Building Inspection Before Buying Property in Morocco: Who to Hire and What to Check

No, buying property in Morocco does not come with a building inspection: the notary checks the title and the paperwork, not the roof, the walls or the wiring.

If you want to know the real condition, you have to hire your own architect or engineer for a building inspection in Morocco before you sign the compromis de vente, or make the compromis conditional on a satisfactory inspection.

I’m based in Marrakech and have bought four properties in Morocco. In my own purchases, the notary’s checks were about the title and the paperwork, so what you see at the viewing is the only physical check unless you arrange one yourself.

This guide is general information based on Moroccan texts checked on 23 October 2026, not legal or technical advice. Confirm your situation with your notary, a lawyer and a qualified building professional.

Does a property purchase in Morocco include a building inspection?

No. The notary’s work is legal: identifying the seller, checking the title and the charges registered on it, drafting the deed, paying the taxes and registering the sale.

Nobody in that chain is asked to climb onto the roof terrace or open the electrical board.

The notary’s checks are covered in the legal checks in our property due diligence checklist, and they are essential, but they say nothing about damp, cracks or plumbing.

If you borrow, your bank may send a valuer, but a valuation looks at what the property is worth, not at what is wrong with it.

Three French terms will come up when you talk to professionals:

• Vice apparent: a visible defect, one you could have noticed at the viewing.
• Vice caché: a hidden defect, one a normal buyer could not have seen.
• Expertise: a written report by a qualified expert.

The difference between the first two decides who pays when something goes wrong, as you will see below.

Who can carry out a building inspection in Morocco?

There is no single profession called “home inspector”, so you choose the professional according to the property and the problem.

Be clear about the géomètre topographe: the law gives them boundaries, land surveys, land expertise and co-ownership plans, not the condition of the building (Law 30-93, article 1).

They are the right person for checking the surface and boundaries against the cadastral plan, and the wrong person to judge a crack.

Ask any architect for proof of registration with the Ordre des Architectes (the national architects’ council), and any engineer for their firm’s details and insurance.

How do you choose and brief the inspector?

International law firm guides also recommend an independent engineering review, particularly for older buildings (Baker McKenzie, Morocco real estate guide).

Before you hire anyone, ask these questions:

• What are your qualifications, and are you registered with your professional body?
• Do you have professional insurance?
• Have you inspected this type of property before: a riad, a villa or an apartment?
• Will you go onto the roof terrace and open the electrical board?
• How many days after the visit will I receive the report?

Then agree the price and the scope in writing before the visit, so there is no argument about what was covered.

The written report should contain:

• The date of the visit and the address of the property.
• Photos, with the location and a description of each defect.
• How serious each defect is.
• A rough repair estimate where possible.
• What was not inspected, and why.

Ask whether the inspector will use a moisture meter, and a thermal camera where damp or hidden leaks are suspected, because these tools show what paint can hide.

A report without photos, or one that only says “good condition”, gives you nothing to negotiate with.

How much does a building inspection cost in Morocco?

There is no official fee scale, so ask for two written quotes that state what will be inspected and what the report will contain.

As one example, a Casablanca inspection firm lists 2,500 to 3,500 dirhams excluding VAT for apartments under 70 m², 3,500 to 5,500 for 70 to 150 m², and 5,500 to 10,000 for villas of 150 to 400 m² (one firm’s published price list, consulted October 2026).

Treat that as one firm’s price, not a market rate.

Whoever you choose, hire and pay them yourself, not someone supplied by the agent or the seller.

Why does an inspection matter legally?

Because Moroccan law protects you against hidden defects, not against defects you could have seen.

The seller guarantees defects that significantly reduce the value of the property or make it unfit for its use (Code des Obligations et Contrats, article 549).

But the seller is not liable for apparent defects, or for those the buyer knew about or could easily have known about (article 569).

The seller is liable even for visible defects if he declared they did not exist (article 570), so get his statements about the property in writing.

He is not liable for a defect he declared, or if the contract says he gives no guarantee (article 571).

Watch for that kind of “sold as seen” wording in a compromis, because it can remove the protection you thought you had.

