Description
Compagnons Bâtisseurs is a French network of associations that helps low-income tenants and owners repair and renovate their own homes themselves, with a building professional and volunteers at their side, and lends tools through tool libraries.
The movement started in France in 1957. Today a national association in Rennes coordinates regional associations, with a branch in Saint-Martin and offices in Guadeloupe, French Guiana and the Pays de la Loire; its board has 14 members from the regions. Its main method is “auto-réhabilitation accompagnée” (assisted self-renovation): the household does the work itself, while a technical supervisor and volunteers guide it. It is aimed at people in difficulty. In 2021 the network supported 6,310 households, carried out 4,540 housing jobs and ran 8,680 group activities.
Members of the tool libraries (“outilthèques”) can borrow the tools they need, and workshops teach how to use them safely. Costs and conditions vary by region: in the Aix-Marseille-Provence programme, for example, the support is free for the owner and paid for by the metropolitan authority. Compagnons Bâtisseurs is one of the operators that the national housing agency Anah can call on, and volunteers can sign up online to help on building sites.
Strengths
- The household does the work itself with professional supervision, which lowers the bill and leaves it with new skills.
- Tool libraries lend tools to members, so they don’t have to buy a sander or a drill for one job.
- It works with local authorities and the Anah, which pay for the support in some programmes.
Weaknesses
- Conditions and costs depend on the region and the local programme, and the national site doesn’t list them.
- It is aimed at households in difficulty, so it isn’t a renovation service open to everyone.
- The latest activity figures on the site are from 2021.
Who it is for
Low-income tenants and owner-occupiers in France whose home needs repairs they can’t pay a contractor for, and who are willing to do the work with help.
Sources
- Compagnons Bâtisseurs: home, who we are, national association, assisted self-renovation, tool libraries, volunteering, legal notice (checked November 2026)
- Assemblée nationale: question écrite n° 21294 sur l’auto-réhabilitation
- Mairie d’Éguilles: feuillet auto-réhabilitation accompagnée (2024)
- Fondation pour le logement: cahier auto-réhabilitation