11. Completion Notice - Déclaration d’Achèvement des Travaux

Within 30 days of practical completion of the building works you need to formally notify the local mairie.

The form for doing so is called a Déclaration attestant l’achèvement et la conformité des travaux.

You will have received the form to be used with your planning consent/works declaration,. You can complete manually, but you should normally be able to complete the declaration on-line, from your income tax account, using the link 'Bien Immobiliers'. The on-line form is a series of tick boxes.

Since 1st January 2013, and the introduction of energy effecient regulations RT2012, you are also required to submit a declaration (attestation) that the works comply with the regulations, as set out in the planning application. Ideally, this declaration should be submitted simulataneously with the main completion notice. However, as the declaration requires that some tests and calculations are carried out, you will need recourse to a professional for it to be completed.

The completed form(s) should be posted to the planning authority/tax office by recorded delivery letter, or handed to them, and a delivery receipt obtained. Alternatively, use the on-line form.

You should note that this notice is not only a declaration that the works have been completed, but that they have also been completed in conformity with the planning consent. If the works were supervised by an architect, then they should sign and return the form.

The planning authority have three months in which to visit and contest your declaration, which is increased to five months for buildings in an area covered by a 'risk prevention plan', or in a conservation area.

At the expiry of this period you can then request that the planning authority (normally the mairie) issue a notice stating that the works will not be contested. They have 15 days to comply with such a request. If they fail to do so, you are entitled to demand that the notice be issued by the préfecture.

In practice, few developments will receive a post-inspection, but there remains a residual liability if you have clearly carried out works which do no comply with the consent. Indeed, criminal proceedings are still possible, for up to three years, where there has been a breach of the consent.

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