General builder/ renovator in the Beziers area - English Speaking/ nice person to do a quick DIY fix

Hi, I’m looking for the above. I’ve got quite significant work to undertake at my house over time, but also the odd rescue job and right now it’s the leaky terrace that no one else yet has been able to resolve. I need someone I can talk to who will work with me on it. I think there is a solution, but the job is urgent. Please contact me if you think you could help.

Actually, first off, I just need a DIY job done that I would do if I was there and remove (sand) some bitument paint I put on when there, which has made the problem worse. So anyone living in the area that would be willing to help do that first little thing would be soooooo very much appreciated!!!

Thank you, Sarah

Technically speaking Sarah, your problem is that DIY means do it yourself, ie no money changes hands, but you are asking for another person to do a job for you and presumably money would change hands.

In France, only qualified, registered and insured artisans are allowed to do paid building work for clients. And professional artisans don’t do quick fixes because they have to deliver work to professional standards, because by law all their work has to be guaranteed and covered by insurance. It’s a bit different from the UK, the regulations are a lot tighter.

I’m sure you will find someone to help, but I think you need to be aware that if you use a cowboy working “on the black” you’ll be putting yourself in a grey area where you won’t have any comeback, legally speaking, if somebody unscrupulous tries to take advantage of you. Which does happen, so please be careful.

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Thanks Anna. I’ve had so many problems, you wouldn’t believe it and this is potentially a very small (2-3 hrs) piece of work that no one really wants to know about. It’s so frustrating. I put some bitumen paint around the drain hole in October thinking it could only help, but actually it’s made it worse, so that just needs to be sanded off like yesterday. The beauty of trial and error however is that it has revealed where the water is coming from and so there is a potentially a solution that doesn’t involve pulling the whole terrace up and redoing it (which isn’t even practical this time of year). We’ve already done the dodgy builder - who said the laying of the terrace was covered by the 10 year guarantee and now seemingly that’s a no go. So no, I don’t want someone else who seems to be correct and knows what he’s talking about, but who turns out not to be. Trying to find someone to do a small, but significant job properly however is really hard! My last paragraph was was probably very silly, but it was just seeking a neighbourly gesture from an ex-pat to go and sand the paint off for me. It’s about 6 inches square minus the drainpipe hole, so about 15 mins work to rescue someone with a problem they just can’t get to until the right builder is found. Daft yes, but you never know unless you put it out there! All the best, Sarah

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Tiny jobs just aren’t economical for a real builder. They can’t charge much, so it doesn’t cover their costs/transport/materials and the like for coming to look at it, and then coming back to do it. You might have better luck with a neighbour.

If you have a major piece of work that needs doimg, then getting a proper builder to price it up and make a contract with them might end up with them doing a few little bits as add-ons.

Was your dodgy builder a french builder? As you do have come back on them if they did the wrong thing.