Engineering consultancy (BET) in Morocco: what does it do and how do you choose one?

The engineering consultancy (bureau d'études techniques, BET) sizes what the architect draws: the structure (foundations, columns, beams, reinforced-concrete slabs) and the networks (plumbing, electrics, drainage). On any new building in Morocco, it works alongside the architect, from the permit to the building site.

Architect and BET: who does what?

When do you need a BET?

As soon as a project has a load-bearing reinforced-concrete structure, which means for almost all houses, villas and apartment buildings. The reinforced-concrete drawings guide the contractor on site: without them, the contractor improvises the reinforcement, which exposes the building to serious defects and engages everyone's liability.

The law makes engineers part of the team: in urban communes, delimited centres and their peripheral zones, using an architect registered with the Order and specialised engineers is required for any work subject to a building permit (law 12-90, art. 50). In the permit file, the engineer's structural drawings are among the additional documents to supply before the permit is issued (joint order no. 337-20). The fire-safety notice must be approved by an inspection office for housing above R+3, for collective housing from R+3 on a plot of more than 150 m², and for ERP, ERT and IGH buildings (open to the public, receiving workers, high-rise); for other dwellings, a simple note by the architect on the drawings is enough (order no. 1032-21).

How much does a BET cost?

BET fees are generally negotiated as a percentage of the cost of works (on the order of 2% for structure and services on a villa) or as a fixed fee. The soil survey and the topographic survey are invoiced separately. These amounts remain small compared with the cost of a structural mistake.

The CITURBAREA cost estimator shows what the studies can save. For a 150 m² two-storey house in Kénitra on good soil (isolated footings), it counts about 17 kg of reinforcing steel per m² of floor area; on a raft foundation (clay or backfilled soil), it rises to 27 kg/m², and to nearly 30 kg/m² with a basement. Going from isolated footings to a raft adds about 46,000 DH excluding VAT to the structural work in that example. Without reinforced-concrete drawings, about 1.5 tonnes of steel more or less on a 150 m² house, close to 15,000 DH of supply alone, is left to the judgment of the site. These ratios are pre-design assumptions: only the BET's reinforced-concrete drawings give the quantities to order. See our guide on structural work cost.

How to choose your BET

• References on comparable projects (villa, R+4 apartment building, public facility).
• Current professional liability insurance.
• A clear assignment: structural calculations, construction drawings, site visits at the key stages (foundations, pouring of slabs).
• Good coordination with the architect: the architect ensures the overall consistency.

Engineers also carry legal responsibility: under article 78 of law 12-90, the specialised engineer who does not report a planning violation within 48 hours of learning of it is treated as a co-offender, like the architect and the contractor.

Where the BET fits in the project

1. Feasibility: the architect reads the zoning information certificate and sketches the project.
2. Soil survey: it determines the type of foundation.
3. Permit: the architect files the file; the structural drawings follow as additional documents. See the building permit guide.
4. Tender: the BET's drawings and quantities feed the bill of quantities given to contractors.
5. Works: checks before each concrete pour, then handover.

With CITURBAREA, the architect puts together the study team (BET, surveyor, laboratory) suited to your project and coordinates it until handover. The fees of the whole team are explained in our guide on architect fees. Tell us about your project.

Frequently asked questions