Aluminium windows in Morocco: how to choose windows and sliding doors

By Yassine AT-TARASSI, architect · Updated on 24/10/2026 · Reference texts (6)

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Windows and glazed doors are expensive, visible from everywhere and decide much of summer and winter comfort. This guide, for overseas Moroccans, foreign buyers, developers and facility owners, explains how to choose aluminium joinery, what the architect checks and what it costs according to the CITURBAREA cost simulator.

Disclaimer: published costs are indicative outputs of the CITURBAREA estimator (October 2026 version), not binding quotations, technical designs or compliance certificates. Apartment buildings and public-use facilities require project-specific drawings, specialist studies, applicable regulations and contractor quotations.

What makes good aluminium joinery?

A window is made of a profile (frame and sash), glazing, hardware (hinges, locking, rollers) and seals. Four choices make the difference:

• Thermal break (rupture de pont thermique, RPT): an insulating strip splits the profile. Without it, aluminium conducts heat and condensation forms in winter.
• Glazing: single, 4/16/4 double, low-E double with argon, laminated or triple.
• Opening type: casement, tilt-and-turn, sliding, lift-and-slide or fixed. Sliding units generally seal less well than casements; lift-and-slide allows very large openings.
• Finish: powder coating (RAL colour, Qualicoat label) or anodising (Qualanod label).

How much does aluminium joinery cost per m²?

Contractor prices installed in Kénitra, in MAD per m² of opening; the simulator's low-high range in brackets.

Method note: CITURBAREA simulator, version 2026-10, calculated on 23/10/2026; contractor selling prices excl. VAT in Kénitra (regional coefficient 0.93), manufactured supply and fitting; incl. VAT = excl. VAT × 1.20; prices rounded to 5 MAD (door to 100 MAD). Inputs recorded March to October 2026 from price guides and market records, with no verified supplier quote; the sources do not state VAT and the engine takes them as excl. VAT by assumption. Indicative reliability.

Rounding: amounts excluding and including VAT and quantities are each shown after rounding, so the product of the visible values may differ from the total by a few dirhams. Contract calculations must start from unrounded quantities and unit prices.

For a 150 m² two-storey villa in Kénitra, the simulator (calculated on 23/10/2026) puts the aluminium package at about 49,000 MAD excl. VAT in mid-range finish (22.5 m² of thermally broken windows, shutters on 30% of openings and an entrance door), about 77,000 MAD for a good standard and about 136,000 MAD for high-end with lift-and-slide doors. To apply these prices to your own openings, run an estimate in the simulator; for the overall budget see villa construction cost in Morocco.

What the price includes, and what it excludes

Simulator prices are contractor "supply and fit" prices. They include:

• the manufactured unit: profiles, the glazing stated in the line, standard hardware and seals;
• fitting: packing, fixings, sealing between frame and masonry;
• the contractor's overheads, coordination and margin.

Unless the quote says otherwise, they exclude:

• VAT (20% on a contractor's invoice: see the incl. VAT column);
• glazing beyond 4/16/4: low-E with argon, solar control, laminated safety glass, triple glazing;
• shutter motors, insect screens, stainless or reinforced hardware by the sea;
• stone or concrete sills and making good of reveals and lintels;
• in renovation, removal of old windows and making good of render and paint;
• architect's fees, site set-up and the contingency, counted separately in the overall estimate.

For a development apartment building

R+4 apartment building: a feasibility estimate, not a bill of quantities. The amounts shown come from a simulation scenario (1,200 m², 11 flats, Kénitra, parameters of 23/10/2026). Before any investment decision, the client needs a fixed brief, a preliminary take-off per trade, soil and structural studies, utility connection conditions and the requirements of the competent services, a contingency allowance and comparable quotations. Items already included in one package must not be added a second time.

For a 1,200 m² R+4 building in Kénitra (five levels, 240 m² footprint, two party walls, 11 flats deduced by the engine), the simulator puts the aluminium package in mid-range finish at about 360,000 MAD excl. VAT (254,000 to 487,000), about 300 MAD excl. VAT per m² of floor area (calculated on 23/10/2026). This covers 153 m² of thermally broken double-glazed windows (about 247,000 MAD), 46 m² of roller shutters (about 48,000 MAD) and 11 solid aluminium flat entrance doors (about 65,000 MAD, the engine's default choice). In a good standard, with 173 m² of reinforced thermally broken openings and more shutters, the package rises to about 526,000 MAD excl. VAT.

• Repeating the same units from floor to floor lowers manufacturing cost and fitting errors.
• A window schedule per flat type, carried into the bill of quantities (DQE), lets you compare bids on the same quantities.
• The product range is set against the target sale price: it weighs directly on the development appraisal.
• Insurance: according to ACAPS, contractor's all-risks (TRC) and ten-year liability (RCD) insurance have been compulsory since 30/12/2024 for residential buildings of more than three storeys or more than 800 m², which includes this building.

Before going to tender, CITURBAREA can prepare the feasibility study, developer's appraisal and bill of quantities for your scheme.

Developers: have the economic feasibility of your plot analysed: saleable areas, common parts, parking options, structure, utility connections, forecast cost per package and permit risks. Ask for an initial scoping review; detailed studies and costings are covered by a contractually defined assignment.

For a facility (school, clinic, hotel, shop)

Schools, clinics, hotels, shops and warehouses: requirements vary. Fire safety, accessibility, sanitary facilities, ventilation, operational safety and permits depend on the precise use, the number of occupants, floor areas, number of storeys and the activity. Regulatory references must be checked for the project concerned. The CITURBAREA simulator offers an indicative estimate by type of building open to the public (school or nursery, clinic or medical practice, hotel or riad, shop, offices, warehouse or workshop), based on a standard brief and on price and ratio assumptions still to be confirmed: no ratio is a quotation for this kind of project.

