Business insurance · France · Head-to-head
April Construction vs SMABTP
Two France business insurance options, compared side by side for France trades.
Which should you choose?
April Construction and SMABTP are both Tier A, which every business insurance entry without a reputation warning receives, so the tier does not separate them. Weigh the pros, cons, pricing and France-specific notes below against your trade and region.
April Construction
Tier A · ListedDécennale through broker APRIL Partenaires, with published starting prices per trade
APRIL Construction is the building-trades décennale offer (the PROBAT range) of APRIL Partenaires, a registered insurance intermediary in Fougères that places cover with partner insurers it does not name. It allows up to 10 insurable activities on one contract and publishes 'from' prices per trade, each tied to a stated profile. The APRIL group describes itself as a wholesale insurance broker and has been controlled by the investment firm KKR since 2023, according to press reports.
Pros
- + Publishes starting prices per trade, with the profile used
- + Up to 10 insurable activities on one contract
- + Digital attestation, including a phone wallet format
- + Also offers RC pro, multirisk, health and prévoyance cover
Cons
- − Starting prices assume a specific profile, such as a new business with €30,000 turnover
- − Broker: the insurer carrying the risk is not named on the page
- − Final price needs a quote; APRIL says premiums run from €700 to over €5,000 a year
- − Photovoltaic and design trades start far higher (€418 and €369 a month)
France note
APRIL's published 'from' prices are a useful first benchmark for décennale, but each is for one profile (for example a new electrician with €30,000 turnover), so get a quote for your own figures. Ask which insurer carries the policy and check that every activity you do is listed on the attestation.
SMABTP
Tier A · ListedConstruction mutual insurer since 1859: décennale, liability and business cover for building firms
SMABTP (Société mutuelle d'assurance du bâtiment et des travaux publics) is a Paris-based mutual insurer in Groupe SMA, founded in 1859 by a Paris masonry contractors' association; it says it wrote the first décennale contract in 1923. Its artisan décennale contract includes the ten-year liability plus civil liability, works-damage cover, legal protection and personal accident cover, and it offers an online quote. Premiums are not published and depend on trade, turnover, staff, company age, qualifications and claims history.
Pros
- + Mutual insurer focused on construction since 1859
- + Décennale bundled with civil liability, works damage and legal protection
- + Online décennale quote tool
- + Also insures vehicles, premises, health and prévoyance for artisans
Cons
- − No published prices
- − Premium depends on trade, turnover, staff, company age and claims history
- − Discount terms for new or claim-free firms not published
France note
SMABTP reminds builders that décennale cover is required from the first day of activity. It offers an online quote but publishes no prices, so get its quote alongside others and compare the activities covered, the excess and the attestation wording, not just the premium.
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