A

Acceptance date (also see reservations)
An act for which the client states whether he/she refuses or accepts the work (with or without reservations) at the hand-over date; the acceptance is normally requested by the builder. It is very important to formalize the acceptance by a “permit to use” certificate, since it determines the starting point for the various guarantees the builder gives to the client. Nota bene: a refusal of acceptance may not be reasoned unless the work is clearly not completed or if serious defects are equivalent to unfinished work.

B

Building permit
An Order by the Mayor granting the authorisation to build. The building permit, obtained before starting the work, is mandatory for all new construction and existing buildings if the work modifies the exterior appearance, the volume, creates additional levels or changes the purpose of the premises concerned.
The delay for obtaining a building permit is generally up to 2 months [3 months if an outside service is required: Bâtiments de France (National historical building organisation), the DASS (State health and social administration), fire department...]

C

Contract
A contract consists of all documents that serve as the basis for an agreement between the client and the builder

Completion bond
1 year guarantee starting from the acceptance date

D

Dissociability
A piece of equipment is considered inseparable from a structure when its removal, dismantling or replacement cannot be accomplished without damaging or removing material from this structure.

E

Equipment items
Any component or device inside and outside of the home necessary for its proper use. For example: blinds, motorized shutters, sinks...
Prices for these items are listed in the description of the work.

F

Feasibility
The feasibility study allows specifying a project with a floor plan, description, cost and timeframe.

Firm and Final Price
If the contract contains such a reference, the original price may not be amended (for example if the cost for materials were to increase during the work).
Note: a clause in the contract will often provide for amending prices, if the amount of time between signing the contract and starting the work is substantial.

Fixed Price
When a contract is drawn up for a fixed price, this means that prior to signing the contract, the builder, agrees to work for a set amount. The pricing breakdown is therefore indicative and serves only to justify the fixed price.
Subsequently amounts cannot be added or subtracted for the work defined by the contract (except for any additional work requested by the client).

French standards
Quality label affixed to certain materials. This label allows recognizing that the materials were manufactured according to the French AFNOR standards.

G

Ground defect
Legal term: serious defect in the ground beneath the house creating damage

H

High Environmental Quality

L

Liability
Legal situation between two parties, whereby the person at fault is required to repair damages caused to the victim.
Liability is said to be contractual when the damage is caused by breach of contract (ex: defects which affect a structure subject of a building contract)
It is tort liability when the damage occurs outside of any contract between the victim and the person at fault.

M

Maintenance
Builder guarantees do not exclude regular maintenance of the construction. On the contrary, lack of maintenance may be an exclusion clause of the warranty.

Maintenance bond
2 year guarantee starting from the acceptance date

N

Notification of intended works
A simplified procedure to the building permit that allows conducting certain jobs exempt from a building permit

R

Rules of the trade (also see DTU, NF)
All the rules the builders must respect to work efficiently. Though they once depended on trade secrets, these rules are now written and accessible to all.

Reservations (see acceptance date)
At the acceptance date, if some work is poorly done or not done, it is included in the list of reservations attached to the permit to use certificate. The listed reservations are limited to visible defects (ex: faulty appearance of plaster, broken windows…) that a person with no knowledge in construction can determine.

S

Structural defect
Legal term: serious defect making the structure unsuitable for its intended purpose or calling into question its solidity.

T

Technical Opinion
An Opinion rendered by a committee composed of specialists, on a non-traditional material or technique. This opinion is based on the results of lab tests and findings on experimental sites.

Ten year warranty
Legal 10 year warranty starting from the acceptance date

The client
A physical person (individual) or a corporate body for whom the work is done

Tolerances
“Tolerances” refers to admissible differences (because inevitable) between what was planned in theory and what was achieved. They may include: installation boundaries, structure dimensions, state of the surfaces… Tolerances are difficult to codify and often have to appeal to common sense or good faith of all parties.

U

Unified Technical Documents
Documents prepared by the C.S.T.B. (Building Scientific and Technical Center) with the assistance of construction technicians. These documents codify the rules of the trade that must be met by builders.