Foundations in Morocco: standards, mandatory regulations and checks before pouring

In Morocco, the foundations of a building are governed by two sets of rules. First, regulation: the seismic code RPS 2000 (2011 version), whose zoning was revised by Decree No. 2-24-766, binds the design, and the building permit defines the authorised structure. Second, the product standards made mandatory: high-bond reinforcing steel (NM 01.4.096 and NM 01.4.097), cement (NM 10.1.004) and concrete (NM 10.1.008). Between the two, the geotechnical report, the structural calculations and the specification (CPS) set what must be checked before every pour.

Scope

This page covers the shallow and semi-deep foundations commonly used for a villa, a small apartment building or a public facility: pad and strip footings, ground beams and raft slabs, together with their blinding concrete and reinforcement. Deep foundations (piles, diaphragm walls) and retaining structures call for specific studies and are dealt with separately on the retaining walls and basement page.

The scope opens once the geotechnical report is available and closes at the end of the substructure, before the columns rise. Earthworks and the inspection of the excavation bottom form the entry milestone; pouring the foundations, with the associated concrete tests, is the exit milestone.

Regulatory table

Reference, edition, status, the text that makes the rule mandatory and the verified source (standards catalogue 2026-10-25; NM statuses checked against the official list of the Ministry of Industry and Trade).

ReferenceEditionStatusText making it mandatorySourceNote
Décret n° 2-02-177 du 22/02/2002
Règlement de construction parasismique RPS 2000 version 2011
version consolidée du décret au 11/11/2024mandatoryThe text itself (published in the Official Bulletin)full textSeismic design rules for buildings; construction details for foundations and tie beams.
Décret n° 2-24-766 du 22/10/2024
Modification du décret 2-02-177 (RPS 2000) — révision du zonage sismique
2024mandatoryThe text itself (published in the Official Bulletin)full textRevised seismic zoning: confirm the zone of the project's municipality before the structural calculations are prepared.
Décret n° 2-12-666 du 28/05/2013
Règlement parasismique des constructions en terre
2013 + 2024mandatoryThe text itself (published in the Official Bulletin)full textRelevant only to earth construction.
NM 01.4.096
Produits sidérurgiques — Armatures pour béton armé — barres et couronnes HA non soudables
NM 01.4.096-2015mandatoryDécision/arrêté d'homologation n° 746-15, certification NM exigéeMCINET listMandatory status confirmed on the MCINET list dated 19/06/2026.
NM 01.4.097
Produits sidérurgiques — Armatures pour béton armé — barres et couronnes HA soudables
NM 01.4.097-2013mandatoryDécision/arrêté d'homologation n° 366-13, certification NM exigéeMCINET listWeldable high-bond bars; mandatory status confirmed on the MCINET list dated 19/06/2026.
NM 01.4.220
Produits sidérurgiques — Armatures pour béton armé — treillis soudés et éléments constitutifs
NM 01.4.220-2011mandatoryDécision/arrêté d'homologation n° 2668-11MCINET listWelded mesh; status confirmed on the MCINET list dated 19/06/2026.
NM 10.1.004
Liants hydrauliques — ciments et constituants : composition, spécifications, conformité
NM 10.1.004-2019mandatoryDécision/arrêté d'homologation n° 2542-19MCINET listCement; mandatory status confirmed on the MCINET list dated 19/06/2026.
NM 10.1.008
Bétons — spécification, performances, production et conformité
NM 10.1.008-2009mandatoryDécision/arrêté d'homologation n° 1074-09MCINET listConcrete; mandatory status confirmed on the MCINET list dated 19/06/2026.
NM EN 13969 / 13970 / 13967 / 14909 / 14967
Feuilles souples d'étanchéité (remontées d'humidité, pare-vapeur, barrières capillaires)
NM EN 13969:2020 ; NM EN 13970:2020 ; NM EN 13967:2020 ; NM EN 14909:2020 ; NM EN 14967:2020mandatoryDécision/arrêté d'homologation n° 3007-20MCINET listBarriers against rising damp; status confirmed on the MCINET list dated 19/06/2026.
Décret n° 2-14-394 du 13/05/2016
Cahier des clauses administratives générales applicables aux marchés de travaux (CCAG-T)
2016mandatoryThe text itself (published in the Official Bulletin)full textBinding on public contracts; in a private contract it applies only where the contract documents refer to it.

