How can I find local tradespeople in France?

Reader Question: We recently moved into a new house in rural south-west France and need several jobs completed. Is there a list of local tradespeople we can find?

For larger or more important jobs, you should consider hiring a qualified professional.

Certain trade professions in France have state accreditations to ensure workers are qualified in the sector.

These include the Professionnel du Gaz label for gas workers, the Qualifelec accreditation for electricians, and Qualibat for builders, classifying workers as ‘agréée’ or approved by the French government.

These professions have directories on the associated websites to find local qualified tradespeople.

Most other trade professions are not regulated by the state through official accreditations, but workers should have the relevant qualifications or diplomas.

In most cases these are managed by national federations, but knowing if the qualifications an individual says they have are legitimate can be confusing.

You can look up online directories (annuaires) for the profession you want to hire – it is best if you find a list from the official trade body or federation of the sector (roofers, painters, etc) so you know the worker is legitimate.

More generally for building/renovation work you should look to see if the tradesperson or company has an RGE (Reconnu Garant de l’Environnement) qualification.

This is a qualification required for tradespeople conducting renovations that are eligible for schemes such as the MaPrimeRénov’, a government-funded eco-renovation project.

Only traders with an RGE can complete these projects, and they need to regularly reapply for the qualification to show their expertise and trustworthiness.

Even if you are not applying for a grant where an RGE-accredited professional is required, working with one is a good way to ensure you are hiring a professional and not a cowboy builder.

The government has an official search tool for RGE professionals available here.

Another option is to ask your local mairie. Mairies in smaller communes will often have a list of trusted professionals in each sector who carry out work locally. Local commune or department magazines can also list professionals;

Other sources include notaires (who may have professional relationships with certain traders), and if you are friendly with them, your neighbours.

Local help for smaller jobs

If you are looking for a handyman who does not need a qualification to complete a smaller job for you, there are websites to hire people on a short-term basis.

The most well-known is ‘Taskrabbit’, which allows people to set their own hourly rates and agree in advance on the job needed to be done.

Alternatively the ‘AlloVoisins’ platform is a marketplace-style website where people can request help with several tasks, including household help and handyman-style aid.

You can read about both of these in our article here.