French Business Quote (Devis) Template for SMEs

Not always. Between businesses, a purchase order or your general terms and conditions (CGV — conditions générales de vente) can stand in for a formal quote. However, a written devis becomes mandatory for repair, maintenance and emergency call-out services on buildings and home equipment from €150 TTC upwards (Arrêté of 24 January 2017). Even when not legally required, issuing a signed devis is strongly advisable: it fixes the price, scope and deadline in a binding document.

A compliant devis must show: the date of issue and the offer's validity period; the supplier's full legal name, SIREN/SIRET number and address; the client's identity and the place of work; a line-by-line breakdown of services (quantity, unit, unit price HT); the total HT, each VAT rate with its amount, and the total TTC; payment terms and deadlines; the statement 'devis reçu avant exécution des travaux' (quote received before work begins); and whether the devis itself is free of charge or billable. Omissions can trigger administrative fines.

The validity period is set freely by the business and must be stated on the document — typically 30 to 90 days in practice. Once that deadline passes, the business is no longer bound by the quoted prices. If no expiry date is stated, French courts may treat the offer as binding for a 'reasonable period', which exposes you to cost increases you cannot pass on. Always state an explicit expiry date.

Yes. A devis constitutes a formal offer. Once the client signs it 'bon pour accord' (accepted as quoted) within its validity period, it converts into a binding contract. The supplier is committed to the quoted price, scope and timeline; any change requires a fresh signed amendment (avenant). The client is obliged to pay under the accepted terms. Work may not legally begin until the signed devis is returned to the supplier.

For repair, maintenance and emergency call-out services covering buildings and home equipment, a detailed written devis is mandatory from €150 TTC, under the Arrêté of 24 January 2017. Below that threshold it is still recommended. The figure of €1,500 sometimes cited is not a trigger threshold — it is the maximum administrative fine applicable to an individual (natural person) for failing to issue the mandatory devis.

French law (Art. L441-10 II Code de commerce) imposes late-payment interest automatically — no contractual clause is needed — at the European Central Bank's most recent main refinancing rate plus 10 percentage points. Parties may agree a different rate by contract, but it can never fall below three times the statutory interest rate (taux d'intérêt légal). Additionally, a flat-rate recovery indemnity of €40 per overdue invoice applies automatically (Art. L441-10 III Code de commerce). Payment terms cannot exceed 60 days, or 45 days end-of-month.