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Summary of our market study
The plumbing market in France is valued at €14 billion.
The plumbing market is growing, thanks in part to the French government's renovation assistance programs.
The market is dominated by small businesses (over 15,000), which face competition from seconded and illegal workers.
Regulations require service checks every six months and annual maintenance for boilers, emphasize the use of RGE professionals for tax credit eligibility, and impose SPI for plumbing contractors. The regulations on quotations require the inclusion of several estimates for any work exceeding 150 euros.
The hardware trade, essential to plumbers, is growing steadily. Innovations in smarter, more efficient equipment are shaping the market, forcing plumbers to adapt to technological advances.
Trends in the French plumbing market
The French plumbing market has experienced a post-control resurgence, with a robust recovery fueled by measures to combat illegal work and government incentives for thermal home renovation. Plumbers play an essential role in the construction sector, which is heavily populated by small businesses.
One of the main factors influencing demand for plumbing is the housing construction market, particularly the production of new homes. The number of building permits jumped by around 20% in 2021, and housing starts were also up by around 10-15%. The trend reverses from 2022 onwards.
With homeowners prioritizing energy consumption, plumbing companies have the opportunity to capitalize on energy-saving initiatives.
Insulation accounts for around half of all renovation work carried out, with heating and window replacement close behind. Kitchen and bathroom renovation budgets come in second, just behind investments in insulation and renovations. On average, homeowners spend much more on home improvements than renters.
The DIY movement represents both an opportunity and a challenge for the sector. While only 15-20% of homeowners undertake plumbing-related DIY projects, the market for DIY materials is substantial. Four major groups dominate 93% of the market, led by Adeo with a market share of almost 45%.
The sector's workforce is largely made up of very small businesses (VSEs), employing an average of three to four people per company.
Despite the market's dynamism, competition from seconded or illegal workers is a major challenge.
Players in the specialized construction and plumbing sectors
- Dominant forces in specialized construction
- In construction, groups such as Eiffage, Bouygues and SPIE play a leading role.
- Engie Axima specializes in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
Leaders in plumbing services
- UTB
- Anvolia
- Fouchard
- Gallier
Digital facilitators
- Enchantier.com,
- Habitatpresto
- Izi by EDF
Specialized distributors
Descours et Cabaud
Cedeo
Rubix
Numerous small plumbing companies throughout France
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Detailed content of our market study
Inforamtion
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1Introduction
The plumbing market is a sub-segment of the water and gas installation market, and therefore of the construction and maintenance/renovation market. It's an activity that's constantly in demand, as infrastructures need to be kept in good working order.
The global plumbing market has been growing steadily for the past decade, and is set to continue growing at a rate of over 5.4% over 2022-2030.
The real estate crisis of 2023 impacted the building sector by limiting the number of new homes under construction: in the first quarter of 2024, housing starts fell by a historic 23%. This had repercussions on plumbing, which represents a substantial share of the construction sector. The French market is highly fragmented, with the big construction players Eiffages, Vinci and Bouygues surprisingly accounting for only a reasonable share of the plumbing market (less than 20% of plumbing sales ).
The supply trend was towards contactless plumbing, which had been developing since the pandemic and the emergence of barrier gestures. Since 2023, the trend has been towards connected plumbing, in which major investments are being made. Flovea, a specialist in connected plumbing in France, raised 1.5 million euros in 2023 to further develop its Flowbox product (an algorithm that analyzes household habits to reduce water consumption).
1.2 World Market
Global carwash market World, ****-*****, in $ Billions Source: ****
The global plumbing market, valued at $**.* billion in ****, is experiencing impressive momentum and is expected to grow at a significant compound annual growth rate (***) of over *.*% over the forecast period from **** to ****.
This growth projects the market to reach $**.* billion by ****, underlining the ...
1.3 A growing national market
Estimated market size for "Water and gas installation work on all premises" France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****
This graph reveals a clear and marked trend in the water and gas installation sector in France. Between **** and ****, the market grew steadily from * billion euros in **** to over **.* billion euros in ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 The impact of the real estate crisis
Trend in sales of older homes France, ****-*****, by units sold **** : (***) Source: ****
Trends in the number of real estate transactions in the older housing segment have a direct influence on activity in the plumbing sector. This is because, on a fairly regular basis, renovation work is undertaken following these sales.
Between ...
