2026 Municipal Elections: CAPEB launches its proposals and calls on future elected officials to support artisanal construction companies

CAPEB, a resolutely local professional organization, is committed today to representing the voice of its members and the more than 500.000 craft businesses in the sector in these elections, which are important for their business.

Every day, craft construction companies contribute to the economic dynamics and development of regions throughout France, with more than 570.000 employees and 60.000 young apprentices. The most recent studies show that these VSEs have been the main job creators for many years, well beyond mid-sized companies and large groups, with a balanced distribution across the entire national territory.

Close to residents and elected officials alike, they build, renovate, maintain and transform spaces to meet local needs and thus participate in the development of their community.

Moreover, their commitment extends far beyond economic activity. Many leaders of these small businesses are also involved in local life, whether by supporting sports and cultural associations or serving as volunteer firefighters or reservists.

This model, based on the proximity and independence of craftsmen, must be strongly defended more than ever, in the face of the growing concentration of the construction sector and the danger of seeing craftsmen reduced to the role of mere subcontractors. Because the vitality of municipalities relies largely on the energy of their craft fabric, particularly in construction.

The Manifesto is structured around six major priorities and 39 proposals. It also provides candidates and future elected officials with insights into the sector and practical information for their local works projects.

CAPEB's proposals in six major priorities:

• Housing: Implement an ambitious policy of construction, renovation and adaptation of housing meeting local needs.
• Economic development: Supporting local craft businesses that serve the local economic fabric.
• Public procurement: Guarantee direct access for artisans to local markets, with simplified and fair procedures.
• Heritage: Maintain, renovate and restore built heritage by promoting local know-how.
• Mobility: Ensuring peaceful working conditions for craftsmen and easy access to construction sites.
• Ecological transition: Favoring craft businesses for an efficient energy transition anchored in the regions.

Among the CAPEB proposals:

• Place local artisans at the heart of urban planning policy;
• Implement an ambitious policy of energy renovation of housing and buildings, fully integrating local artisans;
• Define a charter of commitments dedicated to the local development of building crafts;
• Use “over-the-counter” public contracts of less than 100.000 euros excluding tax in order to facilitate access to these markets for local artisans;
• Allocate public contracts as much as possible and avoid using global public contracts which generate a cascade of subcontracting, are sources of lower quality, accidents, undeclared work and do not benefit the economic development of the territory;
• Limit subcontracting to one level in public procurement to prohibit cascading subcontracting which leads to economic predation and destruction of value in the construction sector;
• Strictly respect legal payment deadlines in public contracts and eliminate “hidden” deadlines linked to the processing of files;
• Ensure the smooth flow and parking of professional vehicles of craftsmen in order to guarantee the logistics of the construction sites and the proper exercise of their activity;
• Guarantee access for professionals to public waste disposal sites and provide a sufficient number of skips for the disposal of sorted waste;
• Maintain, renovate and restore the built heritage of the town by promoting the know-how of local artisans.

For the CAPEB, it is necessary to simplify the rules: adapt local urban planning (PLUs), reduce deadlines, and consult more with local artisans. This would accelerate construction, but also renovation, particularly energy renovation, which remains one of the major projects of the century.

Craft businesses are not asking for privileges, but for fair access to local public procurement. Too often excluded by cumbersome procedures or global contracts, they must be able to intervene on construction sites with guaranteed payment deadlines and appropriate criteria, thus contributing to the maintenance of schools, libraries, swimming pools, and community halls, for the direct benefit of residents. These issues are not merely technical; they will determine the ability of municipalities to effectively support craftspeople and preserve the vitality of their territories.

Simplification must also extend to the rules of mobility and management of construction site waste: guarantee of movement and parking, installation of scaffolding and authorized access to public waste disposal sites to ensure the proper activity of craftsmen.

Building tradespeople are also allies that mayors can rely on to ensure the preservation of local heritage. Their know-how and expertise in old buildings should enable local elected officials to regularly maintain their heritage and prevent it from deteriorating too much, often resulting in extremely high repair costs.

For Jean-Christophe Repon, president of CAPEB: "Traditional construction businesses are at the heart of local life. By supporting their development, municipal officials will not only strengthen the local economy, but also the social bonds and quality of life of their residents. The 2026 municipal elections must be an opportunity to choose this virtuous model. It is in this spirit that the CAPEB is launching its Manifesto, bringing together all of its proposals, and calling on future elected officials to get involved."

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.