Façade finishes in Morocco: how to choose, apply and price them

By Yassine AT-TARASSI, architect · Updated on 24/10/2026 · Reference texts (7)

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A façade is the face of a building, but first of all it is a skin that has to withstand sun, rain and, by the sea, salt. Here are the possible finishes, the rules to know and the 2026 prices from the CITURBAREA simulator, for a house, a development apartment building or a facility.

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.

Which façade finish should you choose?

• Vinyl façade paint: the cheapest, on sound render; it needs redoing more often on exposed façades.
• Siloxane paint: dearer, it sheds water while letting the wall breathe; suited to rain-beaten façades.
• Waterproofing coating (polymer-based): a thick, flexible film that bridges hairline cracks, useful when refurbishing cracked façades.
• Decorative render (scraped, floated, combed): the finish is in the render itself.
• Natural stone or slips: bonded or mechanically fixed, often on part of the façade (plinth, entrance).
• Glazed curtain walling or cladding: for office buildings, shops or facilities, with a specific design study.

How much does a façade cost per m² in 2026?

Method note: CITURBAREA simulator, version 2026-10, calculated on 23/10/2026; contractor selling prices excl. VAT in Kénitra (regional coefficient 0.93), supply and fitting; incl. VAT = excl. VAT × 1.20; prices rounded to the nearest 5 MAD. Paint and primer: October 2026 retail prices, presumed to include VAT, converted to excl. VAT. Bonded stone: price built up by the engine from 2 cm polished local stone and tile adhesive, with no mechanical fixings (assumption; no installed façade stone price recorded). Labour-only column: materials bought by you at merchant prices, labour without a contractor's margin, excl. VAT; the VAT treatment depends on the provider's tax status and must be stated on the quote.

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.

Paint prices assume a surface ready for painting: sound, dry, dust-free render. In the simulator, scaffolding is counted with the external render, so a rendered façade that is only being repainted needs a separate scaffolding item. To apply these prices to your own areas and city, run an estimate in the simulator.

Supply only, retail prices recorded in October 2026 give about 14 MAD per kilo of vinyl façade paint (30 kg tub) and about 49 MAD per litre of siloxane, converted to excl. VAT by the simulator. Shops do not state their VAT treatment, so these prices cannot be compared directly with an installed price excl. VAT. To compare ranges, decorative renders and stones, open the materials library (free account).

What the price includes, and what it excludes

What the simulator prices include:

• for external render: mortar, labour and ordinary scaffolding;
• for paint: one primer coat and two finishing coats, on a surface ready for painting;
• for stone: 2 cm stone, adhesive and bonded fixing;
• a contractor's overheads and margin (contractor column).

What they exclude, unless the quote says otherwise:

• heavy substrate repairs: structural crack repair, removal of loose render, treatment of salt or damp;
• special access: cherry pickers, street scaffolding on public land, tall façades;
• mechanical fixings for stone, thick or carved stone;
• window sills, parapet copings and drip details, sealant joints between materials;
• VAT (excl. VAT columns), architect's and engineering consultant's fees, contingencies and the works authorisation.

For a house or villa

For a 150 m² two-storey villa (R+1) in Kénitra (VILLA type in the simulator, calculated on 23/10/2026), the façade package (render and finish) comes to about 38,000 MAD excl. VAT in mid-range finish (262 m² of render and vinyl paint), about 69,000 MAD excl. VAT in good finish (siloxane and 20% stone) and about 101,000 MAD excl. VAT in high-end finish (40% stone). Render itself is covered in our guide to cement render. For a renovation, diagnosing the substrate matters as much as the price per m²: photograph cracks and damp areas before asking for quotes.

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 apartment building in Kénitra (IMMEUBLE type, five levels, two party walls, mid-range finish, calculated on 23/10/2026), the simulator counts 511 m² of three-coat rendered façade with vinyl paint, about 74,000 MAD excl. VAT (60,000 to 95,000). In good finish, with siloxane paint and about 100 m² of bonded stone, the package rises to about 133,000 MAD excl. VAT.

• The street façade follows the zoning plan or subdivision regulations: colours, materials, projections and balconies are shown on the building permit.
• Multi-storey scaffolding, protection of passers-by and any use of the pavement are priced separately.
• The reaction to fire of claddings (NM EN 13501-1 classification) is checked with the engineering consultant against the fire safety regulation (decree no. 2-14-499).
• A building of more than three storeys falls within compulsory contractor's all-risks and ten-year liability insurance, according to the insurance supervisor ACAPS.