Materials and documents to request

MaterialStandardsSupporting documentsBasis
High-bond reinforcing steel (bars and coils)NM 01.4.096, NM 01.4.097The producer's NM certificate, and a delivery note stating the standard, steel grade and batch, with bar markings that match.Legal obligation
Welded steel meshNM 01.4.220Delivery note citing the standard and the producer; label on each bundle.Specification (CPS) requirement
Cement (for site-mixed concrete)NM 10.1.004Full cement designation printed on the bag, matching the type the CPS prescribes on the basis of the geotechnical report.Specification (CPS) requirement
Ready-mixed concreteNM 10.1.008Mix design approved before the first pour, and a delivery ticket for each truck showing the designation of the specified concrete.Specification (CPS) requirement
Damp-proof barrierNM EN 13969 / 13970 / 13967 / 14909 / 14967Technical data sheet and product designation, consistent with the architect's detail.Good practice

Who does what

PartyRole
Client (owner)Commissions the geotechnical investigation and the design studies, appoints the inspection body and the testing laboratory where the project or the CPS requires them, and keeps the evidence file.
Geotechnical engineerCharacterises the ground and recommends the foundation type and founding level; gives an opinion on the excavation bottom where the appointment includes it.
Structural engineering consultancy (BET)Designs and draws the foundations (calculation note, formwork and reinforcement drawings) and specifies the concrete and steel.
ArchitectDesigns the authorised scheme, checks compliance with the permit, coordinates the works and takes part in site acceptances.
Inspection body (where appointed)Reviews the structural calculations and inspects the hold points: excavation bottom, reinforcement and pour.
Testing laboratoryTakes the samples and carries out the tests set out in the CPS (concrete, and steel where there is doubt), then issues the test reports.
Main structural contractorBuilds to the drawings, supplies the material certificates and calls for each acceptance before pouring.

Inspection milestones

  1. Geotechnical survey Specification (CPS) requirement
    Geotechnical report delivered before the structural calculations; its foundation recommendations carried over by the structural consultancy.
  2. Structure designed and approved by the inspection body Specification (CPS) requirement
    Foundation drawings and calculation note completed, with the inspection body's opinion where one is appointed, before work starts on site.
    Standards to check at this milestone: NM 01.4.097
  3. Excavation bottoms accepted Specification (CPS) requirement
    Excavation bottom accepted: founding level and soil type consistent with the assumptions of the report, trenches clean and dry.
  4. Foundation reinforcement accepted Specification (CPS) requirement
    Reinforcement checked against the drawings before pouring, steel certificates on file; written hold point.
    Standards to check at this milestone: NM 01.4.096, NM 01.4.097, NM 10.1.008
  5. Foundations cast and concrete tested Specification (CPS) requirement
    Concrete on every delivery ticket matching the specification, samples identified, test results tracked.
    Standards to check at this milestone: NM 10.1.004, NM 10.1.008
  6. Substructure completed Good practice
    Substructure complete, buried services and damp-proof barrier in place before the ground slab and the superstructure.

Common non-conformities and follow-up

FindingAction
The soil found at the bottom of the excavation differs from the one described in the geotechnical report.Stop work, obtain the opinion of the geotechnical engineer and the structural consultancy, and adapt the foundations in writing before any concrete is poured.
Steel delivered without an NM certificate, or in a grade that does not match the drawings.Quarantine the batch, obtain the certificate or replace the steel; laboratory tests if any doubt remains.
Incomplete reinforcement or insufficient concrete cover found at acceptance.Correct before pouring and record a fresh acceptance.
A concrete test result falls below the specified value.Review by the structural consultancy and the inspection body: further testing, check calculation or strengthening, followed by a written decision from the client.
Water standing in the trenches when the pour is due.Pump out and clean before pouring; postpone if the founding soil has been disturbed.

