Architect fees in Morocco for overseas owners: what you pay for, what is extra, what to sign
By Yassine AT-TARASSI, architect · Updated on · Reference texts (3)
Building in Morocco while living in Paris, Brussels, Montreal or Dubai means your architect is also your eyes on site. This guide explains what an architect's fee in Morocco actually covers, what is paid on top, and what to check in the contract when you cannot be there. There is no published rate here: fees are free and set in a contract with the practice.
In short: architect fees in Morocco are freely agreed in a written contract with the practice (Law 016-89 on the architecture profession). They depend on the type of project, its complexity and above all the scope of the assignment: design and permit only, or also construction documents, tender, and site supervision until the occupancy permit. The Order no longer publishes a minimum scale. The structural engineers (BET), land surveyor, soil survey, inspection office and laboratory are paid separately. In towns, an architect registered with the Order is a condition of the building permit (Law 12-90, art. 50) and a copy of the contract is part of the permit file. For an owner abroad, the scope that matters most is site supervision.
Your budget, calculated for your project
Overall estimate by trade in 2 minutes, free and with no commitment, then a free video call with a registered architect. The detailed cost study (bill of quantities) is included in a full architectural design assignment; ordered on its own, it is paid.
Why there is no single "architect price" in Morocco
An architect sells an assignment, not a drawing. Two owners with similar houses can pay very different amounts because one bought design and permit only, while the other bought an architect who follows the works until handover. Compare the content of the assignment before comparing amounts.
| You buy | You get | What stays with you (from abroad) |
|---|---|---|
| Design and permit | Sketches, final design, permit file filed online on Rokhas, follow-up until the decision | Choosing a contractor without common specifications, checking the works, compliance with the drawings |
| + construction documents and tender | Execution details for every trade, specifications (CPS) and bill of quantities, contractor tender and bid analysis | Site supervision and quality control |
| + site supervision | Site visits, site reports, checking the contractor's progress claims, handover with snag list, documents for the occupancy permit | Your decisions as owner and paying the contractor |
| + OPC coordination | Schedule, coordination of trades, site meetings, time and budget follow-up | Signing contracts and approving each progress claim before payment |
| Interior design (optional) | Layout, materials, finishes, fitted furniture | — |
Legal reminder: in urban municipalities and their outskirts, the architect's statutory assignment includes following the works and checking compliance until the occupancy permit or certificate of compliance is issued (Law 12-90, art. 53). For 150 m² of floor area or less, the architect is mandatory for the design only (art. 54).
What drives the fee
- Type of project: house, villa, apartment block, facility, renovation. Renovation and extra storeys need a survey of the existing building.
- Complexity: sloping plot, basement, two street frontages, small constrained plot, old medina.
- Scope: the phases above and the number of site visits.
- Estimated cost of works: many proposals are based on it (excluding VAT), so know it early.
- VAT: fees are usually quoted excluding VAT, which is added on invoices.
Your budget, calculated for your project
Overall estimate by trade in 2 minutes, free and with no commitment, then a free video call with a registered architect. The detailed cost study (bill of quantities) is included in a full architectural design assignment; ordered on its own, it is paid.
Know the cost of works before you negotiate
Examples from the CITURBAREA cost estimator (Kénitra, good soil, works including VAT, excluding land and fees):
| Project | Cost of works incl. VAT | Per m² incl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| 100 m² house, mid-range finish | 622,000 DH | 6,220 DH |
| 150 m² two-storey house, mid-range | 813,000 DH | 5,420 DH |
| 150 m² two-storey villa, mid-range | 960,000 DH | 6,400 DH |
| 150 m² two-storey villa, luxury | 2,184,000 DH | 14,560 DH |
Figures recomputed at each site update by the same engine as /chiffrage; an estimate, not a quote. See house construction cost per m² and villa construction cost.
Building from abroad: what the architect does in your place
- Files and follows the permit online, so you do not need to travel for the application (RGC art. 34 allows filing by the architect or a mandated person).
- Signs the site-opening declaration (Law 12-90, art. 54-1) and keeps the site logbook (art. 54-2).
- Visits the site at key stages (foundations, each slab before pouring, masonry, waterproofing, finishes) and reports to you; agree the frequency and the report format in the contract.
- Checks progress claims before you pay the contractor: you remain the owner, you sign the contracts and approve each claim.
- Reports violations: under Law 12-90, art. 78, an architect who does not report a violation within 48 hours of learning of it is treated as a co-offender, which protects you against a contractor departing from the approved drawings.
- Prepares the occupancy permit file at the end (occupancy permit guide).
Who else is paid, outside the architect's fee?
| Professional | Role | When needed | How paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architect registered with the Order | Design, permit, coordination, supervision | Always in towns | Fee in the architect's contract |
| Engineering consultancy (BET) | Reinforced-concrete design, structural drawings, building services | Any reinforced-concrete building | Its own contract, negotiated |
| Land surveyor | Topographic survey, setting out | Unregistered land, setting out on site | Separate invoice |
| Laboratory / soil survey | Soil investigation, concrete tests | Strongly recommended for every project | Separate invoice |
| Inspection office | Structural inspection, fire safety notice | Cases set by joint order 1032-21 | Separate invoice |
See the engineering consultancy (BET) guide and permit fees and taxes.
