When is a quote mandatory in France?
According to the service-public.gouv.fr page “Devis obligatoire : activités concernées” (mandatory quotes: activities concerned), a quote is required for a list of activities. The main ones are:
- Building work and repairs to buildings and household equipment.
- Removal services.
- Car hire, under certain conditions.
- Optical goods and hearing aids.
- Personal care and home services, above a certain monthly price.
- Funeral services, and other activities listed on the page.
The building work concerned
The page lists, among others, masonry, insulation, joinery, locksmithing, roofing, waterproofing, plumbing, plastering, painting, glazing, wall and floor coverings, electrical work, chimney sweeping, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and drain unblocking. If your trade is on this list, a quote is not optional.
For other activities, a quote is still good practice: it sets out what is planned, at what price, and serves as a reference in case of disagreement.
What a quote for building work must state
For building work and repairs, service-public.gouv.fr lists the information that must appear on the quote:
- The date it was drawn up.
- The name and address of the business.
- The customer’s name.
- The place where the work is carried out.
- The exact nature of the repairs to be done.
- The detailed breakdown, in quantity and price, of each service and product required, with the unit price and the unit (hour of labour, linear metre, square metre).
- The hourly labour rate incl. VAT and how the estimated time is counted.
- Travel costs, if any.
- The total amount to pay, excl. VAT and incl. VAT, with the VAT rate.
- How long the offer is valid.
- Whether the quote is free or paid, and its cost if it is paid.
Other sectors have their own lists
Removals, optical goods, personal care and home services or funeral services: each activity has its own required information. The official page details them sector by sector. Check yours before creating your template. For building work, the page also states that the professional must tell the customer they can keep the replaced parts.
Free or paid quotes, signature and deposit
For building work, the quote can be free or paid. Either way, it must say so. For other activities, such as removals or personal care and home services, the official page states that the quote is free.
A quote is an offer of contract. Once the customer accepts it, it binds the professional. The customer, on the other hand, is only bound after signing it, with a note such as “bon pour travaux” or “bon pour accord”.
Acompte or arrhes: say which
If money is paid on signature, its nature matters. According to the same page, an “acompte” (a binding down payment) commits both parties; “arrhes” (a non-binding deposit) let the customer withdraw by forfeiting them, and the professional withdraw by refunding twice the amount. If nothing is specified, the sum is treated as arrhes. So write “acompte” clearly on your quote if that is what you are asking for.
The page also points out that when the sale follows door-to-door or off-premises selling, the customer has a cooling-off period, except for emergency work. Failing to meet the quote requirement can lead to an administrative fine, the amount of which is given on the official page.
A method for quick, clear quotes
A complete quote does not have to take long to write. Most of the time is lost copying the same lines and looking up prices. A few habits make all the difference:
- Create a template that already contains all the information required for your activity.
- Keep a library of services with their unit prices and units.
- Describe each line in the customer’s words, not just with your internal references.
- State how long the quote is valid and the nature of any sum requested on signature.
- Number your quotes and keep them linked to the customer record, so you can find the history and prepare the invoice without re-entering anything.
- Follow up on unanswered quotes on a set date, rather than at random.
What about e-invoicing?
The French e-invoicing reform applies to invoices, not quotes. But a tool that turns a signed quote into an invoice saves you time. Our quoting software connects to the approved platform of your choice. For the reform timetable, see our guide to e-invoicing.
Check your own situation
This guide is a summary, not legal advice. The rules depend on your activity and your customer (private individual or business). Consult the official page for your sector, listed at the bottom of this guide, and put your questions to your accountant or your chamber of trade or commerce.
Information checked on the official sites on 4 November 2026.