Building your house: How much does it cost you?

How much does it cost to build a house or villa? How long does the project take and what administrative procedures must be followed? When we know that more than one out of two Moroccans still builds instead of buying, having an idea of ​​the different parameters of a construction operation is very useful.

First of all, taking care of the construction of your house from A to Z is not a trivial matter. In addition to the necessary financing, the owner s must supervise all stages and ensure that the work progresses smoothly. According to professionals in the real estate market, the construction of a house, all stages included, generally lasts 8 months, barring unforeseen circumstances. In terms of cost, a villa costs between 2 800 and 3,000 DH per m2 excluding the cost of land, while the construction of a so-called traditional or Moroccan house costs between 2,000 and 2 500 DH per m2, excluding land. In order to go through all the stages related to construction, let's take two examples, that of a villa with an area of ​​300 m2 built and composed of a basement and two levels, and that of a a modern Moroccan house of 100 m2 on the ground floor and the same on the first and second floors.

After acquiring the land, the owner must follow certain administrative procedures before starting construction. The first is obtaining the authorization to build and occupy public areas (to lay sand, bricks and stones) for which it is necessary to call on an architect, a topographer and a design office for the production the various plans and certificates required (see box on page II). The architect's service varies from 10,000 to 30,000 DH, that of the topographer est about 15,000 DH while the design office charges from 6,000 to 20,000 DH.

Once the plans have been validated by the urban agency and the building permit has been issued, work can begin with the foundations as the first stage. This is the digging of the ground to lay the base of the property. Whether for a villa or a Moroccan house, you have to dig an average of 2 meters. Depending on whether it is clay or rocky ground, the price differs. It is 20 DH/m2 in the first case and 40 to 55 DH/m2 for the second, which brings the cost of digging for a plot of land of 300 m2 from 12,000 DH to 33,000 DH and from the traditional house from 6,000 to 11,000 DH. Note that it takes two weeks to complete this step.

Large works can take 3 to 4 months

After the digging of the ground begins the most important phase and which requires the most time for the builder. These are the major works during which the structure of the house is put in place with all that this requires in terms of beams, slabs, walls, crossings and partitions... In this context, if some people prefer to procure the materials needed for the construction themselves from retailers, others resort instead to construction companies to avoid any headaches. Regardless of the supplier, the structural works require as base materials cement, iron, sand, gravel, all comers, agglomerates, slabs, beams and bricks. As a result, a villa with basement, ground floor and one floor requires 40 tons of cement. At a unit price of 60 DH for a 50 kg bag, the villa will absorb 48,000 DH of cement. For iron, it is necessary to count 12 tons at the price of 8,000 DH per ton, which brings the envelope to 96,000 DH. Subsequently, the villa needs 80 m3 of sand which is not counted in kilos, but in loads. Each trailer contains 18 m3 as the regulatory maximum and costs 4,500 DH. Thus, the sand part amounts to 20,000 DH.

In addition, it takes 80 m3 of gravel at 4,000 DH per 18 m3 trailer, which raises the final cost of this material to nearly 18,000 DH. Without forgetting the run-of-mine, a material similar to gravel and just as essential for raising walls and for earthworks. It costs the same as gravette but a smaller quantity is needed. Thus, a villa requires only 40 m3 of all-comers, bringing the price to 9,000 DH. Beside this, bricks, blocks or slabs and beams are essential in order to mount the interior and exterior walls of the villa, without forgetting the garden wall, the height of which must not exceed 2 meters by regulation. In total, it takes 15,000 bricks, knowing that the brick covers an area of ​​20/15 cm and displays a unit price of 2.50 DH. As a result, the price of the bricks totals 37,500 DH. At this stage, the contracted manufacturer can obtain all of these materials from retail suppliers. However, he must call on a company specializing in the manufacture of blocks and slabs because of their ability to comply with anti-seismic standards. Thus, with a price of 5.50 DH per building block, an amount of 82 500 DH is necessary, corresponding to almost 15 000 building blocks on average.

To this must be added the cost of labor which varies according to the number of floors included in the house. It can range from 270 DH up to 330 DH per m2. In general, major works require financing of nearly 392 000 DH for the example of the villa and last about four months, provided that the work is executed day after day without unforeseen events. On the other hand, the budget required for the major works in the case of a Moroccan house is lower than that of the villa because it does not require as many walls, partitions and separation. In addition, a modern Moroccan house does not need the exterior wall serving to surround and delimit the accommodation as is the case for the villa. Valued at nearly 270 000 DH, the major works require, among other things, concrete iron in the amount of 4,500 kg at 9 DH per kg, 10 m3 of reinforced concrete at the price of 600 DH per m3 and a average quantity of 800 blocks and slabs at a unit price of 50 DH.

