Independent Building Expert — Alpes-Maritimes (06) & Var (83)
Cassini Expertise is an independent chartered building surveyor (expert bâtiment judiciaire et amiable) based in 22 rue Vauban, 06600 Antibes, serving the French Riviera: Alpes-Maritimes (06) and Var (83). We provide technical diagnostics, expert reports, and dispute resolution services for property owners, buyers, insurers, and legal professionals.
Our work covers all forms of building defects — cracks, water damage, subsidence (RGA), off-plan purchase inspections (VEFA), party wall disputes, and boundary conflicts — under French construction law (Code civil articles 1792 et seq., insurance law articles L. 241-1 et seq., legal guarantees). We prepare both private expert reports (amiable expertise) for negotiation with builders, insurers or co-owners, and court-appointed technical reports (expertise judiciaire) for proceedings before the tribunaux judiciaires of Grasse, Nice, Draguignan, and Toulon, and the cour d’appel d’Aix-en-Provence.
All reports are bilingual (English/French) and comply with French building standards (DTU, NF norms), insurance frameworks, and procedural requirements (Code de procédure civile articles 232 et seq.).
Our Services on the French Riviera
Structural & Crack Surveys
We diagnose and map cracks (fissures) according to NF P 95-201 classification: surface crazing (faïençage), through cracks (traversantes), structural cracks (structurelles). Our methodology includes:
- Pre-site photographic analysis and desktop review of soil/geological data (particularly clay shrinkage zones under arrêté catastrophe naturelle régime)
- On-site measurement with crack-width gauges (fissuromètre) and placement of movement monitors (témoins)
- Classification by severity, probable origin (thermal movement, subsidence, construction defect, foundation settlement), and progression risk
- Written report with repair cost estimates and applicable legal warranties (décennale if structural within 10 years of completion, biennale for elements of equipment within 2 years, or contractual liability under article 1231-1 Code civil)
Typical scenarios: cracks in new-build villas (Antibes, Cannes, Mougins), subsidence in clay-rich areas (inland Var, northern Alpes-Maritimes), post-earthquake damage assessment (seismic zone 2-3), thermal expansion in stone or rendered façades.
Subsidence & Clay Shrinkage (RGA — Retrait-Gonflement des Argiles)
The Alpes-Maritimes and Var contain documented clay-shrinkage zones (zones moyennes à fortes on the BRGM hazard map). Under French law, subsidence caused by prolonged drought may be covered by the régime des catastrophes naturelles (Law 82-600 of 13 July 1982, article L. 125-1 Code des assurances) if an arrêté de catastrophe naturelle (CatNat decree) has been published in the Journal officiel.
We establish:
- Whether observed damage (diagonal cracks, door/window binding, floor slope) is consistent with differential foundation settlement due to clay shrinkage
- Whether the property lies within the geographical and temporal scope of a published CatNat decree
- The extent of structural impact and necessary underpinning or injection works
- The insurability of damage and procedural timelines (10-day declaration from decree publication, expert appointment by insurer)
If no CatNat decree applies, liability may rest with the builder (décennale, article 1792 Code civil), the architect, or prior owners (vice caché, articles 1641–1649 Code civil, now integrated into articles 1641 et seq. after 2016 reform).
Off-Plan Purchase Inspections (VEFA — Vente en l’État Futur d’Achèvement)
Buying off-plan (sur plan) on the French Riviera — particularly in high-rise developments in Nice, Antibes, Cannes, or coastal Var (Sainte-Maxime, Fréjus) — requires rigorous pre-delivery inspection to enforce builder obligations.
We conduct:
- Pre-handover snagging surveys (avant livraison) to identify defects before signing the procès-verbal de réception
- Réception inspection assistance: attending the formal handover, listing réserves (defects noted on the PV), advising on refusal if defects are too severe
- One-year guarantee follow-up (garantie de parfait achèvement, article 1792-6 Code civil): documenting defects appearing within 12 months of handover and ensuring builder remediation
Common VEFA defects: faulty waterproofing (terraces, balconies), tiling cracks, window air/water leaks, non-conformity with plans (surface area, finishes), acoustic defects (inadequate party-wall soundproofing under NF S 31-057).
Our reports establish whether defects fall under the one-year guarantee (article 1792-6), the two-year guarantee for elements of equipment (garantie biennale, article 1792-3: heating, plumbing, electric gates), or the ten-year structural guarantee (garantie décennale, article 1792, encompassing roof, structure, waterproofing compromising habitability).
