The essentials. Renovated villa, Mandelieu-la-Napoule area (06). Workmanship defects across civil engineering and finishing works, recorded after completion of a renovation contract. Technical inspection conducted in English, benchmarking every defect against the French codes of practice (NF DTU). A 15-page report prepared the owners for the joint site meeting with the contractor.
The context
The property is a villa that underwent a full renovation under a main contractor. After completion, the owners – an international couple – identified a series of defects: cracks in the external paved areas, gaps and misalignments indoors, corrosion and finishing defects outside. A dispute was emerging with the contractor over what was contractual and what was not.
The question posed
The owners needed three things: a complete, dated record of the defects; an assessment of each defect against the applicable French standards – the NF DTU codes of practice that govern how works must be executed in France; and a technical basis to raise the right points at the joint site meeting scheduled with the contractor.
How the inspection went
The survey covered the villa room by room and the external works: paved terraces, façades, guardrails, access hatches, joinery and locks. Every defect was located, measured and photographed. The aim was not opinion but benchmarking: for each observation, the inspection asked – what does the applicable code of practice require, and does this work comply?
Key findings
Cracking in the external slab
Gaps and alignment defects
Finishing and durability defects
Analysis and deliverable
The report classified every defect, identified probable causes, and set out – in English – what the French codes of practice require for each trade. For the owners, this turned a frustrating list of grievances into a structured technical position: what is clearly non-compliant, what is acceptable tolerance, and what deserves repair before retention monies are released. The report was on the table at the joint site meeting, in the owners’ own language.
What this case illustrates
International owners on the French Riviera face a double barrier when a renovation goes wrong: the language, and the French technical framework itself. An independent inspection conducted and reported in English, against the French NF DTU standards, removes both. See also our VEFA and new-build expertise or contact us to discuss your situation.
See also: damp converted basement – Villeneuve-Loubet · widespread mould in a flat – Antibes
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📅 Last updated 02/11/2026 - Cassini Expertise, independent building expert – departments 06, 83 and 13.