You can have as many as you like
Yes but “auto construction” is not something you declare… it’s more like a state of things. Basically if you are not paying anyone for this then this is, by definition, a job made by yourself and/or friends/family. It’s not insurable but it’s not illegal to do this of course.
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Yes, technically, when the work is done by one individual (without the assistance of a pro builder) this is always auto construction but that term is never used for say changing an electrical outlet. As you’ve said, you’d only use that terminology when filing an official request to the mairie (for example).
What I never figured out was whether you can still have 8 sockets on a 2.5mm2 cable if you have chosen to fit a 16A breaker rather than a 20A breaker.
As far as I can tell there is no interdiction to fitting a smaller breaker and for the most part I was non too comfortable with the breaker having a higher rating than the sockets (actually an equal or higher concern is the lack of a fuse in the French plugs and therefore no protection for the flex - to be properly safe all appliance flexes should be at least 1.5mm2 which is never going to be the case).
Obviously a 16A breaker is safe with 8 sockets and 2.5mm2 cable, it would also be safe (or at any rate within normes) if someone later installed a 20A breaker so I assume it would be OK but could never find any discussion of whether you had to limit it to 5 sockets.
That said I’m not sure what the most on each circuit was chez moi without going and checking (difficult at present) - I know one of the kitchen circuits was more than 5 but that had a 20A breaker given the expectation of more than one high current appliance connected simultaneously.
Paul,
I’ve just checked the NF 15-100 was amended around 2017 concerning sockets / wiring
Pour la sécurité de votre installation et de vos équipements électriques, les prises de courant de votre logement doivent être protégées par un ou plusieurs disjoncteur(s) divisionnaire(s). En bref, la norme NF C 15-100 limite à :
8 prises électriques protégées par un même disjoncteur divisionnaire de 16A maximum, avec un câble de section 1,5mm² minimum,
12 prises électriques pour un même disjoncteur divisionnaire de 20A maximum, avec un câble de section 2,5mm² minimum.
6 prises électriques pour un même disjoncteur divisionnaire de 20A maximum, avec un câble de section 2,5mm² minimum dans la cuisine non spécialisé (so not for ovens washing machine etc)
You can buy 20a sockets
Which I’d read as 12 sockets OK even if the breaker is less than 20A
There are 32A ones as well, I guess you’d use one for an induction hob (mine’s on a sortie de cable though) or, these days, EV charger.
I’ve got over 28 in the kitchen and a mere 12 in the utility room.
We like a socket at SF Towers!
No Regs here. Just do it yourself. I have an all runs perfectly
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Same here! We still never seem to have enough! I like lamps plugged in (we currently don’t have enough windows), plus phones, chargers, computers etc it is crazy how many you end up needing!
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You can never have too many!
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I remember when dh started going over the electrics in here (they were pretty dire - and ugly - they had used the stick on the wall stuff everywhere) and we read the 6 socket thing for bedrooms and dh thought that was OTT - when I pointed out that we both use a bedside lamp and charger and then I wanted another for the vacuum (who wants to go climbing under the bed and unplugging stuff just to plug the vac’ in) and sometimes a fan etc he soon changed his tune!
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Hmm, I know the old sage about books and covers but any book which purports to be about mains electrical installation and sports a picture of a UNI-T UT33C multimeter would have me running a mile.
Don’t get me wrong, it is probably a fine book, quite possibly just using a stock photo, and for typically less than 15€ the multimeter in question is undoubtedly decent value for money - but I just would not use it on the mains.
One thing you can safely say about almost all UNI-T meters is that their insides generally fail in multiple ways to be adequate to support the CAT safety standard claimed on their outsides.
While I own UNI-T meters it is hard to recommend them for mains use - officially they have the safety rating but when you open them they use components which could never meet it - worse you never quite know what you will get - apparently the ones destined for the German market actually do generally have the right components in but they are often missing in units destined for elsewhere, so a random eBay purchase might meet the spec but probably won’t.
If anyone wants to buy a meter which is probably safe for poking around the mains then the starting point is something like the Amprobe AM-510, a smidge under 80€ from Amazon.fr
28!?! - how many do you actually use?
I think that you might have managed it. 
I put 12 in the kitchen - two dedicated to fridge and extractor fan - I’m not (yet) feeling that was too few.
This book is NOT recommended. It is way out of date & wasn’t comprehensive even when it was first published.
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In all my years working here in France I’ve never fitted a 20A or 32A socket. Most appliances that might use them are more easily connected via a sortie de câble of some kind, especially where space is an issue (usually behind kitchen units…). EV chargers would NOT use a socket as they must be hard wired.
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That wouldn’t surprise me at all, though I did find a 32A one in the garage when we arrived - I have no idea what it was used for (I disconnected it).
OK, makes sense for the high current ones. They would be perfect for the 32A socket though.
Ah, there you go - gut instincts can be right after all
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[https://livre.fnac.com/a11083087/David-Fedullo-L-installation-electrique]
The above is regarded by many as the DIY bible of French electrical installation.
Two major differences between France and the UK is that ring mains are forbidden and that UK power cables, incorporating an uninsulated earth, are not allowed.
Not sure what overall capability your Daughter is qualified to in the UK, but it likely does not include 3 phase, and if your house is at all old (3 phase) there is a world of difference.
There again if she is 3 phase ‘qualified’ (which from memory was what a ‘qualified’ UK electrician was meant to be able to do say 30 years ago). then you’ll have no problems.
Yes Paul, the original poster is my mother and she’s got that completely wrong! Lol! Notifiable work (new circuit, minor works in a special location, etc) is notifiable to building control and failure to do so can result in prosecution. If you’re registered with a competent person scheme (as I am), you can sign off your own work, and the NICEIC (in my case) notify building control on your behalf. If the work hasn’t been signed off by a registered electrician, local building control have to come out and inspect the work (for a substantial fee) before signing it off. The homeowner is the one who is actually legally obliged to notify building control if the work is not done by a registered electrician.
I’ve told my mother stories about cowboys who aren’t part of a competent person scheme, carrying out electrical that they shouldn’t really be doing and not informing the home owner that building control should be called out. I think that’s what she’s getting mixed up with. 
Tony Marwood. I do work with 3 phase. However, I’m not sure what you mean by a ‘3 phase qualified’ electrician? That doesn’t mean anything.