Renovating an apartment in the Paris 3rd: Le Haut-Marais, Arts-et-Métiers, Enfants-Rouges
Much of the 3rd arrondissement lies within the Marais safeguarding plan (PSMV): exterior changes, and sometimes certain interior features, are regulated. Renovating here is entirely possible, as long as you check the building’s status before demolishing anything.
- Fixed quote price
- No extra cost without a signed variation order
- Nothing is due before a stage is done
- Answer within 48 business hours
What you will find in the 3rd
17th-century mansions and buildings
Former town houses divided into apartments: timber-joist floors, very thick walls, original staircases and decor. Some interior features may be protected by the PSMV.
Where: Archives, rue des Francs-Bourgeois, rue de Turenne
Faubourg and rental buildings
Four to six storeys, timber floors, medium-sized apartments often running through the building, with inner courtyards.
Where: Enfants-Rouges, rue de Bretagne, Temple
Former workshops
Business premises on courtyards, once used by jewellers and leather workers. Turning them into a home means regularising the use and creating kitchen and bathroom.
Where: Arts-et-Métiers, Sainte-Avoye, rue Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth
The rules that apply here
- Within the Marais PSMV, planning applications need the approval of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France; windows, shutters and courtyard alterations are the most common cases.
- The PSMV can also protect interior features (staircases, decor, fireplaces): check the building’s status on the plan before any demolition.
- Load-bearing wall, shared pipe or flue: approval by the general meeting under article 25 of the 1965 law.
- Turning a workshop or office into a home is a change of use to be declared to the city.
Practical points to anticipate
- Heritage review lengthens the timeline: file early, ideally while the quotes are being compared.
- Old timber floors: any extra load (bathroom, kitchen, bookcases) is checked beforehand.
- Narrow, busy streets: deliveries and rubble removal are planned in advance.
Our projects in the 3rd
BeforeThree studios combined into a 95 m² family apartment under the Marais rooftops
- Size
- 95 m²
- Duration
- 5 months
- Budget
- €80,000 excl. VAT
BeforeA 25 m² Marais studio turned into a three-room flat, old beams and timber frame kept
- Size
- 25 m²
- Duration
- 5 weeks
- Budget
- €22,000 excl. VAT
A 53 m² apartment renovated in the former Sainte-Avoye hostelry, Le Marais
- Size
- 53 m²
- Duration
- 2 months
- Budget
- €50,000 excl. VAT
Your project in the 3rd
An English-speaking project manager replies within 24 business hours (Paris time). The visit, measurements and comparison of three quotes are free.
Other arrondissements: Paris 4th · Paris 6th · Paris 7th · Paris 16th · Paris 18th
Frequently asked questions
Can I renovate an apartment in the Marais?
Yes. Interior renovation is common; what is regulated is mainly the exterior and, in some buildings, protected interior features. We check the building’s status before the works.
Does the ABF need to approve my new windows?
In the Marais safeguarding plan, yes: window replacements go through a prior declaration reviewed by the Architecte des Bâtiments de France, who can impose materials and design.
Three quotes for your project, one contract, one contact
Tell us about your apartment. An English-speaking project manager calls or writes back within 24 business hours, wherever you are.
Fixed quote priceNo extra cost without a signed variation orderNothing is due before a stage is doneOur commitments →