Contract checklist for an owner abroad
- Phases included, named one by one (sketch, preliminary design, permit, construction documents, specifications, supervision, OPC).
- Fee basis: fixed amount or linked to the estimated cost of works; excluding or including VAT.
- Design revisions included, and what happens if you change the brief after the permit.
- Site visits: frequency or number, written reports with photos, who approves progress claims.
- Payment schedule phase by phase, tied to delivered documents.
- Exclusions: BET, surveyor, soil survey, inspection office, municipal taxes, interior design.
- Language and communication: contract and reports in a language you read; one point of contact.
- Termination: what you owe if the project stops after the permit.
The contract is not a formality: a copy is a main document of the permit file when an architect is mandatory (joint order 337-20 as amended by order 1032-21).
Paying in stages
Fees are usually spread phase by phase as set in the contract. This lets you start with a feasibility check based on the zoning information certificate before committing to the whole project, which is useful when you are still deciding between plots.
Architects on CITURBAREA
CITURBAREA is the platform published by HSE DECO. Architecture assignments are carried out and invoiced by Arc Bati Architecture (architect registered with the Order, Kénitra), presented on the platform, in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, with remote follow-up for Moroccans living abroad. Its fees are set in a fee proposal and contract after reviewing your brief. See the practice page, the building permit guide and Rokhas.
Architect fees on the market: freely negotiated, public reference points
This first table contains no figure: the platform publishes no unsourced market range. It states what the texts provide and where to look.
| Question | What the texts and practice say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the fees? | The contract between the client and the architect, freely negotiated. Fees pay for a defined assignment (design, permit, construction documents, specifications, supervision, OPC). | Law 016-89 on the practice of the architect's profession |
| Is the Order's fee scale mandatory? | No. It was a professional recommendation, never a legal obligation; since the settlement with the Competition Council (February 2023), the Order no longer publishes a minimum scale. Each practice is free to set its own grid. | Competition Council decision (22/02/2023), CITURBAREA reference base |
| Do public-procurement scales apply to private clients? | No. Architect contracts awarded on behalf of the State follow their own rules; they do not carry over to a private project. | Decree 2-22-431 on public procurement |
| Is the contract part of the permit file? | Yes: the copy of the architect's contract is a main document of the building-permit file where the architect is mandatory. | Order 337-20 as amended by order 1032-21, point 4.1 |
| How to compare? | Ask several written proposals for the same assignment (same phases, same scope, pre-tax basis stated, exclusions listed); compare the content before the rate. | Practice recommended by the firm |
Fee grid of the Arc Bati Architecture practice (version of 20/10/2026)
Second table: the grid of Arc Bati Architecture SARL AU (architect registered with the Order, Kénitra), presented on CITURBAREA. These are its own terms, not the platform's nor “the market's”. The rates appear in the practice's quotation and contract, which alone are binding; the guides publish no rate.
| Grid line | Scope | Basis | Nature | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sketch and preliminary design | Études préliminaires et plans personnalisés : trois propositions de départ, puis modification de la proposition retenue ou combinaison de plusieurs, jusqu'à la proposition finale (3 à 5 itérations). | Base assignment: percentage of the estimated pre-tax cost of works, rate in the contract; this line is a share of the base assignment | Depending on the chosen pack (Essential without, Personalised and Premium with) or as an option | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices |
| Detailed design, cost estimate and building permit | Chiffrage du projet ; APD : conformité du plan de béton armé au plan d'architecte, lots techniques en APD ; constitution et dépôt du dossier d'autorisation auprès de la Commune de …, suivi jusqu'à la décision. | Base assignment: percentage of the estimated pre-tax cost of works, rate in the contract; this line is a share of the base assignment | Included in the base assignment | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices |
| Site supervision and control | Visites de chantier, procès-verbaux de chantier, réception des travaux. | Base assignment: percentage of the estimated pre-tax cost of works, rate in the contract; this line is a share of the base assignment | Included in the base assignment | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices |
| Interior design | Module on top of the base assignment: percentage of the estimated pre-tax cost of works, rate in the contract | Depending on the chosen pack (Essential without, Personalised and Premium with) or as an option | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices | |
| Construction documents by trade | Détails d'exécution de tous les lots (portes, fenêtres, niches, revêtements de sol et muraux…) : terrassements, gros œuvre béton armé, maçonnerie et enduits, étanchéité et isolation thermique, charpente, couverture et zinguerie, menuiserie extérieure aluminium (fenêtres, baies, façades), menuiserie intérieure bois (portes, placards), métallerie et serrurerie, cloisons et doublages, revêtements de sols, revêtements muraux et savoir-faire traditionnels, peinture, vitrerie et ravalement, plomberie sanitaire, électricité courants forts, climatisation et ventilation, eau chaude sanitaire et solaire thermique, faux plafonds, staff, stuc et plâtre sculpté (gebs), courants faibles (VDI, sûreté), espaces verts et aménagements extérieurs, voirie et réseaux divers (VRD). | Module on top of the base assignment: percentage of the estimated pre-tax cost of works, rate in the contract | Depending on the chosen pack (Essential without, Personalised and Premium with) or as an option | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices |
| Detailed specifications and contractor tender | Module on top of the base assignment: percentage of the estimated pre-tax cost of works, rate in the contract | Depending on the chosen pack (Essential without, Personalised and Premium with) or as an option | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices | |
| OPC coordination (scheduling, steering, coordination) | Suppose le dossier d'exécution et le CPS. | Module on top of the base assignment: percentage of the estimated pre-tax cost of works, rate in the contract | Depending on the chosen pack (Essential without, Personalised and Premium with) or as an option | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices |
| Dépôt et obtention d'une nouvelle décision d'autorisation | Autorisation expirée : constitution et dépôt du dossier auprès de la Commune de …, suivi jusqu'à l'obtention de la nouvelle décision. | Lump sum MAD 5,000 excl. VAT | Included in the base assignment | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices |
| Demande de permis d'habiter (total ou partiel) | Constitution et dépôt de la demande auprès de la Commune de …. | On quotation | Included in the base assignment | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices |
| Modificatif de plans sur projet autorisé | Mission distincte : toute modification par rapport à l'autorisation initiale (dépôt auprès de la Commune de …). | On quotation | Included in the base assignment | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices |
| Attestation de conformité | Visite de constat et établissement de l'attestation. | On quotation | Included in the base assignment | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices |
| Régularisation | Dossier de régularisation déposé auprès de la Commune de …. | On quotation | Included in the base assignment | Invoiced by phase according to the contract schedule; fees excl. VAT, VAT added on invoices |
Outside architect fees (invoiced separately by each party)
Engineering firm (reinforced-concrete drawings and calculation note), laboratory (geotechnical study, tests), licensed surveyor, control office, municipal taxes and fees for services rendered. Insurance: the practice's professional liability; CAR and ten-year building insurance taken out by the client and contractors, mandatory above MAD 5 million of works.
Assignment comparator: what does each phase include?
| Assignment | Project phase | In the base assignment? | What you receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sketch and preliminary design | Esquisse et avant-projet sommaire (APS) | Yes | 1/200 then 1/100 drawings, options, ratio estimate |
| Detailed design, cost estimate and building permit | Avant-projet détaillé (APD) et premières études techniques | Yes | 1/100 and 1/50 drawings, estimate by trade, complete Rokhas file |
| Construction documents by trade | Études d'exécution | No, additional module | Execution details for every trade, coordination with the engineers |
| Detailed specifications and contractor tender | Métré, consultation des entreprises et marchés | No, additional module | Trade-by-trade specifications, price schedule, comparative bid analysis |
| Site supervision and control | Préparation et ouverture du chantier | Yes | Visits, site reports, validation of progress statements, acceptance |
| OPC coordination (scheduling, steering, coordination) | Terrassement, fondations et sous-sol | No, additional module | Schedule, contractor coordination, minutes until acceptance; requires the construction documents and specifications |
| Acceptance of works and occupancy permit | Réception provisoire et levée des réserves | Yes | Acceptance report, clearance of reservations, certificate of conformity, occupancy-permit file |
| Interior design | Second œuvre, équipements et extérieurs | No, additional module | Layout, materials, finishes, fixed furniture, alongside the works |
Details of services, phases and schedule appear in the quotation and architect's contract offered by the practice; see the Arc Bati Architecture practice page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an architect cost in Morocco?
There is no single price: fees are freely agreed in a contract according to the type of project, its complexity and the scope (design and permit only, or also construction documents, tender and site supervision). Ask for a written fee proposal listing included and excluded phases.
Can I hire a Moroccan architect while living abroad?
Yes. The architect can file the permit online and follow the application; RGC art. 34 allows filing by the architect or a mandated person. Agree site-visit frequency and written reports in the contract.
Are architect fees negotiable in Morocco?
Yes. They are set freely in the contract, and the Order has not published a minimum scale since 2023. Compare the content of each proposal, not just the amount.
Are the structural engineer's fees included?
No. The engineering consultancy (structure and services) has its own contract, as do the land surveyor, soil survey, inspection office and laboratory where needed.
Is an architect mandatory for a small house?
In urban municipalities, delimited centres and their outskirts, the architect is a condition of the building permit (Law 12-90, art. 50). For 150 m² of floor area or less, only for the design (art. 54).
Can the architect be paid in stages?
Yes, usually phase by phase as set in the contract: sketch, detailed design and permit, construction documents, tender, site works.
Reference texts (3)
- Loi n° 12-90 relative à l'urbanisme (dahir n° 1-92-31 du 17 juin 1992), texte diffusé par l'Ordre des architectes
- Décret n° 2-18-577 du 12 juin 2019 approuvant le règlement général de construction, et arrêtés conjoints n° 337-20 (pièces des dossiers) et n° 338-20 (procédures dématérialisées) — BO n° 6874 du 16 avril 2020 (édition française)
- Simulateur CITURBAREA (moteur de chiffrage, prix 2026)
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