Cassini Expertise works throughout Draguignan and the Haut-Var
Cassini Expertise, an independent building expertise firm based in Antibes, regularly works in Draguignan (83300) and the surrounding Haut-Var towns: Trans-en-Provence, Lorgues, Ampus, Flayosc, Les Arcs. The firm carries out crack surveys, RGA (clay shrink-swell) reports for natural-disaster (cat-nat) insurance claims, pre-purchase inspections on traditional Provençal properties, and independent expert assessments in disputes with insurers or builders. The Draguignan Judicial Court, which covers the whole area (Fréjus, Saint-Raphaël, Le Muy, Vidauban), also allows for court-appointed expert proceedings under Article 145 of the French Code of Civil Procedure, ahead of a full trial, when the parties disagree on the origin of a defect. Cassini Expertise visits the property in person, independently of any insurer or builder, to provide a technical opinion that stands up in negotiations or in court.
Typical defects found in Draguignan buildings
Draguignan combines several recurring risk factors that come up time and again in the firm’s case files.
Clay shrink-swell (RGA) is the most common defect encountered in the area. The clay and marl soils bordering the Nartuby river and extending into the Saint-Hermentaire, La Clappe and Les Collettes districts are classified as medium-to-high risk on the BRGM geological survey maps. The drought-then-rehydration cycles seen in recent years, particularly during the repeated dry summers affecting the Haut-Var, cause differential movement in the supporting ground, producing diagonal cracks in façades — typically at window and door corners and at the junctions between extensions and the original structure. Several drought-related natural-disaster decrees have been issued for the town over the past twenty years, which explains the high number of cat-nat claims filed by Draguignan homeowners.
Detached houses built between the 1970s and 1990s, common in the outlying housing estates (Montferrat district, Route de Lorgues, Malmont area), most often sit on shallow foundations — strip footings with limited depth, designed at a time when the sensitivity of clay soils to shrinkage was not systematically factored into ground surveys. This type of foundation is especially vulnerable to changes in soil moisture.
Trees close to buildings make the problem worse: large specimens (cedars, plane trees, pines) planted along boundary lines in Draguignan gardens draw water from several metres deep through evapotranspiration, intensifying local drying of the clay and creating asymmetric damage that is more pronounced on the side nearest the vegetation.
Sloping terrain, typical of the districts built on the first foothills toward Ampus or on the Malmont heights, adds earthworks and retaining issues into the mix. Poorly drained retaining walls, badly compacted backfill and sloped plots produce defects that can compound RGA damage — or be entirely unrelated to it — which calls for careful analysis to avoid misattributing the cause.
Our services in Draguignan
RGA assessment and cat-nat claim support. Cassini Expertise carries out a joint survey of the cracks, an analysis of the load-bearing structure, a study of the geotechnical context (soil type, nearby vegetation, climate history) and writes a report that meets insurer requirements to support a drought-damage claim or challenge a rejected one.
Crack surveys and cause identification. Not every crack is linked to RGA: differential settlement, construction defects, ageing render, or water infiltration can all be to blame. The expert identifies the true cause of the defect through a technical diagnosis (crack type, orientation, whether it is still moving, and the wider context of the building) before drawing any conclusions.
Pre-purchase inspections on older Provençal properties. Draguignan’s historic centre and the surrounding hamlets have a substantial stock of stone buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Before buying such a property, an inspection identifies structural defects, poorly executed past repairs, and soil-related risks — points not covered by the standard regulatory diagnostic reports.
Water damage claim assessment. Where there is disagreement with an insurer over the cause or extent of water damage, the independent expert produces a joint report that rebalances the discussion with the insurer’s own expert.
A Haut-Var specificity: telling RGA movement apart from natural ageing
The older buildings of the Haut-Var — built from local limestone laid with lime mortar, finished with lime render and roofed with traditional round Provençal tiles — behave very differently, structurally, from the concrete-block construction of recent decades. Vaulted cellars, common in the old town centres of Draguignan, Trans-en-Provence and Lorgues, along with thick rubble-stone load-bearing walls, naturally tolerate minor cracking linked to centuries-old settling of the materials and thermal expansion of the render. On this type of building, diagnosis cannot stop at simply logging cracks: it must clearly distinguish active ground movement linked to RGA (recent, progressive, through-cracks associated with a confirmed clay context) from the normal ageing of traditional materials (surface cracks in the render, stable for years, unrelated to the load-bearing structure). This distinction directly determines whether a cat-nat claim will be accepted, and it prevents owners from either undertaking disproportionate structural repairs for what is a purely cosmetic issue, or underestimating genuine ground movement simply because the building is old.
Frequently asked questions
Has Draguignan ever been declared a natural-disaster (drought) zone?
Draguignan has been the subject of several natural-disaster decrees for differential ground movement caused by drought over recent years. For a specific property, you should check the Official Journal publication corresponding to the period when the damage appeared, as well as any earlier decrees that may also apply depending on when the cracks first appeared.
What is the deadline for filing a drought-damage claim after a decree?
The legal deadline for notifying your insurer is 5 working days from the publication of the natural-disaster decree in the Official Journal, or from when you became aware of the damage if that is later. We recommend putting together the technical file (photos, crack surveys, expert report) as soon as the first signs of damage appear, without waiting for the decree to be published.
Is an inspection worthwhile on an older property with cracks?
Yes — it is especially recommended for older buildings. It is essential to distinguish active ground movement (RGA, settlement) from the normal ageing of traditional materials (lime, stone), since the two situations call for very different responses in terms of repair work and insurance cover.
Does the Draguignan Judicial Court handle court-appointed expert proceedings?
Yes, the Draguignan Judicial Court handles court-appointed expert proceedings under Article 145 of the French Code of Civil Procedure for properties within its jurisdiction, including disputes with an insurer, a seller or a builder over the origin of a defect.
To arrange an inspection in Draguignan or the Haut-Var, call Cassini Expertise on 04 22 46 06 04 for a free quote. See also our dedicated pages on cracks and drought damage in Fréjus – Saint-Raphaël and RGA and cat-nat assessments across the Alpes-Maritimes and Var.
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📅 Mis à jour le 26/09/2026 — Cassini Expertise, expert bâtiment indépendant (06·83·13·40).