In France: three warranties and one insurance

The Civil Code sets out three successive warranties owed by the builders from handover:

  • the warranty of perfect completion, for one year, covering all defects noted at handover or during the year,
  • the two-year warranty of proper operation, for equipment that can be separated from the structure,
  • the ten-year warranty, for damage that compromises the soundness of the building or makes it unfit for its purpose.

Every contractor must be insured for ten-year liability. The owner, for their part, takes out dommages-ouvrage insurance before work starts: in the event of a defect covered by the ten-year warranty, it pre-finances the repairs without waiting for liability to be established.

In Switzerland: the contract first

Swiss law has neither a ten-year warranty nor compulsory dommages-ouvrage insurance. The construction contract is governed by the Code of Obligations, and the parties usually refer to the SIA 118 standard.

The claim for defects in a building is time-barred five years after acceptance. The SIA 118 standard adds a two-year warranty period during which defects may be reported at any time.

What changed on 1 January 2026

The revision of the law on construction defects came into force on 1 January 2026. Two points change the owner’s position:

  • hidden defects must be reported within sixty days of their discovery, instead of the former “immediate” notice, and a contract can no longer shorten this period,
  • the right to demand free repair of a defect can no longer be excluded when buying a new home or one to be built.

The SIA 118 standard has been amended accordingly.

“In France, security rests on insurance. In Switzerland, it rests on the contract.”

Heritage & renovation

What it changes for a project

In France, security rests on insurance: you check each contractor’s ten-year certificates and take out dommages-ouvrage insurance before the first excavation. In Switzerland, it rests on the contract: a precise acceptance report, guarantees provided for in the contract, and rigorous record-keeping of defect notices during the first two years.

How we work

Every partner company is vetted before it enters a site: ten-year warranty up to date, professional liability insurance, compliance certificates. We organise the handover with the owner, room by room, and we keep the snagging list until every item is cleared.

This note is general information, not legal advice.