2026 Budget: Building tradespeople denounce a glaring lack of ambition for housing renovation

2026 Budget: Renewed visibility for artisans, but still too timid choices

THEadoption of the 2026 budget This puts an end to a period of instability that severely impacted small construction businesses. Continued government action should allow for the reopening of the MaPrimeRénov' scheme and provide professionals with a degree of visibility. However, CAPEB will remain particularly vigilant regarding the swift, transparent, and effective resumption of this essential program for the renovation sector.

While the budget allocated to MaPrimeRénov' remains at €3,6 billion thanks to compensation through energy savings certificates (CEE), refocusing aid solely on comprehensive renovations fails to address either the concrete needs of households or their financial constraints. Furthermore, it does not support the activity of small construction businesses, which have been mired in a prolonged crisis for several months. For CAPEB, only the implementation of a phased energy renovation program, spread over several years and based on a series of individual actions, would make it possible to reconcile climate ambition, financial accessibility, and the maintenance of economic activity.

Furthermore, the Green Fund, a key lever for enabling local authorities to invest in the renovation of their public buildings, is facing a further budget cut, although this has been partially mitigated in the final version of the approved budget. Resources allocated to the maintenance and restoration of heritage sites are also being reduced, which will inevitably lead to fewer contracts for building contractors.

The only measure truly favorable to housing renovation concerns the creation of a private landlord status, applicable to both new builds and properties undergoing major renovations. CAPEB calls on parliamentarians to consolidate this progress by implementing complementary mechanisms capable of sustainably stimulating the renovation of existing housing.

2026 Budget: Insufficient tax measures to address the challenges of the construction sector

While the state of public finances should encourage the government to strengthen tax revenue collection, and while the distortion of competition between businesses is a well-known reality, particularly in the construction sector, members of parliament and senators have chosen not to lower the VAT exemption threshold to €25,000. CAPEB strongly deplores this decision and hopes that the debate initiated during the examination of the draft budget law will continue through in-depth parliamentary work.

CAPEB also regrets that the exemption scheme for intra-family donations intended to finance energy renovation work has not been extended at least until December 31, 2027. Limited to a single year of application, this measure, included in the 2025 budget at the initiative of CAPEB, risks remaining largely under-used, both by households and by building professionals.

For the same reasons, CAPEB regrets the lack of extension of the tax credit dedicated to adapting housing for aging and loss of autonomy. The needs related to maintaining an aging population in their homes are considerable and require long-term planning. The 2026 budget does not provide a satisfactory solution, particularly for the middle class.

Energy renovation: CAPEB calls for the rapid implementation of additional measures

Beyond budgetary decisions, CAPEB reiterates its concrete proposals to boost the energy renovation market and enable more French people to sustainably improve the energy performance of their homes:

• The effective implementation of access to RGE qualification through validation of acquired experience (VAE), in order to allow more craft businesses to access the market for subsidized energy renovation.
• The creation of a step-by-step work plan, offering households the opportunity to gradually commit to a complete energy renovation, according to their pace and financing capabilities.
• Encouraging work in Temporary Business Groups (GME), by removing insurance solidarity between companies, a clear and operational provision adopted in the Senate as part of the CHOC bill, thanks in particular to the involvement of the President of the Economic Affairs Committee, Ms. Estrosi Sassone, and which must now be placed on the agenda of the National Assembly as soon as possible.

For Jean-Christophe Repon, president of CAPEB: “Still facing a sustained decline in their renovation and energy adaptation business of -1,5% for the past five quarters, small building trades companies are awaiting ambitious and operational measures capable of reviving the renovation market. This would allow them to be ready to meet the scale of housing renovation needs. The 2026 budget marks a first step, but concrete and rapid progress is absolutely necessary on the RGE (Recognized Environmental Guarantor) certification, the phased renovation process, and the GME (Groupement de Mutualisation d'Enseignement - Energy Management Group) so that our sector can fully contribute to the ecological and social transformation of housing in France.”

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.