'You can't do it for another three months?!' That's right, and I am going to explain why it is actually rather good news. An artisan's lead time is not a whim: it is information about the health of his business. Here is how to read it, and how to plan your project so the wait is never a problem.
Let's start with the figure that sets the record straight: according to CAPEB, the French federation of building artisans, the average artisan's stood at around 68 days of work in mid-2025. A little over two months of signed projects waiting their turn. In other words: when an artisan announces a lead time of two or three months, he is not making you wait for the sake of it. He is simply in the normal range for a business that has work.
A full order book is the sum of all the clients who compared, thought it over, and chose that particular artisan. It is the most honest form of recommendation there is: people voting with their budget. And there is a mechanical effect few clients know about: an artisan with work ahead of him has no reason to cut corners, overload his days or run between three sites. He can do things in order, and do them well. It is the one with nothing lined up who is sometimes tempted to say yes to everything, including work he has not mastered.
I have to be fair here, because 2023-2026 are hard years for the building trade: construction is the sector hardest hit by business failures in France, and even excellent artisans see their order book shrink, or have a gap in the schedule after a cancellation. An artisan who is available quickly is not suspicious in itself. What should alert you is the accumulation: available tomorrow, AND markedly cheaper than everyone else, AND keen to take a large deposit. Each element on its own has an explanation; all three together, rarely. I go into detail in is the cheapest quote a good deal.
I sometimes turn down projects. Not gladly, but I would rather give a frank no at the start than a yes that turns into a headache for everyone. When I say no, it is for a simple reason: either it is outside my skills and someone else will do it better than me, or my schedule will not let me do it in good conditions, or I sense from the visit that we do not understand each other on the project. In all three cases, taking you on anyway would be doing you a disservice.
My honest opinion: be wary of the artisan who says yes to everything, straight away, without asking questions. A professional who knows his limits and his schedule will sometimes tell you no, or not now, or not like that. It is frustrating in the moment, and it is exactly the behaviour you want from someone who is going to work on your house. And if an artisan turns down your project, ask him for a name: we know our colleagues, and nobody sends their clients to a bad one.
One last point, the most important: a quoted lead time should be a lead time that is kept. With me, the date set on the quote is a date, not an intention. My clients say it better than I do in their reviews. A serious artisan will always rather announce three honest months than three false weeks. Both exist on the market; the first one respects you.
Not necessarily, and it is only fair to say so: the building trade is going through difficult years, and even very good artisans sometimes have a gap in their schedule, a cancellation, or are just back from a big project. It is one clue to weigh up against the rest: client reviews, insurance certificate, the quality of the quote, past work. A short lead time plus a very low quote plus a large deposit, on the other hand, is a combination that should put you on your guard.
For a significant project, allow 2 to 4 months between first contact and the start of the work: visit, quote, thinking time, ordering materials, a slot in the schedule. For a deck in summer or windows before winter, call a season ahead. Small jobs slot in faster, between two bigger projects.
Thank him, sincerely. An artisan who tells you 'this is not my speciality' or 'I do not have the availability to do it well' is doing you a real favour: he is sparing you a poorly controlled project. Ask whether he can recommend a colleague: artisans know their local network and do not send their clients to just anyone.
Call me early: we set up the visit, the quote and the slot that suits you, and the date we set is the date I keep. That is how I have worked since 2018. I speak English, so feel free to call or write in English.
+33 6 03 57 45 47Reply within 48 hours, or in writing: contact@agencementklein.fr
