Masonry covers a wide range of work: foundations, slabs, building walls, forming or enlarging openings, boundary walls, and also underpinning during a renovation. What they have in common is that they affect the structure. An undersized foundation, a wall out of plumb or a badly supported lintel will cost you for a long time, and are expensive to put right.
That is why the choice of contractor matters more here than for finishing trades. Before signing, a few concrete checks are in order.
First check: the company must hold valid garantie décennale cover, the French ten-year structural liability insurance, for the type of work concerned. It covers, for ten years, damage that affects the soundness of the building or makes it unfit for its purpose. Ask for the certificate; it is a perfectly normal request.
To that are added the garantie de parfait achèvement, during the year following handover, and the garantie biennale, for two years, on removable fittings. For a new build, the assurance dommages-ouvrage means repairs are paid for quickly, without waiting for a dispute to be settled. MCI Construction works with all of these covers in place.
A serious quote itemises the work: exactly what is to be done, the materials planned, quantities, labour, the applicable rate of TVA, French VAT. It lets you compare several offers on a common basis and serves as a reference if there is a disagreement during the works. Be wary of a single lump-sum figure with no detail at all.
The quote should follow a preliminary visit: access to the site, the nature of the ground, the condition of existing masonry in a renovation. MCI Construction provides a free survey and quote after inspecting the site.
How the work is carried out matters as much as the price: accurate setting out, levels and plumb respected, suitable reinforcement, concrete curing times observed, protection of work in progress. A company that carries out the structural work itself, rather than subcontracting everything, has a firmer grip on these points.
Ask too how supervision is organised: a named contact, regular progress reviews, how the unexpected is handled, from ground that differs from what was expected to discoveries made during demolition. A concrete example says more than a long speech: the boundary wall built at Boutenac, in the Corbières, illustrates this way of working, from setting out to the finishes.
MCI Construction carries out masonry and structural work with its own teams. The company works in Narbonne and the Grand Narbonne, in the Corbières and the Minervois, along the Aude coast and as far as Béziers.
A boundary wall, a slab, an opening in a load-bearing wall or complete structural work: MCI Construction will assess your project on site and draw up a free quote.