EXPERTISE – VEFA
You’ve just received the keys to your new-build apartment in Antibes. The VEFA plan announced 65 m² Carrez. You pull out the laser tape measure: 58.2 m². That’s 6.8 m² less. A 10.5% shortfall. The developer tells you this is within tolerance. What no one tells you: the Carrez Law allows a maximum margin of 5%. You’re already well beyond it.
What you see – and what it’s really hiding
On paper, the rooms look bigger. The living room measures 7.20 m x 4.50 m on the plan. In reality, once built, it measures 6.95 m x 4.30 m. The discrepancy often comes from the walls: the plan shows outer-face or centre-line dimensions, not the actual usable surface. Interior partitions, service ducts, and door recesses are sometimes wrongly included. Frankly, field experience regularly shows a 4.2% gap caused by a load-bearing wall positioned 8 cm off.
What I often find in this situation: the developer is using a different definition of the Carrez surface. The law excludes walls, partitions, stairs, ducts, and door and window recesses. The VEFA plan, on the other hand, can include lining thicknesses or theoretical dimensions. Your laser distance meter doesn’t lie. But to assert your rights, you need an independent joint survey.
The calculations that change everything: Carrez surface vs. VEFA surface
The Carrez surface formula is simple: add up the floor areas of each room, deducting walls, partitions, stairs, ducts, and door and window recesses. In practice, each room is measured at floor level between finished walls, excluding areas with ceiling height below 1.80 m.
Take a concrete case in Antibes: a 65 m² three-bedroom apartment on the VEFA plan. The living room is listed at 7.20 x 4.50 m = 32.40 m². The bedroom at 4.80 x 3.60 m = 17.28 m². The second bedroom at 4.20 x 3.00 m = 12.60 m². Plan total: 62.28 m² (the remaining 2.72 m² are deductions). But after actual measurement: living room 6.95 x 4.30 = 29.885 m², bedroom 4.65 x 3.45 = 16.0425 m², second bedroom 4.05 x 2.85 = 11.5425 m². Actual total: 57.47 m². A shortfall of 4.81 m² (7.7%).
The Carrez Law tolerance threshold (Article 46) is 5% of the stated surface. Here, 5% of 65 m² = 3.25 m². The observed shortfall is 4.81 m², or 1.56 m² above the tolerance. In practical terms, you can demand a proportional price reduction: 4.81/65 = 7.4% of the purchase price. For a property priced at €350,000, that’s €25,900 less.
What happens if you do nothing
Once the one-year deadline after the deed is signed passes, you lose the right to invoke Carrez non-compliance. The developer will consider that you accepted the surface. Six months later, if you resell, the new survey will reveal the shortfall and the buyer will come after you.
One owner didn’t react in time. Two years later, he had to reimburse €30,000 to the buyer, plus expert and legal fees. Doing nothing means accepting a 7 to 10% loss in value on resale – €25,000 to €35,000 lost on a €350,000 property.
Recourse and guarantees: what you can demand
You are protected by the Carrez Law (Article 46 of Law No. 65-557) and Decree No. 97-532 of 23 May 1997 (measuring rules and the 5% tolerance). The process: send a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to the developer disputing the surface, within one year of signing the deed. Demand a joint survey by an independent expert. If the developer refuses, take the matter to the Grasse judicial court. You can obtain a price reduction or, in cases of bad faith, damages. Get support from a VEFA building expert.
📅 Updated 21/07/2026 – By Cassini Expertise, independent building expert covering 06, 83 & 13. Free quote: 04 22 46 06 04.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Carrez surface smaller than the VEFA plan, what should I do?
You can request a proportional reduction of the sale price if the difference exceeds 5%. This action must be brought within one year from the date the deed of sale was signed.
How do I prove a Carrez surface error?
Hire a chartered surveyor to carry out a Carrez-compliant survey. This document will serve as proof to bring a price reduction claim against the seller or developer.
What recourse is available for an incorrect Carrez surface in Antibes?
Send a registered letter to the developer requesting compensation. If no agreement is reached, you can take the matter to the Grasse judicial court to obtain a price reduction and damages.
Related reading: Carrez Surface Below VEFA Plans in Antibes: A Contradictory Survey · Surface Carrez Below VEFA Contract in Nice: Calculation and Recourse · Carrez Area in VEFA Purchases: Measuring and Tolerance
Survey carried out by Frédéric Faucouneau, independent building expert – Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes (06), Var (83), Bouches-du-Rhône (13). Find out more
📅 Last updated 06/11/2026 - Cassini Expertise, independent building expert – departments 06, 83 and 13.