Guides and standard sheets

Detailed sheets of the mandatory standards

Frequently asked questions

Which standards are mandatory for foundations in Morocco?

On the regulatory side, RPS 2000 (2011 version) with the seismic zoning revised in 2024. On the product side, the mandatory standards for high-bond steel (NM 01.4.096 and 01.4.097), welded mesh (NM 01.4.220), cement (NM 10.1.004) and concrete (NM 10.1.008).

Is a geotechnical investigation required for a villa?

It is the basis for choosing the foundations, and the CPS or the municipality may require it; without it, the structural engineer works on unverified soil assumptions. Commission it before the structural calculations.

Who inspects the excavation bottom?

The project manager together with the structural consultancy, or the inspection body where one is appointed, and the geotechnical engineer if the appointment provides for it. The inspection takes place before the blinding concrete.

Can footings be poured before the reinforcement has been accepted?

No. Accepting the reinforcement against the drawings is the hold point of this work package; once the concrete is in, a reinforcement error can no longer be seen.

Do the Eurocodes apply to foundations in Morocco?

They serve as a technical reference where no Moroccan text covers the subject, but they replace neither RPS 2000 nor the mandatory NM standards.

Which documents should be kept once the foundations are finished?

The geotechnical report, the calculation note and drawings, the certificates and delivery notes for steel and concrete, and the test and acceptance reports. They are needed at handover and in the event of a dispute.

Sources, author and revisions

Written by , architect · under review · updated . Professional reading, separate from the text of the standard: each requirement is classed as a legal obligation, a specification (CPS) requirement or good practice.

Revision log

All standards for this trade (135)

In short: for the "Foundations" trade, the library lists 8 Moroccan regulation(s), 9 mandatory Moroccan standard(s), 10 approved NM and 70 foreign reference(s) used as equivalents.

Moroccan regulations (8)

Mandatory Moroccan standards (NM) (9)

Approved Moroccan standards (NM, voluntary) (10)

Eurocodes (34)

European and French standards (EN, NF, DTU) (29)

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Other jurisdictions (equivalents) (7)

Cross-cutting texts (all trades) (38)

2026 reference prices — Foundations

Public reference prices from the CITURBAREA materials library (October 2026), in dirhams excluding VAT; 20% VAT on top (incl. VAT = excl. VAT × 1.2), Rabat-Salé-Kénitra base. These are benchmarks, not supplier prices.

MaterialFrom (excl. VAT)From (incl. VAT)Range excl. VATReliability
Acier HA Fe E500 (tous diamètres)7,5 DH / kg9 DH / kg7,5 DH – 8,34 DHB
Ciment CPJ 451,3 DH / kg1,56 DH / kg1,3 DH – 1,42 DHB
Béton de propreté / BPE B15625 DH / m³750 DH / m³625 DH – 750 DHC (indicative)
Béton prêt à l'emploi B25 (C25/30)708 DH / m³850 DH / m³708 DH – 917 DHC (indicative)
Béton prêt à l'emploi B30 (C30/37)766 DH / m³919 DH / m³766 DH – 1 042 DHC (indicative)
Bois de coffrage (bastaings, chevrons)2 083 DH / m³2 500 DH / m³2 083 DH – 3 750 DHC (indicative)
Ciment blanc2,5 DH / kg3 DH / kg2,5 DH – 2,5 DHC (indicative)
Ciment CPJ 351,28 DH / kg1,54 DH / kg1,28 DH – 1,29 DHC (indicative)
Ciment CPJ 551,45 DH / kg1,74 DH / kg1,45 DH – 1,45 DHC (indicative)
Contreplaqué de coffrage CTBX 18 mm70,83 DH / m²85 DH / m²70,83 DH – 100 DHC (indicative)

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