2.2 Energy renovation supports the plumbing sector
There are a number of energy renovation incentives available, but we're going to focus on those that are most relevant to the plumbing sector. MaPrimeRénov', in particular, stands out for its direct impact on plumbing, especially for work related to heating and hot water. It enables households and condominiums to ...
2.3 Do it yourself plumbing
Global DIY market World, ****-****, in $ billions Source: ****
The chart shows a sharp rise in the global DIY market, from $***.* billion in **** to a projected $*,*** billion by ****, an increase of almost**% in less than a decade. This global expansion testifies to thegrowing craze for Do It Yourself, particularly in response to ...
2.4 Internet searches and trade flows
Change by department ****-**** France, ****-****, in Source: ****
The table highlights changes in sales in various DIY sectors between **** and ****.
In the plumbing-SDB-heating sector, there is a *% increase in value, despite a *% drop in volume. This is largely due to inflation, which has enabled product prices to be maintained or even ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Value chain
Value chain:
Raw materials suppliers: They produce the metals, plastics and other materials used in the manufacture of plumbing products. Ex: ArcelorMittal
Component manufacturers: They transform raw materials into finished products such as pipes, faucets, boilers and fittings used by installers. Ex: Grohe
Specialized wholesalers: They buy components in large quantities ...
3.2 Volume and geographical breakdown of companies and employees
Number of companies in the "water and gas installation work on all premises" sector France, ****-****, in thousands Source: ****
The graph shows steady growth in the number of companies in the " water and gas installation work on all premises " sector in France.
Between **** and ****, the number of companies rose from **,*** to ...
3.3 A sector with few barriers to entry
Fund origin Paris, ****, in units Source: ****
Of the **** companies registered in the "Water and gas installation work on all premises" sector in Paris, **** were start-ups. In fact, **% of companies in this sector in Paris are start-ups, not takeovers. This speaks volumes about market barriers, which are by inference almost non-existent.
Before ...
3.4 A highly fragmented sector
Water and gas installation companies for all premises France, ****, as % of total Source: ****
This graph shows the distribution of water and gas installation companies in France in ****. **% of these companies have between * and ** employees, which means that almost half the sector is made up of small businesses. The remaining **% are made ...
3.5 A sector struggling to recruit
Let's take a look at what this map tells us about opportunities for plumbers-heaters across France in ****. The national average of recruitment difficulties for these professions is **.*%. This means that in almost * out of ** cases, companies are struggling to recruit plumbers/heaters. This figure illustrates a real demand and an opportunity ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Offer typology
There are three different categories of plumbing work:
Zinc plumbing, which deals with water drainage and collection (***). It's called this because it involves applying a zinc coating to ensure watertightness.
Central heating: Involves installing and repairing heating systems in the home: wall-mounted, floor-standing or oil-fired boilers. The plumber is also a ...
4.2 Prices for plumbing services
The table shows hourly rates (***) for plumbing work in different areas and situations. In the Île-de-France region, hourly rates range from €** to €**, with travel expenses between €** and €**. For work at weekends or on public holidays, rates are **% to **% higher than standard rates. In all cases, VAT is charged at **%
The table ...
4.3 Connected plumbing
Connected plumbing refers to the integration of intelligent technologies into plumbing systems, enabling automated and optimized control of domestic infrastructures.
This new generation of plumbing transforms traditional equipment, such as faucets and water heaters, into intelligent devices, capable of responding to voice commands, monitoring consumption in real time and preventing problems ...
4.4 Contactless valves
Non-contact faucets use infrared sensors to detect movement and automatically activate or deactivate the water flow. Unlike traditional faucets, these models require no manual action to open or close. Usually placed on the faucet spout, the sensor detects the presence of hands and triggers the flow of water as soon as ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Regulations
RE**** (***): from January *, ****, this standard imposes new requirements for the construction of new buildings, replacing RT****. It aims to reinforce energy sobriety, limit CO₂ emissions, and improve summer comfort in buildings. For the plumbing sector, this means using decarbonized heating and hot water systems, as well as optimizing plumbing installations to ...
5.2 Future regulations
Ban on boilers in new multi-family homes (***): The ban on gas-fired boilers in new single-family homes, effective since ****, will be extended to new multi-family homes from **** in line with the RE****. This new step will encourage builders to opt for more environmentally-friendly alternatives, such as heat pumps or biomass boilers, to ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Player segmentation
The table above provides an overview of the main players in the French plumbing sector. It includes national and international companies, most of which are listed on the stock exchange, as well as family-run businesses with subsidiaries directly involved in plumbing activities.
