The official template: free, but optional
To accompany the entry into force of the carnet d'information du logement on 1 January 2023, the French ministry for ecological transition published an owner's guide and an official template downloadable as a PDF. Two things to know:
- The CIL format is free. The law (articles L. 126-35-2 and following of the CCH) imposes contents, not a form. Paper, binder, spreadsheet, application: anything works as long as the sections are there.
- The official template is a starting point, not an end. It is a static document: with every new quote, invoice or equipment replacement, re-editing it is on you.
The sections of a complete CIL template
Whatever the medium, a well-built CIL covers six sections:
| Section | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| 1. Identification of the home | Address, type (house, flat), year built, living area, owner, DPE rating. |
| 2. Plans and networks | Surface plans and cross-sections; plans or diagrams of the water, electricity, gas and ventilation networks, as they exist after construction or works. |
| 3. Thermal insulation | For each insulated wall (loft, walls, ground floor, windows and doors): material, thermal characteristics (thickness, R-value), surface, year installed. |
| 4. Equipment | Heating, hot water, ventilation, cooling: type, brand and model, energy source, year installed, operating and servicing instructions. |
| 5. Works carried out | Nature, company, year, amount; related quotes and invoices, especially for works with an energy impact. |
| 6. Attached documents | DPE and energy audit, instructions, servicing certificates, warranties, acceptance reports. |
Sections 2 to 4 and 6 correspond to the regulatory contents of the CIL; the detailed identification (section 1) and the amounts of the works (section 5) are good practice rather than a legal requirement. The exact regulatory list varies depending on whether the logbook is created at construction or during works: the detail is in our article mandatory CIL contents.
Build your template in 10 minutes: the free generator
Rather than starting from a blank PDF, our free CIL generator asks the right questions (home, insulation, equipment, works, documents) and produces a printable PDF logbook structured along the sections above. No sign-up, no data sent to any server.
Paper template, spreadsheet or digital logbook?
- Paper / static PDF: enough for a home with no works planned. Limits: every update is a manual re-edit, and the binder gets lost at the back of a cupboard (or in a move).
- Spreadsheet: more flexible, but the attachments (instructions, invoices) live elsewhere, and nobody but you can find their way around it.
- Digital logbook: continuous updates, attachments in one place, read-only sharing with the notaire or the buyer at sale time.
In the Relai Confiance logbook, import any quote or invoice as a PDF: the app reads the document, extracts the date, company, nature of the works and amount, and updates your CIL. One-click PDF export.