A note in the official text explains that this exclusion does not apply to sales between a professional supplier and a consumer under Law 31-08, which matters when you buy from a developer, not from a private seller.

A seller who used deceit to create or hide defects cannot rely on the deadline or on any clause limiting his guarantee (article 574).

The deadline itself needs care. The 2021 consolidated text gives 365 days from delivery to act for a property (article 573).

The Moroccan press reported in 2024 that a new law extended this to two years from delivery and five years at most from the sale (Bladi, August 2024), so confirm the current deadline with your notary or lawyer.

Article 573 also allows the parties to extend or shorten this deadline by mutual agreement, so you can ask the notary to write a longer defect period into the compromis and the deed (article 573).

The practical lesson is simple: what you could have seen at the viewing becomes your problem, and the inspection is how you see it.

What should a building inspection in Morocco check?

Condition and remaining useful life matter more than the age of a building: a well kept older building can be a better buy than a badly maintained new one.

In an apartment building, what goes beyond your own flat?

• The lift: its age, how often it breaks down, the maintenance contract and any planned replacement.
• The building: the facade, the stairwell, the parking ramp, and the waterproofing of the roof terrace if you are buying on the top floor.
• Water pressure: especially on upper floors, and whether the building relies on a booster pump.
• Voted works: the last two or three general meeting minutes, and any major works already approved, because they can mean a special contribution soon after you buy.

The money side of this is covered in what to ask the syndic before you sign.

In a house or villa, what usually hides the cost?

• Structural cracks in columns and walls, especially diagonal ones near openings.
• The waterproofing of flat roofs and terraces.
• Drainage, the connection to the sewer or the septic tank, and how rainwater leaves the plot.
• Boundary and retaining walls.
• The pool shell, its equipment and any leaks.
• Rooms or floors added without approval.

For that last point, ask whether the building has its habitation permit and whether what you see matches the approved plans.

In a riad or medina house, what is different?

Damp is the main question, and it has several causes: water rising from the ground, water coming in from outside, or condensation.

Ask the inspector whether old lime walls have been covered with modern cement render, because cement can stop the wall drying out and keep damp inside it.

• The roof terrace and its waterproofing, which is a common source of water damage.
• Timber beams and painted ceilings, for rot or insect damage.
• Shared walls, because a neighbour’s leak can become your damp.
• Informal shared water or electricity connections.
• Water pressure on upper floors and any sewer smell in the alley.

The September 2023 earthquake damaged parts of the Marrakech medina (Al-Monitor, 2023), so ask whether cracks appeared or were patched since then, and have the engineer look at them.

What should be checked in every property?

• Electrics: the main board, an earth connection, the age of the wiring and any exposed cables.
• Plumbing: pressure, leaks under sinks, the water heater, and ventilation where gas bottles are used.
• Damp: stains, peeling paint, a musty smell, or fresh paint on one wall only.
• Windows and doors: seals, frames and how they close.

A Moroccan property expert interviewed by Bladi in 2021 gave pipe leaks, damp stains, water coming through badly sealed terraces, structural cracks in columns and walls, and peeling wall coverings as examples of hidden defects (Bladi, April 2021).

If you can, visit after rain or in winter, when damp shows itself.

Bring this short list to every viewing:

• A torch and your phone camera.
• Questions about the age of the roof waterproofing and the wiring.
• A request to run every tap and flush every toilet.
• A look at the electrical board and the water heater.
• A walk on the roof terrace.
• A look at the ceilings of the top floor.
• A question about past leaks and who repaired them.
• A note of every crack, with a photo.

When should you inspect, and how do you protect your deposit?

The best time is before you sign the compromis, while you have committed nothing.

If the seller wants a signature first, sign a compromis with a condition precedent (condition suspensive), so the sale only goes ahead if the inspection is satisfactory.

A promise of sale can bind both sides while making completion depend on conditions being met (Baker McKenzie, Morocco real estate guide).