To weigh paint, stone and cladding across a whole scheme, start from a feasibility study and developer's appraisal, with the bill of quantities for the façade package.

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.

For a 1,000 m² private school on two levels (R+1) in Kénitra (the simulator's "school or nursery" ERP type), free-standing, mid-range finish, the simulator gives about 84,000 MAD excl. VAT (68,000 to 109,000) for 585 m² of three-coat render and vinyl paint (calculated on 24/10/2026). This is an indicative estimate: the standard brief and the share of glazing are assumptions still to be confirmed. What changes:

• Fire safety: the building's classification and the fire and panic safety regulation (decree no. 2-14-499) set the reaction-to-fire requirements for façades; they are checked against the regulation and the opinion of the competent services.
• Technical façades: curtain walling for a hall, cladding or solar shading for a school or clinic require an engineering study and pricing from drawings.
• Inspection and insurance: a technical inspection firm usually follows this work; commercial, hotel and accommodation buildings fall within compulsory all-risks and ten-year liability insurance according to ACAPS; for a school or clinic, check with your insurer.
• Maintenance: a facility is repainted while in use, so the choice of finish takes access, opening hours and the interval between refurbishments into account.

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.

Do you need a permit to redo a façade?

In a new project the façade is part of the building permit: materials and colours appear on the drawings signed by the architect, and the zoning plan or subdivision regulations may impose colours, materials or projections. On an existing building, any change to the look of the façade requires an authorisation: see our guide on which works permit you need. In a medina or near a listed monument, law no. 22-80 on the conservation of historic monuments and sites also makes works subject to authorisation.

How is the work carried out?

1. Diagnose the substrate: sound or cracked render, damp, salt, old chalking paint.
2. Treat cracks and joints: open and fill, façade sealant at joints between materials.
3. Apply the primer suited to the substrate.
4. Apply two finishing coats in dry weather, neither in full sun nor in strong wind.
5. For stone: flat, clean substrate, exterior-grade adhesive, joints, and mechanical fixings where the specification or the engineer requires them.
6. Protect joinery, floors and balustrades during the work, then clean.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Painting damp or cracked render without treatment: blisters and cracks come back.
• Using an interior paint or too weak a range outdoors.
• Forgetting window sills, parapet copings and drips: water runs down and stains the façade.
• Bonding heavy stone without checking the substrate or providing mechanical fixings.
• Neglecting joints between materials (concrete, masonry, joinery): leaks.
• By the sea, ignoring salt: it attacks paints and ordinary fixings.

What does the architect check?

Before finishing, the architect checks the render (flatness, cracks, corners), sills and joints, colour and stone samples, and the compatibility of products with the substrate. Exposed façades are hosed during the joinery check. At final acceptance, a year later, waterproofing and façades are checked again after a winter.

Which standards and regulations apply?

Standards are paid documents: we give only their reference and subject. The project specification (CPS) states which ones are contractual.

• NM 03.3.124-2021 (paint fillers for interior and exterior work) and NM 03.3.318-2023 (heavy-metal content of paints): mandatory for the products concerned since 15/08/2025 (Ministry of Industry and Trade list, updated 09/03/2026).
• NM EN 1062-1: classification of paints for exterior masonry and concrete; an approved Moroccan standard, voluntary, contractual if the specification cites it.
• NM 03.3.145, 03.3.146 and 03.3.147: refurbishment of façades in use with polymer-based waterproofing coatings (approved standards); French equivalent NF DTU 42.1, a voluntary foreign reference.
• NM EN 15651-1 (sealants for façade elements); NF DTU 44.1 (façade sealant joints), a French reference.
• NM EN 13914-1: external renders; NF DTU 55.2: fixed thin-stone wall claddings, a French reference.
• NM EN 13830 and NF DTU 33.1: curtain walling.
• NM EN 13501-1: reaction to fire of products (classes A1 to F); decree no. 2-14-499: fire safety in buildings, whose applicable articles depend on the building type and are checked with the engineering consultant.
• Moroccan thermal building regulation (RTCM, decree no. 2-13-874 of 15/10/2014): thermal requirements for external walls by climate zone, checked by the project's thermal study.

NF DTU documents are French rules: they are not Moroccan law, but they become contractual when the specification cites them.

How do you price your façade?

Measure the façade areas, openings deducted, and note the condition of the substrate. To choose materials and colours that respect your neighbourhood's regulations, or to read quotes that do not describe the same work, the architect can look at your façade with you during a video call with the architect.

Frequently asked questions