Electrical code compliance: when is it actually required?

Your wiring is getting old and you're wondering whether you have to bring it up to code? In most cases, no. No law in France requires you to redo an existing installation that works. The obligation only arises in three situations, which we go through below. For the work itself and what it costs, everything is on our electrical renovation page.

The three cases where compliance is required

You're redoing the whole installation

When the circuits and the panel are entirely redone, the installation counts as new. It then has to meet the NF C 15-100 standard in full, and a Consuel certificate is needed before the meter is put back into service. It's actually the least common case on our jobs.

You're letting the property

A rented home has to meet decency standards, and the safety of the electrical installation is part of that. It's the landlord's responsibility: if the installation is dangerous, the tenant can take the matter to the departmental conciliation board. What's required here isn't the full standard, but the safety points listed below.

You're selling, and the installation is over fifteen years old

When you sell, what's mandatory is the electrical inspection report, not the work. You can perfectly well sell a property whose report flags anomalies. The buyer is informed, and will probably use it to negotiate the price. That's why some sellers prefer to have the work done before putting the property on the market.

Outside these three cases, nobody can force you to redo your wiring. But a dangerous installation stays dangerous, obligation or not: if you have any doubt, have it checked.

The six points an inspection checks

The electrical inspection covers six safety points. They're what separates an installation that is old but sound from one that is at risk:

1. An accessible main switching and protection device: the service breaker that lets you cut everything off.
2. A 30 mA residual-current device protecting the whole installation against electric shock.
3. On every circuit, overcurrent protection matched to the cable size (a breaker or fuse at the right rating).
4. Equipotential bonding in wet rooms, and respect for the safety zones around the shower and bath.
5. No worn or unsuitable equipment, and no live parts within reach.
6. No conductors without mechanical protection, such as wires running bare along a wall.

When we open a panel, this is the list we have in mind. It makes it quick to separate what's about safety from what's about comfort, and so to tell you what's urgent and what can wait.

"Up to code" doesn't mean the same thing everywhere

In a new build, NF C 15-100 applies in full: number of sockets per room, dedicated circuits, mounting heights, technical duct. There's no leeway.

In renovation, the standard is still the reference, but you have to work with the building. In a Haussmann-era flat, you can't always create a technical duct, or run a circuit through a dressed-stone wall without damaging what gives the place its charm. We aim for the safety level of the standard, taking into account what the building allows. Be wary of anyone promising full compliance before they've even seen the walls.

For older buildings, we go into the detail on our page about rewiring an old apartment.

What compliance work costs

It all depends on what we find on site.

If the circuits are in good condition and only the panel has aged, an electrical panel replacement is enough, from €400 incl. VAT per row. We replace the protective devices, distribute the circuits and label every line.

If the circuits themselves are a problem throughout (cables too small for what they feed, wiring under timber moulding), it's better to go for a full rewiring, from €150/m² incl. VAT.

In between, there are all the targeted jobs: adding a missing residual-current device, creating a circuit for the kitchen, redoing the bathroom. The assessment is there to sort this out, so you don't pay for a full renovation when part of one is enough. It's free when it goes with a quote. On funding, see our page on electrical renovation grants.

How it works

We start with a visit. We open the panel, look at two or three junction boxes, and test the earth and the residual-current devices. Within a week you receive a detailed line-by-line quote, with safety items kept separate from comfort ones.

The work is done with the power off, room by room where possible, and power is restored every evening. If your project requires a Consuel certificate, we handle it and see you through to reconnection.

If your installation trips often, start with our page on a breaker that keeps tripping. Our electrician pricing in Paris is online, and you can contact us to arrange a visit.