Building a wooden house in 2025 requires a careful reading of the standards, mastery of industrial processes, and anticipation of environmental objectives. Between the strict application of the 2025 regulation, the increased requirements of RE2020, and the rise of prefabrication, each step — from the choice of species to obtaining building permits — is decided today right from the design phase. This dossier gathers the essential rules, examples of emblematic construction sites, and concrete avenues to comply with construction standards without sacrificing ecological architecture or budget.
- ✔️ Environment: how wood construction contributes to carbon neutrality
- ✔️ Regulation: essential texts (DTU, Eurocodes, RE2020, fire safety)
- ✔️ Technical: prefabrication, thermal insulation, and solutions for summer comfort
- ✔️ Administrative: procedures to obtain your building permits and guarantees
- ✔️ Economy: actual costs, operational gains, and possible aids
2025 Regulation: Legal framework and implications for a wooden house
In 2025, the regulatory context for wood construction has tightened, pushing builders and project owners to integrate early on the carbon assessment and energy performance. The RE2020, previously in force, has become the main lever guiding the choice of materials towards low-carbon solutions. For an owner like Claire, who entrusts her project to the family company “Atelier Pin,” the first step was to anticipate the Ic Construction to avoid compensation overruns.
The practical obligations to know include:
- 📌 Respect for the calculation of carbon impact (Ic) and operating energy (Ic Energy);
- 🧾 Compliance with applicable DTUs for wooden frame structures, notably DTU 31.2 and the DTU related to cladding;
- 🔥 Respect for fire safety prescriptions for building use and height;
- 🏛 Verification of urban planning rules (PLU) and obtaining building permits or classic permits depending on the municipalities.
In practice, obtaining authorizations starts with a feasibility study that will take into account soil nature, the possibility of raising the building, and PLU constraints. To guide procedures, consult general and synthetic resources such as the 2025 regulatory details or feedback published by sector players on ConstructionDurable.net.
Summary table of administrative obligations:
| Step 📝 | Required action 🏗️ | Key documents 📂 |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility | Soil study, network qualification | G2 AVP, soil study |
| Permits | Submission of the file to the town hall | PC, plans, RE2020 thermal study |
| Design | Wood / frame engineering | Calculation notes (Eurocode 5) |
| Execution | Controls, airtightness tests | QAI, airtightness test |
Finally, it is useful to refer to legal and technical summaries to secure the project. For example, specialized portals explain how to build according to the 2025 regulation and which documents to provide: analysis of the 2025 standards and a practical guide for compliance signed by experts on wood frame regulation.
Final insight: planning administrative tasks in parallel with design significantly reduces risks of delays and additional costs.
Technical standards and fire safety for wooden frames
The technical compliance of a wooden house revolves around the DTUs, Eurocodes, and specific fire safety rules. The engineering team accompanying Marc’s land dossier, an architect who is designing a bioclimatic house, detailed every point: post sections, choice of bracing panels, treatment of joints, and integration of a fire shield if necessary. These topics are now at the heart of the prescriptions to obtain administrative approval.
The essential technical points include:
- 🧩 Compliance with DTU 31.2 for implementing wooden frame structures;
- 📐 Application of Eurocode 5 for the calculation of structural timber elements;
- 🌪️ Consideration of climatic and seismic loads via Eurocode 8 for high-risk zones;
- 🔥 Fire protection measures: fire-resistant claddings, compartmentalization, and Euroclass-rated materials.
For fire safety, several strategies are possible depending on the program:
- Use of fire-resistant claddings (high-density plasterboards);
- Conservative sizing of structural elements to guarantee fire resistance times (EI30, EI60, etc.);
- Compartmentalization of sensitive rooms and creation of compliant evacuation routes;
- Fire-retardant treatments and detection/alarm systems adapted to ERP or collective housing.
Technical table: criteria and recommended solutions
| Criteria 🔧 | Requirement | Possible solutions 🛠️ |
|---|---|---|
| Bracing | Lateral rigidity | OSB 3, plywood, fiberboard |
| Fire resistance | EI30 to EI90 | Plasterboards, intumescent claddings |
| Airtightness | Permeability ≤ 0.6 m³/(h.m²) | Membranes, blower door tests |
| Acoustics | Isolation between dwellings | Floating floors, resilient insulations |
In practice, technical solutions must be validated by a design office. Numerous feedbacks show that special care to joints and airtightness simplifies RE2020 compliance. To deepen the detailed regulatory aspects and up-to-date requirements, specialized articles offer a complete reading of the 2025 regulation: see notably RE2020 guide for wooden houses.
Checklist before starting construction:
- ✅ Validation of Eurocode 5 calculation notes;
- ✅ Choice of certified species (PEFC / FSC);
- ✅ Fire protection plan and scheduled tests;
- ✅ Detail booklet for joints for airtightness and acoustics.
Final insight: fire safety and execution precision are major levers for the durability and acceptance of wood projects.
RE2020, carbon footprint, and RT 2025: how the wooden house adapts
The regulatory transition now requires reasoning in a full life cycle. RE2020 integrates a carbon balance for the construction phase, and the objectives are progressively tightened — which leads some actors to speak of RT 2025 as a reference step for revised thermal requirements. For Élodie, developer of a small residential cluster, wood framing naturally imposed itself to meet the requested thresholds without multiplying compensations.
Why is wood so relevant?
- 🌳 Carbon storage: each m³ of wood sustainably captures CO₂, improving the Ic Construction.
- ♻️ Low embodied energy: processing and implementation save energy compared to concrete.
