we work with what a good devis should contain for expat clients: the work description in enough detail to be understood, the materials and brands specified, the timeline, the total price including TVA, the applicable TVA rate, certification references, and payment terms. The devis glossary entry on this site covers what to look for in a quote.

References: specifically from expat or second-home clients

Working well with a French-speaking local homeowner and working well with an English-speaking owner managing a renovation remotely are different things. We ask for references from clients in similar situations to ours, and we follow up on them. The specific questions: did the work match the devis? Were there unexpected costs, and if so, were they communicated before rather than after? Was the contractor reachable during and after the job?

A contractor who has done excellent work for French local clients but has no experience managing the communication and administrative aspects of working with expats isn't necessarily a bad contractor. But we're honest about where our clients' needs fit.

How we stay in the loop after a referral

We ask clients to let us know how a referred job went. Not every client does, but enough do that we build up a picture over time. A contractor who starts generating complaints doesn't stay in our pool.

We don't manage jobs after the introduction is made. The contract is between the client and the contractor, and we're not party to it. What we do is stay available: if a client contacts us with a problem and needs help navigating a dispute or finding an alternative, we'll do what we can. We don't simply pass introductions and disappear.

What we don't claim

We don't guarantee that every project will go perfectly. Construction work involves variables outside anyone's control: site conditions, lead times, subcontractors. Even good contractors have bad runs. We vet for integrity, competence, and professionalism, but we can't guarantee outcomes.

We also don't claim to have vetted every contractor in PACA. Our pool is deliberately small. We'd rather refer you to one contractor we know well than to five we've barely checked. If we don't have a suitable partner for your specific situation, we'll tell you that directly rather than making an unsuitable referral.

Are you a contractor?

If you work in heating, cooling, solar, or electrical in departments 06 or 83 and you'd like to be considered for our partner pool, read about how it works for contractors.