Protecting your money in renovation
Milestone payments are the standard method architects use to manage construction projects. Article 9.1 of the standard contracts published by the French Order of Architects (Ordre des Architectes) states that fees are payable as the work progresses.
Mastros applies the same logic: every payment matches a stage the project owner has verified. In 2024, France's consumer protection authority (DGCCRF) recorded 78,000 complaints related to building works (source: DGCCRF annual report 2024).
What architects have always known
When an architect manages a renovation project, the homeowner remains the project owner (maître d'ouvrage). They approve each stage, sign off on each payment, and choose their own tradespeople. Article 7.3 of the Ordre des Architectes standard contracts confirms it: paying the fee for a given stage of the assignment counts as authorisation to continue.
This principle exists because it works. Architects have used it for decades to protect construction projects.
The problem? Only homeowners who hire an architect (8 to 12% of the cost of the works) get this protection. Everyone else pays blind.
Mastros gives every homeowner the same tools an architect would use: contractor verification, milestone payments, sign-off at each stage. The difference from a turnkey service? You do not hand over your decisions. You make them, with the right tools.
How milestone payments work?
This is exactly what an architect does during the works-supervision phase (Direction de l'exécution des travaux, or DET): they check, they approve, they authorise payment. Mastros gives you that same ability without hiring an architect.
Step 1 :
You agree on a payment schedule with your tradesperson: 25% deposit, 35% on structural work, 40% on finishes.
Step 2 :
You place the funds in a secure account held by a trusted third party.
Step 3 :
The tradesperson completes the first stage and requests payment.
Step 4 :
You inspect the work. If it matches the agreement, you approve it and the funds are released.
Step 5 :
If the work does not match the agreement, the funds stay held until it is corrected.
What French law says
The 5% retention (retenue de garantie, article 1799-1 of the Civil Code) lets you hold back 5% of the total for one year after the works are formally accepted. It is your right: use it every time by writing it into the works contract with your tradesperson.
The deposit cap : the DGCCRF recommends never going above 30%. The Ordre des Architectes standard contracts set a 20% deposit at the start of each stage of the assignment (article 8).
The ban on cash payment above 1,000 euros between a business and a private individual (article D. 112-3 of the Monetary and Financial Code).
Milestone payments vs standard payment
| Direct payment | Turnkey service (model tranditional) | Milestone payments (Mastros) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who controls the project? | The homeowner alone | The platform decides | The homeowner, with the tools |
| Who chooses the tradespeople? | The homeowner | The platform selects | The homeowner, from a verified directory |
| Who approves each stage? | No one (unless an architect is hired) | The platform's in-house team | The homeowner directly |
| If the tradesperson walks off | Money lost | The platform handles it (opaque) | Funds held, refund possible |
| Cost transparency | No tracking | Commission often less transparence | Commission shown |
Five mistakes that cost you
Paying more than a 30% deposit.
The DGCCRF advises against it. Architect contracts use 20%.
Confusing the two kinds of deposit (arrhes and acompte).
With arrhes, either side can pull out. An acompte commits both parties.
Accepting a quote with no payment schedule.
Each payment should match a stage you can verify.
Neglecting the formal acceptance of the works (réception des travaux).
This is the legal act that triggers the warranties: ten-year (décennale), two-year (biennale), and completion (parfait achèvement).
Forgetting the 5% retention.
Article 1799-1 of the Civil Code gives you this right. Ask for it in your works contract.
FAQ
Are milestone payments mandatory?
No. It is a voluntary protection. But it is the standard method architects use in the model contracts published by the Ordre des Architectes. We recommend it for any project above 5,000 euros.
How does Mastros secure payments?
Mastros builds milestone payments directly into the platform. The homeowner pays, the funds are protected, and they are released stage by stage once the homeowner approves. There is no extra cost to the homeowner.
What is the difference from a turnkey service?
A turnkey service runs the project for you: they pick the tradespeople, supervise the works, and decide on your behalf. Mastros gives you the tools to run it yourself: you choose your tradespeople, you approve each stage, you keep control. It is the architect's model: the homeowner remains the project owner.
Do milestone payments protect the tradesperson too?
Yes. The tradesperson knows the funds will be released as soon as their work is approved. It is a guarantee of payment.
Sources
- Ordre des Architectes, standard contracts for private clients (Method 2, September 2022; Method 3, May 2022), articles 7.3, 8, 9.1: — https://www.architectes.org/
- DGCCRF, 2024 annual report: — https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf
- Civil Code, article 1799-1 (retention): — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/
- Monetary and Financial Code, article D. 112-3: — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/
- France Rénov' : — https://france-renov.gouv.fr/