Hello, new to this site... would welcome any comments or suggestions.
Moving to France, Brittany area early next year.
I have been a long term builder in London, built over 40 loft conversions, and as many extensions and renovations... and was wondering what the work opportunities are like out there.
Thanks in advance.

Hi,
Can you speak and write proper French?
The jobs situation is dire in France.
Running a business means shelling out vast sums in taxes of all sorts and coping with un code du travail that has 3,000 pages, all in administrative French.
If you can speak French, why not? If you can't, then think of how you would answer the question, "Would I employ someone to work on my house in the UK who doesn't speak a word of English and who therefore doesn't know what a joist is, roof tiles or rendering."

Think about it long and hard, because it won't be easy, even if you can speak and write French like Patrick Modiano.
Good luck,
PB

+1
Whatever business structure you set up, there's also Social Security Côtisations, TVA, in addition to the various other taxes, to calculate and declare. A daunting task if you've no one to help you with the different, ever-changing percentages.
Bear in mind the stiff competition from qualified French builders who are chasing the same clients.
The main question is whether you speak/read/write adequate French in order to cope with French Administration and Bureaucracy, not to mention communicate with French suppliers and clients.
If you are bringing family with you, then there are other problems to take into account.
Give us a few more details and we can be more specific.
P.S. to PB - Patrick Modiano's style didn't go down too well with OH when he read one of his novels for the first time after the Nobel prize!

Not to mention you will need to make yourself familiar with French building materials and construction methodology as all things are not equal other than four walls and a roof. Im not sure if France has building regulations if they do it's obviously a book that a lot of folk don't buy.

My partner speaks near fluent French. My level is much less.
Thanks for the input so far.

My OH is fluent in French but struggled with building and car vocabulary - to be fair she didn't know most of these words in English. The bureaucracy is testing but as long as you ask them to explain things to you it is manageable.
The construction/extension industry is booming in London at the moment so I assume that you just want to leave the rat race behind.
Because of different standards in France, you would need to use local tradesman for the likes of plumbing; electrics and heating etc.
If you are not registered in France then you cannot sign-off such work yourself.
Note that some construction materials e.g. plaster are completely different in France.
Perhaps Le Plumber will log on and contribute some experience.
From Brittany, if you find things too difficult to get established, you could always commute back to London.
Good luck with your move

However in order to get permission for new builds, new extensions or major renovations, you have to know the latest building regs in sufficient detail to come up with plans that will meet the normes, which for new builds are extremely rigorous in terms of insulation/energy efficiency etc. The days are gone when you can build whatever you want however you want. France doesn't want any more housing stock that is energy-hungry to heat, so the authorities don't give planning permission for them and the banks don't easily give mortgages on them.

Also, I suggest you google 'assurance décennele' and 'assurance ouvrage-dommage' and get your wife to go through it with you, so that you'll understand your responsibilities as a professional builder - your liability does not end when you sell a property.

Will your partner be seeking work? If not, or if she finds nothing salaried, you must consider her healthcare coverage.
(When you say "partner", you mean you aren't legally bound?)
At the time, the partner without employment in a couple not legally bound (by marriage, PACS), wasn't covered by their employed partner's healthcare insurance. If the rules have changed, someone will come along to correct me, but you must research healthcare coverage for you both.
If you're renting at the beginning, bear in mind that landlords usually require proof (payslips, work contract) that your regular monthly income is 3-4 times the rent, otherwise you need a Guarantor.
If you've bought property, the Notaire should have advised you about the French Laws of Succession and how to protect yourselves. By law you would be considered as unrelated and the survivor would have to pay 60% of the value of their inheritance in Taxe de Succession. If either of you has children, then that complicates matters more....
Hope we're giving you food for thought, there's much more to it than arriving in France and touting for work!

Thank you for all the informative answers. I will let you know how it turns out.
Regards.