When can builders do noisy work at our French property?

Builders and other professionals are generally free to start projects via timelines and hours agreed upon with the owner, but there are national and local rules designed to prevent excessive noise from building work.

Rules on nuisance from professional works differ depending on whether the work requires prior declaration to the mairie or not.

If works require a permit of any kind, builders must adhere to certain rules to minimise noise, including: 

• Adhering to safe and effective use of all machinery, including actions to minimise noise (positioning of machinery in quietest places, turning off machinery, installation of noise barriers if necessary, etc)

• Avoiding behaviours that produce excess noise (continuous operation of machinery when pauses could be taken, positioning equipment in a certain way, etc)

• Keeping work to scheduled hours. These are 08:00 to 20:00 or 07:30 to 19:30 on a working day (jours ouvrables), essentially any day excluding Sundays and public holidays. Some projects can obtain permits to continue work outside of these hours or on Sundays, but this usually applies to public or emergency works and not projects on private land

Many mairies also have local bylaws (arrêtés municipaux) setting the hours during which noisy work is permitted. These vary from one commune to another but commonly prohibit noisy work overnight and, in some places, during part of the lunchtime period.

These usually apply to a single commune, but in some cases can spread across larger areas.

In summer, for example, works are often banned near forested areas to reduce the risk of wildfires.

Hired professionals should be aware of local rules, but you can always check with your mairie to be safe.

Smaller projects usually fine

If the work does not require any such authorisation — for example repainting the home, installing a new interior such as bathroom or kitchen, etc — then these restrictions do not apply (unless your home is in a protected area, such as one covered by heritage restrictions). This is the case regardless of whether you or a hired professional are carrying out the works.

In this case, the general rules in Article R1337-7 of the Code de la santé publique apply.

These state that work must not generate noise likely to disturb the peace of the neighbourhood or affect people's health because of its duration, repetition or intensity.

For DIY and other tasks that may be considered 'noisy' (such as mowing the lawn etc), you should follow the general hours for making noise listed in our article here.

Sundays are the most restrictive days (unlike professional works, some noise is allowed but during heavily restricted hours) however Saturdays are more restricted for private than professional works.

What neighbours can do if annoyed by the noise?

If a neighbour thinks the project is too noisy, they will be able to initiate a neighbour noise dispute against the owner of the property on which the noise is being made.

They must first check local rules to see if the noise is permissible. If they feel it is unreasonable they should discuss this with the neighbour, or send them a registered letter (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception).

If an agreement cannot be reached, they can contact the local mairie (for authorised works) or a conciliateur de justice (works not requiring authorisation).

Only after this can they lodge a complaint with the local police or gendarmerie and attempt to take the matter to court.

Provided that you stick to local rules and the daytime working hours, it is unlikely that a neighbour will have grounds to complain that works are too noisy.