What do you risk if paying a friend to do work at French home without a contract?

If you are planning to hire someone to help you with a task at your property in France, you should ensure you do so within the rules. 

Property owners may sometimes considering hiring a non-professional for works at their home, especially smaller projects. 

This is perfectly legal, however, despite the higher outlay, it is often more beneficial to hire a professional worker for their expertise and guarantees in case of error. 

We review some of the rules.

Hiring non-professionals

You are entitled to hire a private individual such as a neighbour or friend to carry out a job for you, the federation of private employers (Fédération des particuliers employeurs) says. 

To do so, you do not necessarily need to sign a contract – there is no rule requiring it – but it can make it easier to have one in place to prevent future disagreements.

In this case, it should include basic information including the nature of the job, proposed pay etc.

Hiring an individual, with a contract or not, makes you their ‘employer’ for the duration of the work, meaning you must pay them the correct amount (at least the minimum wage) and provide adequate working conditions.

They must also declare the income to the tax authorities.

In addition to a friend or neighbour there are also websites such as AlloVoisins where people offer to carry out small tasks for payment. On such sites, checking previous users' evaluations can help. You may also wish to ask the person about their previous work in the area to assess their competence.

It is advisable to inform your home insurer of any pending works.  There is a possibility the insurance company may cover you for minor damage incurred as a result of the work, but this is not always the case. 

Be aware that in all cases – contract or otherwise – hiring a private individual does not come with a guarantee of the quality of the work. 

As a result, it is generally best to use non-professionals only for simpler jobs, such as small DIY tasks, putting up furniture, hanging paintings, painting a wall or mowing the lawn. 

In particular, avoid asking them to do any heavy duty work such as masonry, plumbing, or anything involving the electrical system. 

Hiring a professional 

Hiring a professional offers greater protection.

While neither a contract nor a quote (devis) is mandatory, most professional companies and tradespeople will offer these and this is recommended by the government. 

These contracts, unlike working with a private individual, can be relied on in the event of an error and can also be used as evidence during court cases.

In addition, if the company offers a devis giving a breakdown of prices, that you subsequently agree and sign as a contract, they cannot charge you above this amount. 

Note that for certain larger renovations including many eco-friendly projects, a devis is mandatory.

Professional artisans working in people's homes must also have insurance cover including third-party insurance for any damage they caused and (for those working on larger projects such as carpenters and masons) 10-year guarantee for their work. 

In short, for larger projects it is usually better to err on the side of caution and hire a professional.