# French Building Regulations: One National Code France builds to one national Code de la construction et de l'habitation — but many of the numbers people expect come from accessibility rules that exempt an owner-built house. Here's what's actually mandatory. - Canonical HTML: https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/ - Publisher: Chippy Tools - Language: en - Updated: 2026-09-13 [Browse all topics](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/topics/)[Free web tools](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/tools/)[Printable references](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/printables/) [All countries](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/) [France](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/) Topics Stairs - [French Stair and Guard Rules: Check the Housing Scope](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/) Footings - [French Footings: Clay-Risk Rules and Site Design](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/footings/footing-sizes-and-depth/) Room heights - [France's Minimum Ceiling Height: the 2.20 m Décence Rule](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/rooms/minimum-ceiling-heights/) Ramps - [French Ramp Rules: Housing Access and Terrace Exceptions](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/ramps/ramp-gradients/) Wet areas - [French Wet-Room Waterproofing: SPEC, SEL and Product Scope](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/wet-areas/waterproofing-requirements/) Calculation guides - [Concrete Calculations: The Complete On-Site Guide](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-calculations-guide/) - [How to Calculate Concrete Volume for a Slab](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-volume-slab/) - [How Many Bags of Concrete Per m³? (20kg, 25kg, 40kg)](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/bags-of-concrete-per-m3/) - [Concrete for Post Holes: Volume Per Hole & Bags Needed](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-post-holes/) - [Concrete Mix Ratios Explained: 1:2:3, 1:2:4 & Water-Cement Ratio](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-mix-ratios/) - [Roof Pitch to Angle: Convert Rise/Run to Degrees & Grade](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/roof-pitch-to-angle/) - [Rafter Length Calculation: Run, Rise & Overhang](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/rafter-length/) - [Stair Rise & Run Setout: Riser, Going & the 2R+G Formula](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/stair-rise-and-run-setout/) - [How to Convert a Fall or Gradient: Ratio, Percentage & Degrees](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/fall-and-gradient-conversion/) - [Stud & Joist Spacing Takeoff: How Many at 400, 450 & 600 mm Centres](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/stud-and-joist-spacing-takeoff/) - [Gravel & Base Volume: Compacted Depth vs Loose-Fill Order Quantity](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/gravel-and-base-volume/) In this section [Browse all topics](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/topics/)[Free web tools](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/tools/)[Printable references](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/printables/) [All countries](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/) [France](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/) Topics Stairs - [French Stair and Guard Rules: Check the Housing Scope](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/) Footings - [French Footings: Clay-Risk Rules and Site Design](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/footings/footing-sizes-and-depth/) Room heights - [France's Minimum Ceiling Height: the 2.20 m Décence Rule](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/rooms/minimum-ceiling-heights/) Ramps - [French Ramp Rules: Housing Access and Terrace Exceptions](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/ramps/ramp-gradients/) Wet areas - [French Wet-Room Waterproofing: SPEC, SEL and Product Scope](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/wet-areas/waterproofing-requirements/) Calculation guides - [Concrete Calculations: The Complete On-Site Guide](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-calculations-guide/) - [How to Calculate Concrete Volume for a Slab](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-volume-slab/) - [How Many Bags of Concrete Per m³? (20kg, 25kg, 40kg)](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/bags-of-concrete-per-m3/) - [Concrete for Post Holes: Volume Per Hole & Bags Needed](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-post-holes/) - [Concrete Mix Ratios Explained: 1:2:3, 1:2:4 & Water-Cement Ratio](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-mix-ratios/) - [Roof Pitch to Angle: Convert Rise/Run to Degrees & Grade](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/roof-pitch-to-angle/) - [Rafter Length Calculation: Run, Rise & Overhang](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/rafter-length/) - [Stair Rise & Run Setout: Riser, Going & the 2R+G Formula](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/stair-rise-and-run-setout/) - [How to Convert a Fall or Gradient: Ratio, Percentage & Degrees](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/fall-and-gradient-conversion/) - [Stud & Joist Spacing Takeoff: How Many at 400, 450 & 600 mm Centres](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/stud-and-joist-spacing-takeoff/) - [Gravel & Base Volume: Compacted Depth vs Loose-Fill Order Quantity](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/gravel-and-base-volume/) [Building