If you own or plan to own a French property it is important to note the French planning rules and regulations are codified in a single text, the Code de l’Urbanisme.
French control of development is very comprehensive. You need to obtain permission for essentially all types of development even if you just want to build a garden shed.
When you are buying French real estate with the intention of doing renovation or you own a French property and you want to do a renovation you must to refer to The Code De L’Urbanisme.
For example, as part of the Code De l’urbanisme a French property owner who wishes to construct or to employ someone to construct a building to be used for habitation or not, with or without a foundation must first of all contact the local city hall or appropriate local authority to apply for and obtain a Permis de Construire (a building permit)
You must check if you need a building permit when you are doing work to an existing French building, for example, when it would change its usage, when the exterior appearance would change, volume would be modified, extra levels added.
This is just a beginning of the list of instances when you need a French building permit so before you start to do any work inside or outside your residence or even before you buy a property that you want to do work on it is best to contact your local city hall, tell them what you want to do and find out if you need a building permit.
Details on the Code de L’Urbanisme in French are here
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