Electricians, like many other trades within the construction industry, are required to décennale assurance. The electrical work I do for you, whether devis/factured or factured with no devis, is 'assured'. Both devis and factures are legally required to show these details. Plus, my attestation d'assurance is made available to anyone who requests to see it. I have been asked on many occasions by Notaires to submit my attestation when a client is selling their home.
I take my professional activity and décennale assurance very seriously. It protects me, and it protects you. Electrical safety in your home is the mantra of my business and I work to a high standard in accordance with French normes. Electrical work that is not carried out according to French normes, can have direct consequences: flaws in the system, abnormal operation, and fire. But even good trades people can have claims made against their workmanship. I am not immune but for me, usually, they have either done something themselves or used another person to carry out electrical work with no insurance or registration, and it has gone wrong. Fortunately, I keep very efficient records of all my work.
Here are some instances:
Last year a client that I could not attend to at the drop of a hat decided that rather than wait to have the work done properly, they used a person who was neither registered nor insured to do the work. They then contacted another electrician after it had all gone a bit wrong, who condemned the work. The client contacted me and said I needed to come back and sort the problem out. By their admission, they said they had used another person because I wasn't around. My insurance company quickly confirmed that my décennale assurance was invalid, as the unregistered/uninsured person had compromised the installation.
I have recently worked for a new client. Work assessed, devis provided. Work done, facture provided. Again because of an urgent issue [according to the client], they called another electrician to fix the problem. That other electrician will now be responsible for that client, as my décennale assurance no longer applies.
I regularly receive work requests from homeowners where a non sireted and non-insured person has carried out an electrical installation. While some are aware that their home is at risk from flaws in the system, abnormal operation or fire, some homeowners are not. Again I have to decline; as you can appreciate. My décennale assurance covers my work, not that of another. There are exceptional circumstances. Either an electrician is no longer in the country or is deceased and I've had a good chat with my assurance providers.
At the moment trusted and reputable trades are under pressure, and their diaries are full, reducing their availability. Clients want their problems resolved as quickly as possible and call around until they get someone who answers the phone/responds. There are less trusting, less reputable trades very happy to take work where they can get it, take your money but not provide you with a facture or confirmation that their work is suitably insured.
Always ask to see attestation d'assurance décennale. If they cannot provide it or won't provide it, why?? Don't leave your home exposed to risk.
I take my professional activity and décennale assurance very seriously. It protects me, and it protects you. Electrical safety in your home is the mantra of my business and I work to a high standard in accordance with French normes. Electrical work that is not carried out according to French normes, can have direct consequences: flaws in the system, abnormal operation, and fire. But even good trades people can have claims made against their workmanship. I am not immune but for me, usually, they have either done something themselves or used another person to carry out electrical work with no insurance or registration, and it has gone wrong. Fortunately, I keep very efficient records of all my work.
Here are some instances:
Last year a client that I could not attend to at the drop of a hat decided that rather than wait to have the work done properly, they used a person who was neither registered nor insured to do the work. They then contacted another electrician after it had all gone a bit wrong, who condemned the work. The client contacted me and said I needed to come back and sort the problem out. By their admission, they said they had used another person because I wasn't around. My insurance company quickly confirmed that my décennale assurance was invalid, as the unregistered/uninsured person had compromised the installation.
I have recently worked for a new client. Work assessed, devis provided. Work done, facture provided. Again because of an urgent issue [according to the client], they called another electrician to fix the problem. That other electrician will now be responsible for that client, as my décennale assurance no longer applies.
I regularly receive work requests from homeowners where a non sireted and non-insured person has carried out an electrical installation. While some are aware that their home is at risk from flaws in the system, abnormal operation or fire, some homeowners are not. Again I have to decline; as you can appreciate. My décennale assurance covers my work, not that of another. There are exceptional circumstances. Either an electrician is no longer in the country or is deceased and I've had a good chat with my assurance providers.
At the moment trusted and reputable trades are under pressure, and their diaries are full, reducing their availability. Clients want their problems resolved as quickly as possible and call around until they get someone who answers the phone/responds. There are less trusting, less reputable trades very happy to take work where they can get it, take your money but not provide you with a facture or confirmation that their work is suitably insured.
Always ask to see attestation d'assurance décennale. If they cannot provide it or won't provide it, why?? Don't leave your home exposed to risk.
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