The simulator offers a "school or nursery" ERP type. Indicative estimate for a 1,000 m² R+1 private school (two 500 m² levels, detached building, mid-range finish, Kénitra, calculated on 24/10/2026): 150 m² of thermally broken double-glazed aluminium windows come to about 242,000 MAD excl. VAT (176,000 to 317,000). The standard brief and the share of glazing are assumptions still to be confirmed; entrance-hall screens, emergency exits, secondary external doors and solar shading are not priced here and are priced from the brief.

What changes compared with a house:

• Fire safety: the building's classification and the fire and panic safety regulation (decree no. 2-14-499, Official Bulletin no. 6306 of 06/11/2014) may require fire-resistant glazed assemblies, exits and smoke-vent openings; the applicable provisions depend on the type of building and are settled with the inspection body and the competent services.
• Accessibility: law no. 10-03 on accessibility affects entrance doors, thresholds and controls; dimensions are taken from the text and the approved drawings.
• Glazing exposed to impact (hall, covered playground, school yard, shop window): toughened or laminated safety glass, as set by the project specification (CPS).
• Inspection and insurance: the engineering consultancy (BET) and an inspection body check the design. According to ACAPS, TRC and RCD insurance are compulsory for buildings for commercial, hotel, industrial, sports or accommodation use; schools and clinics are not named on that page: check with your insurer.
• Lead times: certified glazed assemblies and large series take longer to make; ask for the lead time in the contractor's programme.

Facility owners: ask for a brief scoping review before any costing: capacity, flows and operation, security and fire safety, maintenance, technical needs, permits and overall operating cost. A specific consultation will determine which studies to commission. For a first order of magnitude, run the simulator's ERP costing, then book a brief scoping appointment.

How do windows perform thermally?

Window performance is measured by its Uw value (W/m²·K): the lower, the less heat passes. The CITURBAREA engine uses these orders of magnitude for warnings, never as design values:

Method note: orders of magnitude used by the CITURBAREA engine (assumption, version 2026-10), which do not apply to every unit. The Uw value to use is the one on the manufacturer's sheet for the complete window (profiles, glazing, dimensions), required before manufacture.

On east, west and south façades the glazing's solar factor g matters as much as Uw. The RTCM (decree no. 2-13-874, Official Bulletin no. 6306) sets thermal requirements for the envelope by climate zone; we give no zone values here: the thermal check is made on the project. See also our guide on thermal insulation.

How are windows made and fitted?

1. Window schedule: the architect sets size, opening direction, glazing, finish and performance for each opening.
2. Site measurement after the structure is built: real openings always differ slightly from the drawings.
3. Shop drawings and colour sample, approved by the architect before manufacture.
4. Manufacture: the lead time, often several weeks, must be stated in the quote; it often puts windows on the critical path.
5. Fitting face-fixed, in the reveal or rebated, with packing, fixings, sealing and a sill.
6. Adjustment and water spray test on exposed façades, as set by the specification, then handover.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Profiles without a thermal break in exposed bedrooms: condensation and discomfort.
• Sliding units everywhere to save money, though they generally seal less well against air and water.
• No sealing between frame and masonry: leaks at the first storm.
• No sill or upstand: water collects under the window.
• Ordinary glass at low level, in a glazed door or as a balustrade: the type of safety glass is set by the use, the approved drawings and the specification.
• Standard hardware by the sea: the CITURBAREA engine recommends stainless or reinforced hardware in coastal areas.

What does the architect check?

The CITURBAREA joinery checklist covers: approved shop drawings and samples; sizes, opening directions and glazing as scheduled; the Uw sheet of the complete window; fixings and packing; sealing and sill; operation of sashes and hardware; water spray test on exposed façades; safety glazing wherever the drawings and specification require it. The architect also asks for the system's air, water and wind test report (AEV classes).

Which standards apply to windows in Morocco?

These are paid standards: we give reference and subject only; the project specification (CPS) states which are contractual. The "mandatory" status below comes from the Ministry of Industry and Trade list updated on 09/03/2026; it applies to the products concerned.

• NM 10.2.002 (1988 edition): timber or metal windows, specifications; mandatory.
• Glass: NM EN 572-1, -3, -6 and -7 (2018), basic glass; NM EN 12150-1 (2018), toughened safety glass; NM ISO 12543-2 and -3 (2018), laminated and laminated safety glass; NM EN 356 (2018), resistance to manual attack: mandatory.
• NM EN 12207 and NM EN 1026 (air permeability), NM EN 12210 (wind resistance), NM EN 1027 (watertightness test): approved Moroccan standards, voluntary, contractual when the CPS cites them. The EN 12208 classification was not found as an NM.
• NM EN 1279-1 (insulating glass units) and NM EN 410 (light and solar properties): approved, voluntary.
• NM 10.2.208 (metal joinery) and NM 10.2.488 and 10.2.489 (installation of external windows and doors): approved, voluntary.
• EN 14351-1 (product standard for windows and external doors), NF DTU 36.5 (window installation) and NF DTU 39 (glazing): European and French voluntary references, not Moroccan law; they become contractual when the CPS cites them.
• Law no. 24-09 on product and service safety, law no. 47-09 on energy efficiency and decree no. 2-13-874 (RTCM).

How do you get a fair price?

Have the window schedule drawn up, then compare quotes on identical configurations: same sizes, same opening type, same profile series, same glazing, same hardware and same finish, with the complete-window Uw and AEV classes for each opening (see choosing a construction company). Supplier prices shown in the materials library (free account) help place the ranges, but their VAT treatment is not confirmed: they cannot be compared directly with an installed price excl. VAT. If you are abroad or torn between two bids, the architect can review them with you in a video appointment.

Frequently asked questions