The condition should name:

• Which professional will inspect.
• The deadline, in days, to carry out the inspection.
• What counts as a serious defect: structure, roof waterproofing, damp, electrics, or estimated repairs above an amount you set.
• Access for the inspector.
• A full refund of the deposit through the notary if the condition is not met.

Here is example wording to discuss with your notary, not a legal template: “This sale is subject to a technical inspection by an architect or engineer chosen by the buyer within 15 days. If the report identifies structural defects, water infiltration or repairs estimated above [amount], the buyer may withdraw and the deposit held by the notary will be refunded in full.”

Pay the deposit to the notary, not to the agent or the seller.

Ask the notary to remove or narrow any “sold as seen” or “no guarantee” clause, because under article 571 it can cancel the seller’s guarantee for hidden defects.

List the defects the inspection found in the compromis only together with what was agreed for each one, a price reduction or a repair by the seller before the deed, because a defect the seller has declared can no longer be claimed later (article 571).

Attach the inspection report or a list of defects to the compromis, and write down what is included: fixtures, appliances and furniture.

I learned that last point the hard way. I once wanted an apartment for around €54,000 in a secure residence with a pool, and the owner then said the television was not included, then other things were not included either.

The deal fell apart, and I was frustrated, but the lesson stayed: what stays in the property, and in what condition, has to be written down.

For the other clauses, see what a compromis de vente should contain.

What do you do with the inspection findings?

A report gives you four options.

• Walk away: if your condition protects you and the problems are too big.
• Renegotiate: with written repair quotes from contractors, not with impressions.
• Ask for repairs before the deed: the seller fixes the agreed defects, and you have them checked again before you sign the acte de vente.
• Accept the property as it is: with a price that reflects the work.

You can also ask the notary whether part of the price could be held back until agreed repairs are done, but treat that as a question, not a standard rule.

In one of my purchases, the asking price moved from about €85,000 to €75,000, and we agreed at €70,000.

That negotiation was not about defects, but it showed me that the first price is rarely the final one, and a written defects list gives you a concrete reason to discuss it.

For the method, read how to negotiate the price in Morocco.

Can you organise a building inspection from abroad?

Yes, but a video call with the agent is not an inspection.

Hire the professional directly, pay them yourself, and ask for a dated report with photos, a description of each defect and a rough repair estimate.

Give them written permission to enter the property, and agree in writing who will open it.

When I bought my ground floor apartment with a shop, the owner lived in America, his brother opened the property for us, and I first saw the shop from outside.

I paid a guarantee deposit of about €1,000 while waiting for the owner to come back. It worked out, but it was risky.

Today I would agree in writing who gives access to an inspector, and tie any deposit to the notary.

Frequently asked questions

Is a property survey mandatory in Morocco?

No. No standard buyer survey exists, and the notary’s checks are legal, not physical. Inspecting the building is your choice and your cost.

How much does a building inspection cost in Morocco?

There is no official scale. The price depends on the size and type of property and on the professional. Ask for two written quotes; one Casablanca firm lists 2,500 to 10,000 dirhams excluding VAT depending on size (prices consulted in October 2026).

Does the notary check the condition of the property?

No. The notary checks the seller, the title, the registered charges, the taxes and the registration of the sale, not the state of the building.

What if I find a hidden defect after buying?

The seller guarantees serious hidden defects, not visible ones. There is a deadline to act, which a 2024 law reportedly extended, and a no guarantee clause can limit your claim unless the seller hid the defect. Act quickly, keep evidence and speak to a lawyer.

Do I need an inspection for a new build apartment?

Yes, at handover. Make a written list of defects before you accept the keys. When you buy from a professional developer, the consumer protection law (Law 31-08) stops the developer from relying on a “no guarantee” clause, as the official consolidated text of the Code des Obligations et Contrats notes under article 571, but you still need to act within the deadline.

What should you do before signing the compromis?

1. Book an independent architect or engineer.
2. Check the title and the boundaries in parallel.
3. Put the inspection condition and the deposit refund in writing.
4. Pay the deposit to the notary.
5. Decide with the report in hand.

A building inspection in Morocco is usually a small cost compared with the price of the property, and it is the only way to know what you are really buying before you commit.