Comments on: Building and material costs in France http://www.twiku.com/2007/04/14/building-and-material-costs-in-france/ From a day, to a lifetime - A personal view from a Mediterranean village in France Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:17:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Peter P http://www.twiku.com/2007/04/14/building-and-material-costs-in-france/#comment-19 Peter P Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:26:45 +0000 http://twiku.com/2007/04/14/building-and-material-costs-in-france/#comment-19 I subscribed to Batitel last year and found it very comprehensive and useful. The prices are a bit high - I suspect it's the on-line version of the expensive book you mention, the equivalent of our Spon's or Laxton's price books; but you do have to know what you're doing to use it correctly. Also, your builder may not break down his work in the same format as Batitel, so to get comparable rates you may have to build them up from several different work items. I must say, in defense of French builders, that my in my limited experience I have found them helpful, professional, diligent and reasonable, and to produce a quite high standard of work [if a little slowly]. My French neighbours occasionally tell me my builder is expensive, but I can't say I feel I'm being ripped off; the prices are reasonable by comparison with UK, though not bargains. And yes, you're right, my builder often complains about the enterprise-stifling French tax system. I subscribed to Batitel last year and found it very comprehensive and useful. The prices are a bit high - I suspect it’s the on-line version of the expensive book you mention, the equivalent of our Spon’s or Laxton’s price books; but you do have to know what you’re doing to use it correctly. Also, your builder may not break down his work in the same format as Batitel, so to get comparable rates you may have to build them up from several different work items.

I must say, in defense of French builders, that my in my limited experience I have found them helpful, professional, diligent and reasonable, and to produce a quite high standard of work [if a little slowly]. My French neighbours occasionally tell me my builder is expensive, but I can’t say I feel I’m being ripped off; the prices are reasonable by comparison with UK, though not bargains.

And yes, you’re right, my builder often complains about the enterprise-stifling French tax system.

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