VEFA Site Plan Shift in Nice: Legal Recourse for Wrong Building Implantation

EXPERTISE — VEFA (Off-Plan Sale)

You signed a VEFA (off-plan sale) contract, followed the construction from afar. On delivery day, you take out the tape measure: your terrace is 30 cm further than on the site plan. In Nice, 1 out of 3 owners finds an implantation discrepancy. The developer says “it’s within tolerances.” Really?

What You See — and What It Really Hides

You measure the distance between your wall and the property boundary: 4.20 m instead of 4.50 m on the plan. You check Géoportail (French mapping portal), compare with aerial photos. But the VEFA site plan is not a cadastral document: it is drawn up by the developer’s surveyor, often before construction starts. The actual implantation depends on the staking out on site.

What I often see: the developer uses a site plan at 1/200 scale, but dimensions are sometimes rounded. In Nice, sloping terrain complicates measurements. Last year, on a case in Nice West, I measured a 47 cm shift between the delivered building and the building permit. The developer had “forgotten” to compensate for the 3 m setback required by the PLU (Local Urban Plan). Frankly, the VEFA site plan is a contractual document. If it’s wrong, the whole project is.

The Calculations That Change Everything: Does the Shift Exceed Tolerance?

Implantation tolerance is not set by law. But case law (CA Aix-en-Provence, 2018) holds 2 to 5 cm for new buildings. In VEFA, Article R462-1 of the French Urban Planning Code requires conformity with the building permit. If the site plan is binding, the shift is calculated as:
Δ = actual distance – contractual distance
For your case: Δ = 4.10 – 4.50 = -0.40 m (40 cm).
Even taking a generous tolerance of 5 cm, 40 cm is 8 times larger. Concretely, this reduces your garden, your view, and may even make the terrace unusable if the PLU imposes a minimum setback. In Nice, the PLU often requires 3 m setback: with 4.10 m you are still above, but if the plan provided 4.50 m for a pool, you lose 40 cm of basin.

What Happens If You Do Nothing

You sign the delivery report with reservations. The developer has 8 days to address them. But if you don’t note them, you lose all recourse. In 6 months, you want to sell: the buyer measures and refuses. The Nice court condemns the developer to rectify or compensate. Cost: €15,000 to €30,000 for a 40 cm shift (studies, rework, fees).

After 2 years, the disorders worsen: the shift may have altered rainwater drainage, creating a de facto easement. The neighbor sues you. Frankly, better to act now.

Recourse and Guarantees: What You Can Demand

You are covered by the guarantee of perfect completion (CCH L261-1, paragraph 2): the developer must deliver a building conforming to the contract. Article R462-1 CU requires conformity with the permit. Send a registered letter with photos and annotated plan. If refused, file a claim with the Nice court. A court expert will measure with a Leica TS total station and GNSS RTK (±1 cm). The report will be binding. You can demand rectification or damages. Don’t give up.

📅 Mis à jour le 04/08/2026 — Par Cassini Expertise, expert bâtiment indépendant 06 & 83. Devis gratuit : 04 22 46 06 04.

Questions fréquentes

Que faire si mon immeuble en VEFA est mal implanté par rapport au plan?

Vous pouvez engager une action en justice contre le promoteur pour non-conformité au plan contractuel. En vertu de la garantie de conformité, vous pouvez demander la remise en conformité ou, à défaut, des dommages-intérêts. Il est conseillé de faire constater le décalage par un huissier et de consulter un avocat expert.

Quels sont les recours légaux pour un décalage de construction en VEFA à Nice?

Les recours incluent la mise en demeure du promoteur, puis une action en justice pour obtenir la démolition-reconstruction si le décalage est substantiel, ou des dommages-intérêts si la remise en conformité est impossible. Le délai pour agir est de 10 ans à compter de la réception des travaux pour les vices cachés, mais pour la non-conformité, c'est 5 ans après la livraison.

Puis-je annuler la vente si l'implantation de mon appartement diffère du plan VEFA?

Oui, si le décalage est suffisamment grave pour rendre l'immeuble impropre à sa destination ou si vous n'auriez pas acheté en connaissant cette différence, vous pouvez demander l'annulation de la vente pour erreur sur les qualités substantielles. Cependant, cette action doit être intentée dans les 5 ans suivant la signature de l'acte authentique.

📅 Mis à jour le 19/09/2026 — Cassini Expertise, expert bâtiment indépendant (06·83·13·40).