- 💨 Thermal performance: the frame facilitates the integration of bio-sourced insulations to reduce consumption.
The table below compares the carbon impact of materials:
| Material 🌍 | Emission / storage | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| Wood frame | ≈ -800 kg CO₂ per m³ (storage) | Net advantage on Ic Construction |
| Concrete | ≈ +240 kg CO₂ per m³ | High impact related to cement |
| Steel | ≈ +1850 kg CO₂ / t | Very high embodied energy |
To meet RE2020 and summer heat requirements, it is also necessary to manage the low inertia of wood. Operational solutions include:
- Active solar protection (brise-soleil, canopies);
- Complementary inertia (heavy lining, CLT floors);
- Controlled ventilation (double-flow MVHR with heat recovery);
- Dynamic thermal simulation to anticipate summer comfort.
Many practical guides facilitate application: presentation of 2025 changes and practical guide to wood construction offer concrete feedback to optimize thermal insulation and the carbon balance.
List of actions to optimize LCA:
- 🔁 Prioritize local and certified materials (PEFC/FSC);
- 🧱 Reduce the use of massive concretes when possible;
- ⚙️ Prefer prefabrication to limit waste and losses;
- 🔍 Carry out a dynamic LCA from the sketch phase.
Final insight: wood framing is not only compatible with RE2020, it is often the most economical solution to reach carbon thresholds without complex compensation mechanisms.
Construction process, prefabrication and actual costs in 2025
Prefabrication transforms a project’s economy. For the company “Bois et Atelier,” which delivered 24 modular houses in 2024, the shift to industrial production significantly reduced unexpected events. Gains involve quality, speed, and reduced nuisances. In this context, it is essential to compare 2D panels and 3D modules from the commercial phase.
Advantages of prefabrication:
- 🏭 Quality control in the workshop;
- ⏱️ Reduction of construction time by 30 to 50%;
- ♻️ Less waste and better material yields;
- 🔧 Dry assembly = low sensitivity to weather.
Observed costs in 2025 (turnkey):
| Project type 💼 | Price / m² (€) 💶 | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Individual house | 1,700 – 2,200 | Varies according to prefabrication and finishes |
| Collective housing | 1,500 – 2,100 | Mixed wood-concrete for higher floors |
| Offices / tertiary | 1,600 – 2,300 | Optimized 3D modules possible |
For Julie, a first-time buyer, the initial +8% surcharge on the structure was compensated by:
- 🔁 Reduction of energy bills (up to 30%);
- 🕒 Shorter bridging loan duration and reduced financial costs;
- 📈 Increased resale value thanks to low carbon impact.
Practical resources and cost comparisons: to precisely estimate your budget, consult market summaries and detailed advice available on standards and costs 2025 or construction trends on Propriossimo.
Checklist before signing:
- Check the level of prefabrication (2D vs 3D);
- Compare offers with mention of schedules and guarantees;
- Request references of similar completed projects;
- Validate insurances (builder’s risk, ten-year) and RE2020 compliance.
Final insight: prefabrication optimizes costs and quality but requires precise contracting and solid references to limit risks.
Choice of species, maintenance, procedures (building permits) and best practices
The choice of structural wood conditions durability. In 2025, Douglas fir, spruce, and larch remain safe bets. The fictitious company “Forêt Locale SARL” favors short circuits and PEFC/FSC certified wood to reduce transport footprint and improve administrative acceptability. For the owner Nadège, installing larch cladding on an exposed facade made it possible to avoid chemical treatments and limit maintenance.
Selection criteria:
- 🌲 Natural durability (Douglas fir, larch);
- 🔍 Traceability and certifications (PEFC / FSC);
- 💧 Moisture resistance for maritime zones (adapted species);
- 🧾 Compatibility with labels (Biosourced Building, BBCA).
Table: species and uses
| Species 🌳 | Recommended use | Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Douglas fir | Frame, carpentry, cladding | Durable without treatment |
| Spruce | Posts, panels | Light, economical |
| Larch | Exterior cladding | Moisture resistant |
Maintenance and guarantees:
- 🧴 Wood cladding: maintenance every 3-7 years depending on exposure;
- 💨 Ventilation: ventilation system adapted to preserve indoor air quality;
- 📜 Insurances: check ten-year warranty and builder’s risk before starting.
Administrative procedures (permits / building permits):
- 📌 Submit a complete file to the town hall with RE2020 thermal study;
- 🧾 Attach the LCA when requested for collective or public projects;
- 🔁 Anticipate meetings with the architect of historic monuments if in a protected area;
- 🧭 Provide a maintenance plan to give to the buyer to enhance resale value.
For a complete practical guide on procedures and compliance, resources like Guide-Travaux compile administrative steps and field advice.
Final insight: a suitable choice of species, certified materials, and a well-prepared administrative file guarantee longevity, performance, and heritage value.
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A well-designed and maintained house can exceed 100 years. The key is a design adapted to humidity, regular maintenance of the cladding, and efficient ventilation.
Does a wooden frame resist fire?
Yes. A well-sized wood structure protected by fire-resistant claddings complies with fire safety regulations and offers predictable and controlled fire resistance.
How much does a wooden house cost in 2025?
Prices generally vary between €1,700 and €2,200 / m² turnkey for an individual house. The level of prefabrication and quality of finishes strongly influence the cost.
Can a permit be obtained for a wooden building extension?
Yes. The lightness of the wooden frame facilitates extensions without heavy foundation reinforcements, subject to structural verification and approval by the town hall.