Building site & Construction

Construction insurance

builders’ liability

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Grace à sa proximité avec le Groupe Pastor, Suisscourtage a acquit une expertise technique sur la construction tant à Monaco qu’en France. Une centaine d’entreprises nous font confiance pour leur garantie RC décenale.

Special extensions available through Suisscourtage

Operational warranty for removable fittings.
Cover for consequential immaterial harm.
Cover for damage to the existing structure (parts of the existing structure, resulting from the new work).
Subcontractors’ liability cover in the event of the type damage covered under the ten-year guarantee.

Architects, building contractors, technical experts or others connected to the owner through a contracting agreement. This is the type of agreement used by an owner, i.e. the person on behalf of whom the structure is being built, to secure the services of one or more individuals to complete it.
The seller of a building they have constructed themselves or had built by others.

Other parties concerned are people who sell buildings that have not yet been built, property developers, builders of individual homes and technical inspectors.

Builder’s responsibilities

DURING THE WORKS

You are responsible for all the risks associated with your works from the start of construction through to handover (article 1788 of the French Civil Code).

You are therefore responsible for any damage to your works during the build, regardless of the cause: theft, damage to materials or the loss of the structure if it is destroyed by a fire of unknown cause, for example, are your responsibility until the building has been handed over.

AFTER ACCEPTANCE OF THE WORKS

Builders are liable in respect of the owner or purchaser of the building in the event of any defects affecting the works carried out. As a result, you have three statutory obligations, even after the works have been handed over.

COMPLETION GUARANTEE

You must repair all defects, whether they are covered under the ten-year guarantee or not, reported by the owner at the point of handover or over the course of the following twelve months.

OPERATIONAL WARRANTY

You are obliged to repair any defects affecting the smooth operation of fittings that can be removed from the structure of the building without damaging their supports (such as electric radiators or air-conditioning units).

Taking out insurance for this warranty is optional but strongly recommended.

TEN-YEAR CIVIL LIABILITY

You are liable in respect of the owner for ten years, for any damage, including damage arising from a defect in the ground, which:

compromises the solidity of the structure;
affects the solidity of one of its non-removable elements. An element is deemed non-removable when removing, dismantling or replacing it cannot be done without damaging or removing material from the structure;
renders the structure unfit for its intended use, so that it can no longer fulfil the purpose for which it was built.

The law obliges you to take out ten-year insurance to cover this liability.

BEFORE AND AFTER ACCEPTANCE OF THE WORKS

You may be held liable by the owner and third parties for physical injuries, material and immaterial harm caused when carrying out works that do not affect the structure.

La réception

un acte important

La réception est l’acte par lequel le maître d’ouvrage accepte l’ouvrage, avec ou sans réserves. Elle intervient à la demande de la partie la plus diligente, soit à l’amiable, soit à défaut judiciairement. En tout état de cause, elle est prononcée contradictoirement, aussi, constructeurs et maître de l’ouvrage doivent-ils être présents, représentés ou tout au moins dûment convoqués.

Le plus souvent, la réception résulte d’un écrit (procès-verbal amiable ou jugement) qui bien que non obligatoire est fortement recommandé. La prise de possession des lieux ou le simple paiement des travaux ne peuvent être assimilés à une réception tacite que s’ils traduisent la volonté non équivoque de l’intéressé d’accepter l’ouvrage.

La réception transfère la garde de l’ouvrage du constructeur au maître de l’ouvrage, le constructeur n’est plus responsable des dommages apparents non signalés. La date de réception des travaux avec ou sans réserves, marque le point de départ des délais, des responsabilités et des garanties.

Quelle est la durée de l’engagement ?

Vous engagez votre responsabilité pendant une durée de dix ans incompressible vis-à-vis du maître de l’ouvrage et des acquéreurs successifs. La date de la réception des travaux constitue le point de départ du délai de la responsabilité qui pèse sur vous.
La réception est l’acte par lequel le maître de l’ouvrage déclare accepter l’ouvrage avec ou sans réserves. Elle intervient à la demande de la partie la plus diligente et fait généralement l’objet d’un écrit. Elle est, en tout état de cause, prononcée contradictoirement.

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