The role of a homeowner’s project adviser (assistant à maîtrise d’ouvrage)
Owner’s guide · Upkeep and works on a house in France
If you own a house in Brittany, you are what French law calls the maître d’ouvrage: the client. You decide, you sign the quotes and you pay. But you may not have the time, the technical background or the proximity to prepare those decisions well, especially if you live in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium or Germany.
That is the role of the assistant à maîtrise d’ouvrage, or AMO: a project adviser who sits on the owner’s side. In this guide I explain what such an adviser does for the owner of a house, what they do not do, how they differ from the other people involved, when to call one and how fees work.
The owner and the project adviser: who is who?
The client is you
The maître d’ouvrage is the person the works are done for. For a private house, that is the owner. You define what you want, set the budget, choose the firms, sign the contracts, pay the invoices and formally accept the finished works. These decisions stay with you.
The project adviser is on your side
The adviser helps you hold that role. The idea comes from French public procurement, where local authorities get help to prepare their projects. For a private owner, the job is simpler: see clearly what state the house is in, know what to do first, and approach the right firms with a clear request.
In France, “assistant à maîtrise d’ouvrage” is not a regulated title. What it covers depends on the contract, so it is best to ask for a written agreement saying what is done, what is not and what it costs.
What a project adviser does for a homeowner
Understand the state of the house
It starts with a careful visit. Roof, visible timbers, walls, windows and doors, damp, ventilation, heating, water, visible wiring, outside areas: each item is looked at and noted. You receive a clear written report with dated photos that separates what is urgent, what matters and what can wait.
This is not one of the regulated property reports required for a sale or a letting in France. Those are carried out by certified professionals. I do not carry them out.
Plan the upkeep
A well-maintained house costs less than a house repaired in a hurry. The adviser draws up a maintenance plan: what to check every year, what every five or ten years, in which season, and with indicative budgets. You know what is coming and can spread the cost.
Choose which firms to consult
For works, you need to know whom to ask: roofer, mason, joiner, plumber, electrician, heating engineer. The adviser helps write one clear request, the same for each firm, so that the quotes can be compared. They suggest several firms to consult. The final choice is yours.
Read and compare quotes
Two quotes for the same job can look very different. They may not describe the same thing. The adviser reads them line by line, points out what is missing, vague or different, and checks that the firm provides its ten-year building insurance certificate (assurance décennale) when the works require it.
Prepare the consultation
Pre-works assistance, individually quoted: clarify intended use and constraints, prepare a brief, consult contractors and compare proposals. The assignment ends before construction starts; clients choose and pay contractors directly.
Report to the owner
After each visit you receive a written report with dated photos, in English. You can decide from a distance, keep a record for your insurer and share the same facts with your family or co-owners.
What a project adviser does not do
- Design the project or apply for planning permission.
- Act as project manager on site or give orders to the firms.
- Carry out the works or sell materials and equipment.
- Sign, pay or accept the works in the owner’s place.
- Take commission from the firms they suggest.
On my side, I also do not call in regularly, open or close the house, hold keys or arrange cleaning: that is the job of local concierge services, and I am happy to work alongside them. I do not sell property, give price estimates or negotiate sales, and I give no legal or tax advice.
How the adviser differs from the other people involved
The registered architect and the project manager
A registered architect (inscribed with the French Ordre des architectes) designs the project, draws the plans, applies for permits and can follow the works on site. Building or extending beyond 150 m² of floor area requires one. A maître d’œuvre designs and directs the works on the owner’s behalf. The adviser comes before and alongside them: helping you decide whether you need an architect, and helping you choose one. When a project needs design or a permit, I say so and point you to a registered architect or a maître d’œuvre.
The building firm
The firm carries out the works. It advises on its own solutions, which is normal, but it is selling what it proposes. The adviser, paid only by you, has nothing to sell.
The concierge service
A concierge service calls in regularly, opens and closes the house, holds keys and lets tradespeople in. The adviser brings an occasional technical view and a plan. The two work well together.
The notary and the estate agent
The notary handles deeds, inheritance and legal questions. The estate agent values, sells and negotiates. The adviser does none of this, but can describe the condition of the house so that everyone decides from the same facts.
When to call a project adviser
- You live abroad and cannot come to meet French firms.
- You have inherited a house and do not know what state it is in.
- The house is shared within a family and everyone needs the same information.
- You have quotes in French that you cannot compare.
- A problem has appeared (damp, a crack, slates after a storm) and you want to know how serious it is.
- You want to plan upkeep over several years rather than repair in a hurry.
The earlier the adviser comes in, the more useful they are. Once quotes are signed, it is too late to compare them well.
How fees work
Advisers charge a fixed fee, by the time spent, or a percentage of the cost of the works. A fixed fee suits a defined job such as a visit or a report. A percentage is common for support on larger works. In every case the price should be in writing before the work starts, and the adviser should be paid only by you.
My services and prices are set out on the services page:
- Targeted technical visit. One specific question (damp, roof, crack, storm damage), a visit and a written note.
- Initial assessment: individually quoted. See the initial report.
- The Technical follow-up is individually quoted after the Initial assessment only when complexity, changes to observe or successive decisions justify it. Visits, deliverables and included discussions are agreed in writing. Follow-up is not compulsory.
- Pre-works assistance, individually quoted: clarify intended use and constraints, prepare a brief, consult contractors and compare proposals. The assignment ends before construction starts; clients choose and pay contractors directly.
Every job starts with a written contract signed beforehand. A 30 % deposit is asked for the initial report and for works support. I take no commission from firms: I am paid only by my clients.
Questions to ask before choosing an adviser
- What exactly does the job include, and what does it not include?
- Is the price fixed in advance? What could be added?
- Do you receive anything from the firms you suggest?
- Can I see a sample report?
- What is your training, and what professional insurance do you hold?
- Do you direct the works, or does a maître d’œuvre or an architect?
- Who formally accepts the finished works?
- Pre-works assistance, individually quoted: clarify intended use and constraints, prepare a brief, consult contractors and compare proposals. The assignment ends before construction starts; clients choose and pay contractors directly.
How I work
I am Maxime Oger, holder of the French architect’s degree from the École d’architecture de Nantes. I am not registered with the Ordre des architectes and I do no design or project management on site. I am based in Pouldreuzic, in the Pays Bigouden. As a former professional pilot, I work with checklists: every visit follows the same method, item by item, so that two visits can be compared easily.
Pre-works assistance, individually quoted: clarify intended use and constraints, prepare a brief, consult contractors and compare proposals. The assignment ends before construction starts; clients choose and pay contractors directly.
Want to know where your house stands?
The initial report sets out the condition of the house item by item, ranks the priorities and gives a maintenance calendar.