The increase in air conditioning and ventilation work allowed energy renovation to return to growth in the third quarter of 2026. A rebound that is still fragile, warns CAPEB.
The scorching summer will have supported at least part of theactivity of building craftsmen. In fact, between July and September 2026, energy renovation work has progressed 1% compared to the previous quarter, according to figures published by CAPEBa first increase after two and a half years of decline, driven in particular by the demand for air conditioning and ventilation installations.
However, this surge does not change the general trend. Over one year, theoverall activity of craft construction companies has decreased by 1% in the third quarter. New construction remains in decline, as does maintenance and improvement work. “We continue to work with a degraded mode of activity and this generates annoyance and worry“, warned Jean-Christophe Repon, the president of CAPEB. For businesses, the recovery therefore remains far from certain.
Air conditioning and ventilation are driving energy renovation upwards, but building craftsmen remain in the red, with activity down 1% over one year. CAPEB also points to the rise in costs and the exclusion of artisanal companies from certain heat pump markets. © IA / Laure Pophillat
Air conditioning supports two trades, not the whole building
There progress of energy renovation is explained above all by the episodes of extreme heat and the needs that they have brought about. Thus, the requests for air conditioning and ventilation work have increased, giving a boost to certain specialties; THE roofing-plumbing-heating companies having thus recorded an increase of 2.5% in their activity, while those of electricity increased by 0.5%.
In other construction professions, the trend is significantly less favorable since activity fell by 2% in the third quarter. CAPEB therefore invites us not to interpret this result as a sign of a lasting recovery, Jean-Christophe Repon describing it as “one-time bounce“, linked to exceptional weather conditions and which is not likely to “occur again in the coming months“.
Heat pumps: CAPEB denounces the exclusion of craftsmen
Beyond the activity figures, the president of CAPEB was seriously concerned about the conditions of access to the heat pump market. The device of leasing of this equipment launched by the government relies on selected consortia to which, according to him, the building craftsmen do not have sufficient access. Jean-Christophe Repon said he was particularlyirritated“to see the craft businesses excluded from these operations. “We want to fight for access to the market for building craftsmen“, he insisted.
For CAPEB, the risk is to see markets concentrated in the hands of a limited number of industrial players, to the detriment of artisanal fabric which carries out a large part of the work in private homes. The President of the Confederation thus considers that a “market concentration is underway“, the issue goes beyond the sole device of leasing since it concerns theaccess for craftsmen to energy renovation marketswhile this work constitutes an essential lever of their activity.
Fuel and materials: costs continue to rise
Businesses also have to deal with rising expenses. The increase in fuel prices has a direct impact on travel, deliveries and the organization of construction sites. It also has repercussions on the prices of materials, accentuating pressure on margins. In fact, theinvestigation carried out by CAPEB reports particularly marked increases since March 2026, at the start of the war in the Middle East; three out of ten companies surveyed say they have experienced an increase of more than 10% in their costs. For 37% of them, the increase is between 5% and 10%.
In a context where activity remains in decline, these increases complicate the economic balance of construction sites, with craftsmen having to absorb additional expenses while weak demand limits their possibilities of fully passing on the increases to their customers.
Faced with this situation, the Confederation requests to be received by the Prime Minister. She wishes to defend her proposals as part of discussions on the state budget for 2027, including a temporary reduction in VAT on renovation work. Said The measure aims to support demand and make work more accessible to households, while giving businesses more visibility.
For CAPEB, the goal is to revive a market which remains under pressure, despite the surge observed this summer in certain activities.