Before moving on to the finishing works, there is an intermediate stage which essentially relates to the technical lots. It includes two aspects: electricity and plumbing. In this regard, the engineer from the design office must intervene, his technical plan in hand, to give the necessary directives for the installation of the various electric wires, their nature, their route and their protective sheaths. He also intervenes to decide on the plumbing piping, its diameter, its length and the various details concerning the technical aspect of the house. To set up the electrical system of a villa of 300 m2, it will take nearly 10 km of electric wires with a total value of 15,000 DH. Added to this are the circuit breakers, switches, internet sockets, TV and equipment… The bill amounts to almost 20,000 DH. In addition, the villa requires 60,000 DH for basic plumbing. In sum, the secondary lots cost around 80,000 DH. At this stage too, the house does not require as large a budget as the villa because it does not need as many wires or pipes, given its classic character. . In addition, a villa contains a laundry room, a terrace and a garden which require, on the one hand, water pipes, and, on the other hand, electric wires, which is not the case of a modern Moroccan house. At best, the secondary prizes total 20 000 DH.

Finishes weigh almost 40% of the total construction budget

If the big works take a lot of time, the finishing part, it causes a substantial budget. This, of course, depends on the taste and financial capacity of the owner. The plaster for the false ceilings will be the step following that of the large works. With a price of 30 DH per m2, it costs 9,000 DH for a villa of 300 m2. This is followed by painting, the cost of which varies according to quality, type or color. It also differs between exterior and interior painting of the house. In all, for the villa, it is necessary to count an amount of 20,000 DH minimum.

After that comes the ground cover stage. The owner can opt for tiles, marble or parquet depending on his means and preferences. While marble costs 250 DH to 900 DH per m2, tiling is sold from 90 DH and can reach up to 400 DH. As for parquet, its price varies from 250 to 350 DH per m2. Assuming that the basement is covered in tiling and the ground floor and the floor in marble, this stage mobilizes an expenditure of 75,000 DH.

Then comes the sanitary equipment. For a villa with 4 bathrooms, the owner will have to pay at least 13,000 DH. In detail, the toilets cost 700 to 2,000 DH. The price of the sink as well as the bidet can range from 600 to 2,500 DH. The shower with its tiled floor differs according to the type and the surface and is sold between 700 and 1200 DH. More expensive than the shower, the bathtub option can cost 2,000 to 4,000 DH.

The next step is all about ironwork and carpentry. This is how the ironwork notably affects the enclosing walls, the balconies, the garage gate, possibly the stair railings, the main door as well as the protection of the windows. The set can total a budget of 100,000 DH. Moreover, the ironwork varies according to the thickness, the pattern and the quality of the iron used. The carpentry, for its part, is divided into two parts, the first relating to aluminum and the second to wood. Thus, aluminum, depending on the number of doors, windows, roller shutters, ranges from 65,000 to 100,000 DH. Solid wood, used in bedroom doors, cupboards and dressing rooms can be billed at 30,000 to 50 000 DH.

As for the equipment of the kitchen, the owner can either get a turnkey kitchen or buy it in parts. For example, a kitchen of 25 m2 including drawers, boxes, cupboards and work plan can total a price of 80,000 DH. Household appliances (refrigerator, hood, oven) cost around 20,000 DH.

Do not forget the garden part for the example of the villa. Indeed, installing a garden requires an investment in terms of grass, seeds possibly, hedges, plants, which can increase the bill. In reality, setting up a garden can cost up to 15,000 DH. In the end, the finishing work entails a budget equivalent to more than 387,000 DH for a 300m2 villa.

As for the villa, the house also generates a substantial investment for the finishing part. It remains however lower than the budget caused by the finishing works of a villa and can be reduced by half. Because many expenses are not essential for a modern Moroccan house like the equipment of the garden and the layout of the terrace. The finishes thus only amount to 200,000 DH. Based on all these elements, building a villa of 300 m2 costs just over 900 000 DH. On the other hand, a house of 100 m2 on each of the three levels costs around 550,000 DH.