Boundary Disputes & Party Wall Conflicts
Important: Cassini Expertise does not perform boundary surveys (bornage), which are reserved by law to géomètres-experts (licensed land surveyors). We provide technical expertise on boundary disputes already underway, assessing:
- Whether a fence, wall, or structure encroaches on neighbouring land (article 646 Code civil: party walls; articles 653–673: distances from boundaries for trees, constructions)
- The extent of encroachment and remediation options (demolition, setback, negotiated easement)
- Party wall damage claims (article 657: obligation to repair party walls at joint expense)
- Right-of-way disputes (servitude de passage, articles 682–685)
We work alongside géomètres-experts when precise boundary delimitation is required, providing the construction and damage component of the technical analysis.
Water Damage, Roofing Defects, & Damp Surveys
Coastal climate (salt spray, wind-driven rain) and inland microclimates (freeze-thaw cycles in hill villages) create specific pathologies:
- Roof tile displacement or seal failure (Roman tiles on traditional Provençal roofs)
- Terrace waterproofing failure (flat roofs, roof terraces, balconies: SEL, chapes, membranes under DTU 43 series)
- Rising damp (remontées capillaires) in stone or rubble-stone walls without damp-proof course
- Condensation and mould in poorly ventilated modern apartments
Our reports identify the defect origin, assess compliance with applicable DTU (particularly DTU 43.1 for waterproofing, DTU 40 for roofing), and determine liability: builder (if within guarantee period), roofer, or insurer (dégât des eaux coverage under multirisque habitation policy, article L. 121-1 Code des assurances).
Judicial & Private Expertise: Two Frameworks
Private Expert Reports (Expertise Amiable)
Commissioned by property owners, buyers, insurers, or construction professionals to establish facts and facilitate out-of-court settlement. The private expert is chosen by the client, produces an independent technical opinion, and has no power to compel third parties to attend or produce documents. The report serves as negotiation support or preparatory evidence for potential court proceedings.
Typical use: pre-purchase survey to uncover hidden defects before completion; insurance claim substantiation; pre-litigation assessment of repair costs and liability before issuing formal notice (mise en demeure).
Court-Appointed Expertise (Expertise Judiciaire)
Ordered by a judge (juge de la mise en état, juge des référés, or trial judge) under articles 232 et seq. of the Code de procédure civile. The court-appointed expert (inscribed on the list of the cour d’appel d’Aix-en-Provence) convenes all parties, conducts contradictory inspections, and submits a report to the court. The report, though not binding on the judge, carries significant evidentiary weight.
Cassini Expertise appears before the tribunaux judiciaires of Grasse (jurisdiction: Antibes, Cannes, Grasse, Mougins, Vallauris), Nice (Nice and eastern Alpes-Maritimes), Draguignan (Fréjus, Saint-Raphaël, Draguignan), and Toulon (Toulon, Hyères, La Seyne-sur-Mer), and the cour d’appel d’Aix-en-Provence.
Local Knowledge: Alpes-Maritimes & Var Specifics
Building defects on the French Riviera are shaped by unique environmental and regulatory factors:
- Geological: limestone karst (risk of subsidence voids), clay pockets (RGA), steep hillside construction (landslip risk, retaining wall failures)
- Climatic: Mediterranean heavy rainfall events (flooding, runoff damage), salt corrosion (reinforcement in concrete balconies), seismic activity (zone 2-3, PS-MI rules for individual houses)
- Regulatory: PLU constraints (Plan Local d’Urbanisme), ABF approval in protected zones (Architecte des Bâtiments de France: Antibes old town, hilltop villages), strict co-ownership rules (règlement de copropriété) in apartment complexes
Our reports integrate these local particularities, referencing applicable DTU, insurance precedents in the region, and realistic local repair cost data (labour rates, material availability on the Côte d’Azur).
Contact Cassini Expertise
Office: 22 rue Vauban, 06600 Antibes, France
Telephone: 04 22 46 06 04
Email: [email protected]
Service area: Alpes-Maritimes (06), Var (83)
Jurisdictions: TJ Grasse, TJ Nice, TJ Draguignan, TJ Toulon; cour d’appel d’Aix-en-Provence
Languages: English, French
For a preliminary assessment of your building defect, boundary dispute, VEFA snagging requirement, or insurance claim, contact us by telephone or email. We provide clear advice on technical issues, applicable legal frameworks (Code civil, Code des assurances, construction guarantees), procedural options (private or judicial expertise, référé, ordinary proceedings), and realistic timelines for resolution.