Frequently asked questions before renovation work
Before you sign, during the work or after an incident: straight answers, backed by the law where it settles the question.
Choosing a company
Project manager or general contractor: what is the difference?
The project manager (maître d'œuvre), often an architect, designs the project, selects the contractors and supervises the work on your behalf; the building work itself is done by others. The general contractor carries out the work and coordinates the trades, under a single contract. The two are combined on large projects. For an interior renovation, NS BAT 33 gives you a single quote directly, itemised line by line.
What do customers say about NS BAT 33?
NS BAT 33 is rated 4.5/5 from 15 Google reviews (checked on 6 October 2026). In these reviews, customers describe their projects: bathrooms redone, a kitchen, demolition in Bordeaux, a flat in the city centre, damage in a shower room. The Google listing is the reference: the rating changes with each new review.
Do you speak English?
Yes. The NS BAT 33 team speaks French and English, so you can call us or write to us and discuss your project in either language.
How far does NS BAT 33 travel?
Across the whole Gironde, from its head office in Cenon. Bordeaux, Lormont, Floirac, Mérignac and other towns in the metropolitan area form the first circle, up to 20 km; Libourne and Cadillac the second, up to 30 km; beyond that, the Arcachon Bay, the Libournais, the Médoc and the Sud-Gironde. The Areas we cover page lists every town we serve.
Who is responsible for the work when a single company signs the quote?
The company that signs the quote. At NS BAT 33, that is the whole principle: one contract, one company responsible for your work. A defect under the wall tiles or behind a partition wall is sorted out with us, whichever trade is involved, during the work and then after handover, under the legal guarantees.
How can you check a company's 10-year builder's insurance (assurance décennale)?
Ask for the certificate: the law requires it to be attached to the quote and the invoice. Check the exact name of the company, the period of cover and the activities insured, which must match your work, plumbing or tiling for example. If in doubt, call the insurer named on it. At NS BAT 33, your work stays covered by the 10-year builder's guarantee for ten years after handover.
Quotes and how a project runs
How do I ask NS BAT 33 for a quote?
Two options: fill in the form on this site, which takes three steps, or call +33 7 81 80 46 39. We then get back to you to go over the project and the constraints of the property, and draw up a detailed, itemised quote for you to compare at your leisure.
What must a quote for building work include?
Among other things, it must show the company's name, address and SIREN number, the date, the details of each service with its quantity and price, the VAT rate, the totals excluding and including VAT, and how long the offer remains valid. The certificate for the 10-year builder's guarantee insurance must be attached. A line-by-line quote is easy to compare with another.
What is the handover (réception des travaux)?
It is the step by which you accept the work, noting any snags if needed on a handover report (procès-verbal de réception) that you sign with the company. Every defect noted that day must be put right under the one-year completion guarantee (garantie de parfait achèvement). Handover also starts the two-year equipment guarantee (garantie biennale) and the 10-year builder's guarantee. At NS BAT 33, this review is done with you, room by room.
What happens if extra work is added during the project?
It is priced separately, before it is carried out. For a fixed-price contract, Article 1793 of the French Civil Code prevents the contractor from claiming any extra without the client's written agreement to the changes and their price. An additional quote, signed like the first, keeps your budget clear from start to finish.
Water damage and insurance claims
What should you do first after water damage?
Turn off the water supply, then notify your insurer: the deadline for reporting, set by your policy, is never less than five working days. Photograph the damage and keep the receipts for the items affected. When the water comes from a neighbour's home, fill in a joint report (constat amiable) together: it speeds up the claim, though it is not compulsory. Once the leak is fixed, NS BAT 33 prices the repairs line by line.
What is the risk in reporting a claim late?
Less than you might think. Under Article L113-2 of the French Insurance Code, a clause removing cover for late reporting only applies if your insurer proves that the delay has harmed it. Even so, it is better to report quickly, with photos and a description of the damage.
Does the insurer's loss adjuster always visit?
Not always. For less serious damage, insurers apply an agreement between themselves that settles the claim without a loss adjuster visiting. When an adjuster does come, they assess the damage and the work required: we then discuss your claim with them and with the insurer, with our costing to back it up.
When can the walls be redone after water damage?
Once three conditions are met: the leak is fixed, the insurer has agreed, and the surfaces are dry. Closing up a wall that is still damp means risking the moisture coming back to the surface. Plastering, tiling and painting therefore come after the drying out, for a result that lasts.
Permissions and co-ownership
Does renovating the inside of a home need permission?
No, in most cases: redoing a kitchen, a bathroom or interior partition walls requires no planning formalities, as long as the floor area, the use and the outside appearance stay the same. You need at least a prior planning declaration (déclaration préalable) as soon as you change the look of a window or convert a garage into a bedroom. In an apartment building in co-ownership (copropriété), only the common parts go through the general meeting of co-owners.
Can you open up a load-bearing wall in a flat in co-ownership?
Yes, provided you obtain a favourable vote at the general meeting of co-owners before the work, under Article 25 of the French law of 10 July 1965: a load-bearing wall is one of the common parts. Without that vote, the managing agent (syndic) can require the property to be restored to its original state, up to and including rebuilding the wall.
Do you need permission to turn commercial premises into a home?
Yes. Turning a shop or an office into a home is a change of use: it requires at least a prior planning declaration at the town hall, and a building permit (permis de construire) if the work alters the load-bearing structure or the façade. The local planning rules (PLU) may restrict these changes, particularly for ground-floor commercial units: check them before you buy or sign.
Are a building's water risers part of the common parts?
As a rule, yes. Unless the co-ownership regulations say otherwise, pipes that serve several units are deemed to be common, even the section that runs through your home: this is Article 3 of the 1965 law on co-ownership. Changing them requires a vote at the general meeting. Pipes that serve only your unit remain private.
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