Building your house in Morocco: the steps from A to Z

Building in Morocco follows a precise path. Here are the main steps, from buying the plot to handing over the keys.

The 8 key steps

1. The plot: check the land title, the zoning and whether you can build on it (footprint and density coefficients, CES/COS).
2. The architect: designs the project to fit your budget and needs.
3. The studies: engineering consultancy (BET) for structure and services, soil survey if needed.
4. The building permit: filing and review of the application.
5. Tendering to contractors: pricing and selection.
6. The structural work (gros œuvre): foundations, structure, masonry.
7. The finishing work (second œuvre and finishes): electrics, plumbing, floor and wall coverings, painting.
8. Handover (réception): lifting of snags and handing over the keys.

Site supervision (on site, or remotely through photos) secures quality and keeps the budget under control at each step.

Step 1: check the plot

Before signing, ask for the zoning information certificate (note de renseignements urbanistiques). Issued by the urban agency within two working days at most (general building regulation, RGC, art. 7), it tells you the zone, the maximum height, the footprint and the setbacks, and therefore the floor area you can actually build. It says nothing about the legal status of the title (mortgage, joint ownership, dispute): that is the role of the certificate of ownership and the notary.

Steps 2 and 3: architect and studies

In urban communes, using an architect registered with the Order is a condition for obtaining the permit (law 12-90, art. 50). The architect turns your needs and the zoning certificate into drawings, while the engineering consultancy (BET) designs the reinforced-concrete structure and the networks. The budget for these professionals is detailed in our guide on architect fees.

Step 4: the building permit

The file is filed with the commune, today through the Rokhas platform, and examined by a committee in which the urban agency's opinion is binding. The regulatory timeline is 15 days for a home up to R+3 and 15.50 m ("small projects") and 30 days for "large projects" (joint order no. 1839-23); the timelines start again if the commune asks for amended drawings. Once issued, the permit lapses if foundations have not started within one year (law 12-90, art. 49). See our guides on the building permit, the permit procedure and the fees and taxes.

Step 5: choose the contractors

Ask at least three companies to price the same tender file: construction drawings, specification and bill of quantities. Compare line by line, not just the total. See how to choose a construction company and our example of a construction quote.

Steps 6 and 7: the works

Before opening the site, law 12-90 (art. 54-1) requires a site-opening declaration signed by the architect and filed with the commune (the permit template says 48 hours before the works start), a hoarding and a site board showing the permit number and date. During the works, the approved drawings stay on site and the architect keeps the site logbook (cahier de chantier) (art. 54-2). Any change during the works (extra storey, façade, opening) requires a new application: an unauthorised change exposes you to the penalties described in our guide on planning violations.

To keep the budget under control, pay the contractor according to progress actually observed, and estimate each phase in advance with the free cost estimator.

Step 8: handover and occupancy permit

Handover takes place with a written record listing the snags and a deadline for lifting them. You can then apply for the occupancy permit (permis d'habiter): under article 55 of law 12-90, a finished building cannot be used without it. The law sets a deadline of one month from the declaration of completion; the certificate of the architect who supervised the works replaces the inspection visit.

How long does it all take?

CITURBAREA, an architect's practice registered with the Order in Kénitra, supports your project at every step, with remote site reports for Moroccans living abroad. Tell us about your project.

Frequently asked questions