Building a house in Morocco while living abroad: the 8 steps and what you can do remotely

By Yassine AT-TARASSI, architect · Updated on 27/10/2026 · Reference texts (4)

Most people who build in Morocco from Europe, the Gulf or North America do it in short trips and long-distance messages. This guide follows the eight steps of a house project from that point of view: what each step is for, which document closes it, whether you need to be there in person, and the legal time limits that frame it.

The 8 steps at a glance

Step 1: check the plot before you pay

Ask for the zoning information certificate (note de renseignements urbanistiques). The urban agency must issue it within two working days (general building regulation, RGC, art. 7). It tells you the zone, maximum height, footprint and setbacks, in other words the floor area you can actually build. It says nothing about the legal status of the title (mortgage, joint ownership, dispute): that is the job of the certificate of ownership and the notary. A plot sold as "R+2" that turns out to be in a villa zone changes the whole project; check before the deposit, not after.

Step 2: the architect, your representative on the ground

In urban communes, using an architect registered with the Order is a condition for obtaining the permit (law 12-90, art. 50). For an owner abroad, the architect is more than a designer: he files the permit, prepares the tender, checks each payment request and reports on the site. Make sure the contract lists the site visits and the reports you will receive. Assignment contents are explained in architect fees in Morocco.

Step 3: soil survey and engineering

The engineering consultancy (BET) designs the reinforced-concrete frame from the soil report. In the CITURBAREA estimator, for a 150 m² two-storey house in Kénitra, the foundations package goes from 64,200 DH excluding VAT on good soil to 92,500 DH on clay or backfill (raft foundation): the survey is what tells you which case you are in.

Step 4: the building permit, without travelling

The file is filed with the commune, today through the Rokhas platform, by the architect or a person holding your mandate (RGC, art. 34), and reviewed by a committee in which the urban agency's opinion is binding. Regulatory time limits: 15 days for a home up to R+3 and 15.50 m ("small projects"), 30 days for "large projects" (joint order no. 1839-23); they start again if the commune asks for amended drawings. The permit lapses if foundations have not started within one year (law 12-90, art. 49): do not get the permit too early if you cannot fund the works. Details: building permit, permit timeline, permit fees and taxes.

Mandates and documents when you are abroad

The permit file can be filed by you, by your architect or by a person holding your mandate (RGC, art. 34). Prepare early the documents only you can provide: certificate of ownership or title allowing you to build, identity documents, and any signed mandate the commune or the notary asks for. Each trip to Morocco should be planned around a signature or a decision (works contract, finishes, handover), not around chasing papers. Keep every receipt (permit taxes, connections): they are requested again for the occupancy permit.

Step 5: contractors you can trust from a distance

Ask at least three companies to price the same tender file (drawings, specification, bill of quantities) and compare line by line. From abroad, two choices matter most: contractor or tâcheron (labour-only), and the payment schedule. In the CITURBAREA estimator, the same 150 m² house costs 813,000 DH including VAT with a general contractor and 580,000 DH with a tâcheron, but with a tâcheron you (or someone you pay) buy the materials and coordinate the trades: hard to do from abroad. See choosing a construction company and our quote example.

Steps 6 and 7: the works, followed remotely

Before work starts, law 12-90 (art. 54-1) requires a site-opening declaration signed by the architect (48 hours before work starts, according to the permit template), 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 (art. 54-2). Any change (extra storey, façade, openings) needs a new application: an unauthorised change exposes the owner to the penalties described in planning violations.

How the budget splits in the estimator: the structural work (site set-up, earthworks, foundations, frame, masonry, waterproofing) is about 53 % of the works, the rest being finishing work and equipment. A practical rule for remote owners: pay what has been checked, never what has been promised, with each payment linked to a stage confirmed in writing by the architect (foundations poured, each slab poured, masonry and roof waterproofing, each finishing package tested).

Step 8: handover and occupancy permit

Handover is a written record listing the snags and a deadline to fix them; try to be present, or send someone you trust with the architect. Then apply for the occupancy permit (permis d'habiter): a finished building cannot be used without it (law 12-90, art. 55). The law sets one month from the declaration of completion; the certificate of the architect who supervised the works replaces the inspection visit.

Budget items people forget when building from abroad

CITURBAREA estimator, 2026 prices, mid-range finish, good soil, general contractor; an order of magnitude from the simulator, with no guaranteed accuracy; it is refined with the drawings, the soil survey and contractors' tenders. Plot not included.

Add your own travel for the key moments (signing, finishes, handover) and, if you rent while waiting, the time cost of delays. Run your own figures with the free estimator and see house construction cost per m².

Reference time limits

On CITURBAREA, the platform published by HSE DECO, the architect you work with (for example Arc Bati Architecture in Kénitra) shares drawings, reports and photos in your project space; contact goes through the platform messaging and video calls, with no phone numbers exchanged.

Frequently asked questions