Hiring an architect in Morocco: fees, role and how to choose
Buying land, building a villa or renovating an apartment in Morocco raises the same first question for almost every client who contacts me from abroad: what does an architect actually do here, and what should it cost. This guide sets out the legal framework, the phases of a real mission, 2026 fee orders of magnitude in dirhams, and the checks I would run myself before signing anything. I am Salma Abderahim, architect and interior architect working between Casablanca and Rabat.
What Moroccan law actually requires
Morocco regulates the profession through law 016-89 on the practice of architecture and the National Order of Architects. The practical consequence for you is simple: any building permit application, and most works that change a structure, a facade or a floor area, must be filed with drawings prepared and signed by an architect registered with the National Order. A draughtsman, a general contractor or a design office cannot legally sign a permit file in place of a registered architect.
Permit applications in the main urban communes, Casablanca and Rabat included, are submitted through the Rokhas online platform. The file goes to a review committee that can include the urban agency, the commune, civil protection and, depending on the project, other authorities. The architect assembles the file, answers observations and follows the file until the permit is issued.
Small interior works that touch nothing structural, no facade opening, no added floor area, generally do not need a permit. That covers many apartment refits: kitchens, bathrooms, finishes, joinery, lighting, non load bearing partitions in some cases. Co-ownership rules and syndic authorisation still apply, and in a listed medina the rules are stricter.
I say this plainly to every client: when your project needs a permit, ask in writing, before you pay anything, who will sign the file and under what arrangement. I set that out for each project at our first meeting rather than leaving it as an assumption. If a professional avoids the question or answers vaguely, stop there.
More on how permits and design phases interact in my guides section.
What a full mission includes, phase by phase
"Architect" in Morocco can mean a two week drawing job or an eighteen month engagement. The word that matters is mission. Here is what a full mission covers on a house or a commercial fit-out, in the order it happens.
- Feasibility and site reading. Zoning rules for the plot, permitted floor area ratio, height, setbacks, orientation, access, soil and slope, and a first realistic budget. On a purchase this is the phase that tells you whether the land can carry what you imagine.
- Preliminary design. Plans, sections, volumes, two or three options. This is where the brief becomes a building and where most of the value is created or lost.
- Permit file. The regulatory drawing set, coordination with the structural engineer and the surveyor, filing through Rokhas, responses to committee observations.
- Detailed design and specifications. Execution drawings, finishes schedules, joinery, technical layouts, a bill of quantities that lets contractors price the same thing.
- Tendering. Consultation of contractors, comparison of bids line by line, negotiation, recommendation.
- Site supervision. Regular visits, written site reports, validation of samples and shop drawings, verification of contractor invoices against work actually done, handover with a snagging list.
Phases 5 and 6 are the ones clients abroad are most tempted to cut, and the ones that protect the budget best. A well drawn set with no supervision usually produces a building that resembles the drawings from a distance and departs from them in every detail that costs money.
You can buy phases separately. A common package for a diaspora client is feasibility plus design plus permit, then a decision on supervision once the permit is in hand and the site is about to start. See examples of built and studied work in projects, including the My Laser centres in Casablanca and Tangier designed by the practice.
Fee structures and 2026 orders of magnitude
Three billing structures exist in Morocco, and honest practices tell you which one they use before the first drawing.
- Percentage of works cost. The standard for new build and heavy renovation. It scales with the project and aligns the architect with the real scope.
- Fixed fee. Best when the scope is clearly bounded, typically a design and permit package, or an apartment interior with a defined surface.
- Hourly or per visit. Used for advice, expert opinions, occasional site visits, disputes with a contractor.
The figures below are 2026 orders of magnitude in MAD, valid for Casablanca and Rabat and to be confirmed by a written quote for your specific project. Complexity, site constraints, level of finish and how much supervision you want all move the number.
| Mission | 2026 order of magnitude | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility review before purchase | 1,500 to 2,500 MAD | Checking a plot or an apartment before you commit |
| Design and permit file, villa 150 to 200 m² | 15,000 to 40,000 MAD | Owners who will manage the build locally |
| Full architectural mission, new build | 8 to 12% of works cost | Design, permit, tender and supervision through handover |
| Interior architecture mission | 10 to 20% of works cost | Apartments, villas interiors, retail and clinics |
| Advice, expert visit, second opinion | Hourly or per visit, quoted in advance | Disputes, stalled sites, buying decisions |
Interior architecture carries a higher percentage than shell construction for a simple reason: the works cost base is smaller while the number of decisions, drawings and suppliers per square metre is much larger. Lighting plans, joinery details, material samples and furniture specification consume far more hours than a plain slab.
Fees are normally paid in instalments tied to phases, not up front. Excluded from architect fees, and to budget separately: surveyor, soil study, structural engineer, technical inspection where required, permit taxes and connection fees. I break all of this down in architect fees in Morocco.
How to check credentials, and the red flags
Before you transfer any money to a professional in Morocco, run these checks. They take an afternoon and they save entire projects.
- Ask for the registration status in writing. For any permit project, ask which registered architect will sign the file and request the reference. Verification is possible through the National Order's regional council.
- Ask for professional insurance. Civil liability cover should be stated in the contract.
- Ask for a written contract that names the phases included, the phases excluded, the fee basis, the payment schedule and what happens if the project stops.
- Ask to see comparable built work, ideally visited or at least documented with site photographs rather than renders only.
- Ask who supervises the site, how often, and whether written reports are issued after each visit.
Red flags I would walk away from
- A fee quoted verbally with no contract and a large payment demanded before any drawing exists.