Codes](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/) France # French Building Regulations: One National Code France runs one national Code de la construction et de l'habitation, backed by arrêtés and the private NF DTU technical standards — but a lot of the numbers people expect (stair rise, ramp gradient) actually come from the \*accessibility* rules, which by law don't apply to a house you build for your own occupation. This hub separates what's genuinely mandatory for a private self-build from what only applies to housing built for sale or rent. ## Rules by topic Find guidance for the work you are doing, then confirm the requirements for your building and location. ### Stairs - [French Stair and Guard Rules: Check the Housing Scope](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/) ### Footings & slabs - [French Footings: Clay-Risk Rules and Site Design](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/footings/footing-sizes-and-depth/) ### Room heights - [France's Minimum Ceiling Height: the 2.20 m Décence Rule](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/rooms/minimum-ceiling-heights/) ### Ramps - [French Ramp Rules: Housing Access and Terrace Exceptions](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/ramps/ramp-gradients/) ### Wet areas - [French Wet-Room Waterproofing: SPEC, SEL and Product Scope](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/wet-areas/waterproofing-requirements/) ## One code for the whole country France has **one** national **Code de la construction et de l’habitation** (CCH), and it applies the length and breadth of the country — no département-by-département or commune version. The CCH sets out the legal requirements; the detail underneath it is spread across **décrets**, **arrêtés** (ministerial orders) and, for a lot of the practical execution detail, the private **NF DTU** technical standards published by AFNOR. ## The exemption most guides skip Here’s the thing a lot of secondary sources get wrong, and this hub tries hard to get right: a large share of the *quantified* stair, guard-opening and ramp figures people cite as “French building code” don’t actually come from a general building code at all. They come from the **accessibility regulations** (the arrêté du 1er août 2006 and the arrêté du 24 décembre 2015), and those regulations, **by law, exempt an individual house built by or for its own owner-occupant** (CCH art. L161-1). They apply in full to a house built for **sale or rent**, and to collective buildings and ERP (public-facing establishments) — just not to your own self-build. So on these pages, wherever a “code number” only exists in that accessibility scope, we say so plainly and don’t print it as if it were a mandatory rule for a private house. Where there genuinely is no fixed dwelling figure — private stair rise and going is the clearest example — we say that too, and explain what actually governs instead: trade convention (the **loi de Blondel**), the one CCH clause that *is* general (guard-corps height), and the **NF DTU** standards a builder works to on site even though they’re not, strictly, “the law.” ## Where the numbers that ARE mandatory come from Different duties have different scopes. Check the **guard-corps height** at a balcony, terrace or floor edge (CCH art. R134-59), the rental decency test (Décret n°2002-120), the new-build area and volume rule (CCH R156-1), and the **ventilation flow-rate table** (arrêté du 24 mars 1982) . Each source must be read for the actual project. One more thing worth knowing before you rely on any figure here: **CCH Book I was recodified wholesale on 1 July 2021**, and a lot of familiar article numbers changed (the guard-corps rule, for instance, moved from the old R111-15 to the current **R134-59**). Any pre-2021 citation you find elsewhere should be treated as potentially superseded. Always confirm the current text on [legifrance.gouv.fr](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/) before you sign off on a job. This page is general information for tradespeople and is not compliance, engineering or legal advice. Requirements are subject to state and territory variations and adoption timing. Always confirm requirements with your building certifier and relevant state authority. ## Page directory - [France's Minimum Ceiling Height: the 2.20 m Décence Rule](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/rooms/minimum-ceiling-heights/index.md): Separate the rental decency test from construction area and volume rules, local requirements and ventilation design. - [French Footings: Clay-Risk Rules and Site Design](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/footings/footing-sizes-and-depth/index.md): France has a public clay-risk construction route with scoped depth figures. Check that route, the ground study and the designed concrete quantities. - [French Ramp Rules: Housing Access and Terrace Exceptions](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/ramps/ramp-gradients/index.md): Check which French access rules apply. Outside housing routes and space for a future terrace ramp have distinct limits and conditions. - [French Stair and Guard Rules: Check the Housing Scope](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/index.md): French stair dimensions depend on housing access scope. Check Article 12, CCH guard rules and the design standards for the actual project. - [French Wet-Room Waterproofing: SPEC, SEL and Product Scope](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/fr/wet-areas/waterproofing-requirements/index.md): Choose a wet-room system for its declared use. SPEC water protection, SEL waterproofing and the chosen technical assessment are not interchangeable.