Hello. Can anyone on this forum please tell me if exterior painters require insurance and/or the 10-year guarantee? Unfortunately, I signed a devis for a painter to clean and then repair the exterior of my house. The cleaning was completed but they kept asking for more money. When I asked if they have insurance or 10-year guarantee, the owner said insurance was not obligatory for painters. I subsequently checked online and this *may be true for interior painters but not exterior. I asked him for reimbursement between the 30% I paid for the entire job (cleaning and repair/paint of the exterior) and the cleaning only, which was the completed job. He hung up on me.
Well one thing you have written suggests that yes he should be insured because he is going to do repairs to a structure. The Deçenelle insurance should be in place for all artisans who work on client’s properties as this not only covers them for damage and injury whilst up ladders etc but also the client. You can ring the local Chambre des Mètiers and just check with them but I have a feeling he should be insured and it should also mention his insurance company on his official printed devis which you should have a copy of and you have signed your name accepting it plus “Lu et accepté” and dated so its a legally binding document. The artisan cannot just ask for more money to continue the job without an official reason and paperwork which makes me suspect they are just chancers to be honest. If it gets heated, report them to URSSAF and L’Inspecteur de Travail who will check them out and do the ncessary on your behalf. I should warn you though if the artisan is not registered with the obligatory SIRET number and relevent TVA number, you could also be in trouble for paying them as they are basically working on the black. I’m not suggesting this one is but making you aware of the facts from someone who had a registered business here for 20 years.
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I can’t remember the exact wording but paint and exterior finishes guarantee en bon état 10 yrs exterior finishings windows doors shutters 2 years en bon état
Thank you for your insights on the situation. I agree that I believe the exterior painter should have insurance. I would like to know where in the French regulations I could reference.
He said he would purchase insurance for my job only, but he did not mention the 10 year guarantee. When I said that I wasn’t going to continue with his work, he said he would provide me with a 10 year guarantee. I looked up the SIRET number and Some of the information is blocked. It looks like the Company he informed was in 2022, so he has not even been in business for 10 years.
I think it’s only fair that he refunded the portion of the deposit that I paid for the work that he is not going to complete. He is clearly, at least in my mind, not operating under the French regulations for Insurance.
You take out Deçenelle Insurance the day you become a SIRET registered company as you can’t operate without it and it must be marked on all the printed paperwork too! You can’t just purchase it when and as you like, its a yearly renewable insurance and based on your actual metier(s). I think CAPEB the national builder/artisan’s confederation can confirm what you want to know or as I said, the local Chambre de Mètiers where he has to be registered anyway.
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The consequences of not having decenale insurance are very serious.
TBH I’d walk away and get a new quote from somebody else for the painting taking care to find the insurance info on the new quote.
This guy sounda like he’s struggling and I’d have some sympathy with that but would think it best to agree with him in writing you are no longer bound by the quote accepted and no further monies will be paid. Life’s too.short to spend your time heaping further miseries on him just move forward.
Thank you! I agree totally. Loss of a few hundred euros for the entire house facade and structure isn’t worth it. I am going to send a certified letter stating that due to lack of insurance or guarantee, I will no longer continue to use his services. I am going to request reimbursement for the difference between completed work and the deposit, but I doubt I’ll get it back.
If you threaten him with URSSAF/L’Inspecteur de Travail/Impôts etc you might as it would scare him into paying up not wanting any trouble and the authorities will go through his accounts etc so he may have things to hide like working on the black and not paying any social charges.
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Would be my suggestion also 