Building a house in France with an architect: steps, timing and budget
Building with an architect means a house designed for your plot and budget, and a professional at your side until you get the keys. Here is how a typical project runs.
1. Brief and budget
Before the first meeting, write down what the house must contain (rooms, areas, uses, future changes) and your overall budget. Keep the cost of the works, on which fees are calculated, separate from the total budget, which also covers the land, fees, studies, insurance and taxes.
2. The plot and planning rules
The commune's local plan (PLU) sets what you can build: height, position, footprint, appearance. View it at the mairie or on the Géoportail de l'urbanisme. Depending on the plot, you will need a surveyor (géomètre) and a soil study. The CAUE in your department can review your plans for free at this stage.
3. Choosing the architect and signing the contract
Meet two or three architects, visit houses they have built and check their registration with the Ordre and their insurance (see how to choose an architect). The written contract, which is compulsory, sets out the mission, the fees and the payment schedule. Above 150 m² of floor area an architect is compulsory anyway.
4. Design: from sketch to permit
The architect proposes a sketch, then develops the design (outline, then detailed) with a cost estimate at each stage, and prepares the building permit application. Processing takes 2 months for a house, 3 months in a protected area; the permit must then be displayed on site, visibly, for the whole duration of the works. The 2-month appeal period for third parties runs from the first day of display, and the mairie can withdraw an unlawful permit for 3 months.
5. Detailed design and choosing builders
While the permit is processed, the architect draws the detailed plans and writes the technical specifications, then asks builders for quotes. They compare the quotes with you and help you sign the works contracts, trade by trade or with a single general contractor.
6. Works and handover
With a full mission, the architect runs the works: site meetings, minutes, quality and invoice checks. At the end they assist you with the handover (réception), where you list the defects to fix. Before works start you must take out dommages-ouvrage insurance, compulsory for anyone having a building built.
After handover, the builders' legal guarantees apply: 1 year for any defect (parfait achèvement), 2 years for equipment, and 10 years (garantie décennale) for defects that affect the structure or make the house unfit for use.
How long and how much?
Allow often 6 to 12 months between the first meeting and the start of works, depending on complexity and processing times, then the works themselves. For a full mission on a new house, fees are usually 8–12% of the cost of the works excl. VAT (see architect fees).
Brief and budget, plot and local plan, architect and contract, design and permit, choosing builders, works and handover: six steps, with dommages-ouvrage insurance to take out before the first spade goes in.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a house with an architect cost in France?
Fees for a full mission are usually 8–12% of the cost of the works excluding VAT for a new house. The building cost itself depends mostly on the size, the plot and the materials.
How long does it take to build a house with an architect?
Often 6 to 12 months of design and procedures before work starts, including 2 months for the permit and 2 months for appeals, then the works themselves.
Is dommages-ouvrage insurance compulsory?
Yes. Whoever has the building built must take it out before works start. It pays quickly for repairs covered by the 10-year guarantee.