- A professional who also proposes to build the project through a company they control, with no independent cost comparison. Design and execution in the same hand removes your only check on pricing.
- Renders promised in 48 hours before anyone has read the zoning rules for your plot.
- Any suggestion that the permit can be "arranged" or that works can start while the file is pending.
- No mention of the structural engineer, the soil study or the surveyor in the budget. They are not optional.
- Prices far below the ranges above. On a full mission that usually means supervision has quietly been removed.
How collaboration works when you live abroad
A large share of my clients are in France, Belgium, Spain, the Gulf, Canada or the United States, and they visit Morocco two or three times a year. The mission is built around that, not against it.
Here is the rhythm that works. A first video call to understand the brief, the plot or the apartment, the budget and the timeline. Then a site visit that I carry out myself, with a photo and video survey and measured drawings, so you have an independent reading of what you own or are about to buy. Design is shared as plans, 3D views and material boards, reviewed in scheduled calls rather than scattered messages. Approvals are given in writing at the end of each phase.
During construction I issue a dated site report after each visit: photographs, progress against programme, items validated, items refused, decisions needed from you and by when. Contractor invoices are checked against work actually completed before you release payment. Most clients plan a physical visit at three or four key moments: start of works, completion of the structure, first fix and finishes, and handover.
| Question | Client based in Morocco | Client based abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Meetings | On site or at the office | Scheduled video calls, recorded decisions |
| Material choices | Showroom visits together | Sample boards, photos, samples shipped or held on site |
| Site monitoring | You may drop in | Written report after every visit, non negotiable |
| Payments to contractor | Released after joint check | Released only after written verification of progress |
| Powers of attorney | Rarely needed | Often useful for administrative steps, prepared with your notary |
Working languages are French, Arabic, Moroccan darija and English. Documents can be issued in French and English so that a spouse or a family member who does not read French can follow the project.
Choosing the right architect for your project
Beyond credentials, fit matters. A practice that does excellent industrial buildings is not automatically the right choice for a riad restoration, and the reverse is true too. Ask three questions.
Has this practice done my building type? A retail or medical fit-out has flows, regulations and equipment constraints that a residential specialist meets for the first time on your budget. The My Laser centres in Casablanca and Tangier are the built reference I point to for that kind of programme.
Who will actually work on my project? In larger structures the person who charms you at the first meeting is not always the person who draws or visits the site. Ask for names and for the frequency of the principal's involvement. In my practice I stay the direct contact from brief to handover, which is also why I limit the number of simultaneous projects.
Is the communication style compatible with mine? If you need weekly written updates, say so before signing. If a first exchange is slow or evasive, the site will be worse.
Geography plays a role too. Site supervision has a real cost in travel time, and a practice based two hundred kilometres away will either charge for it or visit less. I work mainly as an architect in Casablanca and as an architect in Rabat, with interior projects covered under interior architecture in Casablanca.
A sensible first step
If you are still deciding whether to buy, start with the feasibility review at 1,500 to 2,500 MAD. It tells you what the plot or the apartment legally allows, what it will realistically cost to build or renovate, and whether the price you are being asked makes sense. It is the cheapest decision in the whole process and the one with the highest leverage. Send me the plot reference or the property listing through contact and I will tell you within a few days whether the project holds together.
What clients ask me most
Do I legally need an architect to renovate an apartment in Morocco?
Not always. Interior works that touch no structure, no facade opening and no added floor area generally require no building permit, so no permit drawings signed by a registered architect. As soon as you move a load bearing element, change a facade, add a mezzanine or extend the surface, a permit is required and the file must be signed by an architect registered with the National Order under law 016-89. Co-ownership approval from the syndic is a separate requirement that applies in most buildings.
What does an architect cost in Morocco in 2026?
As orders of magnitude in MAD, to be confirmed by a written quote: 8 to 12% of the works cost for a full mission from design to site supervision, 10 to 20% for an interior architecture mission, 15,000 to 40,000 MAD for a design and permit package on a 150 to 200 m² villa, and 1,500 to 2,500 MAD for a feasibility review before you buy. Surveyor, soil study, structural engineer and permit taxes are additional.
How do I verify that an architect is registered with the National Order?
Ask for the registration reference in writing and confirm it with the relevant regional council of the National Order of Architects. Also ask for proof of professional civil liability insurance and a written contract naming the phases and the fee basis. For any project requiring a permit, clarify from the first meeting which registered architect will sign and file the application on Rokhas.
Can you manage my project if I live in Europe or North America?
Yes, and that is the situation for many of my clients. The mission is structured around video calls, a site survey carried out by me, phase approvals in writing, and a dated photographic report after each site visit. Contractor invoices are verified against actual progress before you release payment. Most clients plan physical visits at start of works, structure completion and handover.
How long does a building permit take in Casablanca or Rabat?
For a straightforward villa on a clearly zoned plot, a few months from filing is a reasonable expectation once the file is complete, though timelines vary with the commune, the review committee and the number of observations to answer. Complex sites, listed areas, change of use or derogations take considerably longer. I never advise starting works before the permit is issued.
Should I hire the same company to design and to build?
I advise against it. When design and execution sit in the same hand you lose your only independent check on pricing and on quality of execution. An architect paid by you, comparing contractor bids line by line and verifying invoices against completed work, typically recovers their fee on the construction contract alone.
Start with a clear read on your project
Send me the plot reference, the property listing or the plans of the apartment you are considering. I will come back with a feasibility view, a realistic budget range and a written proposal for the mission that fits, whether you are in Casablanca, Rabat or abroad.
Reply within 24 business hours