Understanding the law and the scope of mandatory coverage
The law makes no distinction between new and renovation work when it comes to the obligation to take out damage to work insurance.
However, the scope of coverage is not exactly the same.
Art. L 243 -1-1 stipulates that workmen's compensation covers the cost of repairing damage to the completed work, as well as to EXISTING WORKS that are fully incorporated into the new work and become indivisible from it.
Let's imagine you're opening up a load-bearing wall in an apartment in a condominium complex. The damage to work insurance will pay for repairs to the load-bearing structure. It will do so regardless of the cost of your work (drilling doesn't usually cost much).
Seen from this angle, the obligation to pay damages may not be too far-fetched...
Who should (reasonably) subscribe?
The fact that workman's compensation is often imposed by a bank or a condominium association is annoying to the point of losing sight of the point.
We believe that anyone carrying out work of a certain scale involving structural work should not hesitate to take out structural damage insurance. This applies even without considering damage to existing structures.
Whether it's an old building, a renovation or an extension, doesn't really change the point of the warranty.
Of course, if you're also having work done on an elevation, we think it's a good idea to take out a workman's compensation policy.
For those who have more modest work carried out (and assuming they have the choice), the main issue is the potential cost of repairing indivisible existing structures. This is the eternal example of the wall pierced to enlarge a bedroom, which can then degenerate.