The sales figures for **** underline the economic importance of ...
- Axima Concept (Engie)
- Bouygues Construction
- SPIE
- Anvolia
- Fouchard
- UTB
- Gallier
- Entreprise Clément
- Entreprise Marin
- Habitatpresto
- Izi by EDF
- Hammel Robinetterie
- Martin Belaysoud - Tereva
- Descours et Cabaud
- Rubix Europe
- EnChantier.com (Groupe Batiactu)
- Kramer WTS (Kohler Group)
- Axenergie
- Dompro
- Cedeo
List of charts presented in this market study
- World plumbing market
- Revenue share of the bathroom plumbing market, by end use,
- Sales trend for "Water and gas installation work on all premises"
- Sales of older homes
- Cumulative number of units over 12 months
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Latest news
Téréva continues to diversify into renewable energies - 30/08/2024
- Téréva, the Martin Belaysoud group's main subsidiary, is number three in the professional distribution of plumbing and heating equipment and tools.
- Téréva continues to diversify into renewable energies with the acquisition of Aprosios Energie via its Ned (Nouvelles énergies distribution) banner.
- The company acquired Aprosios Energie, specialized in the distribution of photovoltaic equipment, at the beginning of the summer.
- Aprosios is headquartered in Châteaugiron (Ille-et-Vilaine) and brings a sixth warehouse and five sales outlets.
- In May, Martin Belaysoud's subsidiary Solipac took over CClim, a specialist in the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) segment with three stores in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, making it the leading Hitachi dealer in France.
- The group plans to expand its network of almost 200 sales outlets by opening three branches in Montélimar (Drôme), Saint-Junien (Haute-Vienne) and Colmar (Haut-Rhin).
- Martin Belaysoud: The ETI has 3,000 employees and sales of 1.2 billion euros.
Bouygues Construction aims to stand out in the industry - 29/07/2024
- - Bouygues Construction sales: 3.2 billion euros in France.
- - Number of employees at Bouygues Construction: 7,000.
- - Year of creation of dedicated subsidiary Bouygues Bâtiment Industrie: early 2024.
- - Industrial order intake in 2023: 530 million euros.
- - Number of people in the pool of industry experts after expansion: 600 (compared with 450 previously).
- - Geographical areas previously concentrated in personnel: Ile-de-France and Hauts-de-France.
- - Priority sectors: data centers, logistics, food processing.
Bouygues Construction sets up temporary factories near its projects - 18/06/2024
- Transformation towards industrialization and digitization: Bouygues Construction is stepping up the industrialization of construction, including digitization and prefabrication/modularization.
- The "BRYCK "** digital platform: Developed in collaboration with Dassault Systèmes, used this year on a dozen new housing sites for their industrialization potential.
- Industrial partnership with TH for modular wood projects.
- Temporary factory set up near the site of the future Tremblay-en-France prison to produce 800 3D concrete modular elements, including 705 prison cells.
- Bouygues Construction sales: 10 billion euros by 2023, with an international rate of 60%.
- Bouygues Construction employs 32,500 people.
- Bouygues Construction opts for temporary rather than permanent production sites.
Rubix concentrates its forces in Chenôve - 29/05/2024
- Distribution of ball bearings, hand tools, abrasive products, supplier brands (80%), own labels (20%).
- Sales: 1 billion euros in France by 2022, 3 billion euros at European level.
- Total workforce in France: 2,800.
- Three main warehouses (Picardie, Île-de-France, Landerneau) and a fourth to be launched in Reims in 2023 for European flows.
Clara Sanitaires joins forces with the Kramer Group - 28/03/2024
- Clara Sanitaires founded in 1965
- Manufacture of sanitary equipment (flush mechanisms, float valves, cisterns, support frames)
- Number of Kramer Group employees: 185
- Kramer Group sales: 30 million euros
- Partnership objective for Clara Sanitaires: Strengthen its position in the French sanitaryware market
- Number of Clara Sanitaires employees: 12
- Clara Sanitaires sales: 1.5 million euros
European Commission approves Spie's takeover of Robur - 13/02/2024
- Robur, a German industrial services company, has been acquired by Spie, a French electrical and mechanical engineering specialist.
- Robur is based in Munich and employs 2,600 people.
- Robur is expected to generate sales of €380 million by 2023.
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the plumbing market | France
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