Surveying engineer fees: how they are set

What the law says: free fees, but “fair and measured”

The profession of surveying engineer (ingénieur géomètre-topographe, IGT) is governed by Law No. 30-93, promulgated by Dahir No. 1-94-126 of 25 February 1994. Its Article 23 lays down the basic rule for engineers in independent practice: for their work, they receive fees that must constitute fair remuneration for the work done. The law specifies: “Their amount is freely agreed with clients, provided that they are fair and measured” (our translation).

Three practical consequences follow:

• No imposed price. The price is discussed and agreed between you and the engineer, assignment by assignment.
• No scale set by the Order. Article 38 tasks the Order with ensuring that fees “freely negotiated between the parties are fair and measured” (our translation). But Article 49 specifies that the national council draws up the code of professional duties and the internal regulations, “but may not set the amount of fees, which must be agreed between the parties” (our translation).
• A single remuneration. Again under Article 23, these fees exclude any other remuneration, even indirect, from a third party. The engineer is paid by the client, not by a seller, a developer or an intermediary who might have an interest in the outcome.

The law also regulates how the profession is practised. An independent engineer practises in their own name (Article 5) and must be insured for professional civil liability (Article 19). Personal advertising is prohibited: the engineer may only mention their titles and qualifications (Article 22). Finally, the engineer must refuse any work connected with their personal or family interests (Article 24).

The ONIGT's “reference guide to fees”

The website of the National Order of Surveying Engineers (ONIGT) offers, in its menu, a Guide référentiel des honoraires (reference guide to fees). The link leads to an online application (guidehonoraires.onigtevents.ma). At the time of writing, this page only displays “Application informatique pour l'évaluation des services à fournir” (computer application for evaluating the services to be provided), with the words “En cours de validation” (being validated). No price grid can be consulted there.

The press presented this reference guide as one of the achievements of the Order's 2016-2020 term. Given Article 49 of the law, it cannot be a mandatory scale: it is a tool to help evaluate services, a benchmark for the profession. We do not reproduce any amount: we were unable to consult a public grid and check that it is in force. Be wary of “ONIGT scales” circulating on the internet without a source.

The Order has also set up an electronic contract platform with a QR code, called QR-Contrat, presented as a way of securing the contract between the engineer and the client and of combating falsification. You can ask your engineer whether they use it for your assignment.

What is certain: no text imposes a single price for boundary marking or a topographic plan. A professional who quotes you an “official rate” should be able to show you the text that sets it.

Engineer's fees and administrative charges: two separate items

The total cost of a land procedure often adds up several items, paid to different people. Confusing them is the main source of misunderstandings.

• The surveying engineer's fees pay for their work: travel, field measurements, calculations, plans, technical file, follow-up. They are free, within the limits of Article 23.
• Land registry charges are levied by the National Agency for Land Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (ANCFCC): charges relating to a registration application (réquisition d'immatriculation), to the entry of a deed on a land title, to certificates, to copies of plans. They follow a scale set by regulation, which the ANCFCC publishes under the title “Tarifs des produits fonciers” (rates for land registry products). They are not negotiable.
• Deed costs and taxes: fees of the notary, the adoul or the lawyer, registration duties and taxes relating to a sale or a partition. These fall to those professionals and to the tax administration, not to the engineer.

We do not quote amounts of charges here: the scale has been amended several times and must be read in its current version, on the ANCFCC website or at the land registry. A good quote shows the fees separately and, for information, the foreseeable administrative charges, stating who pays them and when. For online payments and the Agency's services, see our guide to ANCFCC services.

What makes a quote vary

Two boundary marking jobs that are “identical” on paper can require very different work. The main factors are as follows:

• The nature of the service: topographic plan, land registration file, boundary marker reinstatement, plot division, co-ownership plan, building setting-out. Each has its own requirements, checks and deliverables.
• The area and shape of the land: large land or a very irregular outline multiplies the points to be measured.
• Terrain and vegetation: a steep slope, closely planted olive trees or buildings block lines of sight and lengthen the work.
• Access and distance: rural land far from Fez with no track, or located in the heart of the medina, requires more travel time and organisation.
• The accuracy required: a plan for a feasibility study does not require the same level of detail as a construction plan or a survey intended for a dispute.
• The number of boundary markers to be placed or reinstated, and their supply.
• The state of the documents: an old title plan without coordinates, or a melkia (customary ownership deed) with vague boundaries, requires additional research and calculations.
• The deliverables: number of copies, digital files (DWG, DXF), written report, file to be filed with and followed up at the administration.
• The timeframe: an urgent request forces the teams' schedule to be reorganised.

That is why a serious quote begins with a review of the documents and, often, a few questions about the land. Without this information, a price given over the phone is only an estimate.

What a quote should contain

Always ask for a written quote before work begins. It should let you know exactly what you are buying. Check that it states:

• the name of the surveying engineer or the company, and the entry on the roll of the Order;
• the identification of the land: land title or application number, address or locality, approximate area;
• a precise description of the service and of what is not included;
• the deliverables: type of plan, scale, format, number of copies, any filing with the administration;
• the amount of the fees, stating whether it is exclusive or inclusive of tax;
• the foreseeable administrative charges and costs, shown separately, with the person who pays them;
• the payment terms: any deposit, instalments, balance;
• the estimated timeframe for the engineer's work, distinct from the administration's timeframes, which do not depend on the engineer;
• what happens in case of the unexpected: absent neighbour, boundary marker that cannot be found, missing document, additional travel.

Once accepted, this quote becomes the basis of your agreement with the engineer. Keep it with your land documents: it will be useful if any question arises about the content of the assignment.

Abnormally low prices, intermediaries: the pitfalls to avoid

Article 3 of Law No. 30-93 is clear: no one may practise the profession of surveying engineer or bear that title unless entered on the roll of the Order. Article 110 punishes the illegal practice of the profession with imprisonment of 3 months to 5 years and a fine of 1,200 to 40,000 dirhams, or only one of these two penalties.

In practice, be wary of:

• a price clearly lower than the other quotes without explanation: steps may be missing (tie-in to the geodetic network, checks, summoning of the neighbours), or the plan will not be admissible;
• an intermediary who “takes care of everything” and presents you with a plan signed by someone you have never met. The law prohibits the engineer from acting as an intermediary in matters unrelated to the profession (Article 21) and excludes any remuneration from a third party (Article 23);
• full payment demanded before any work, without a quote or a receipt;
• a promise of a guaranteed administrative timeframe: the engineer controls the timeframe of their own work, not that of the land registry or the municipality.

The right reflex: check the engineer's name on the [roll published by the Order](https://onigt.org/onigt-tableau.php) and ask who will sign the plans. A plan that has to be redone always costs more than a plan done properly the first time.

Why Ellipsoide does not publish prices

We do not publish a price list online. This is not to avoid the question, but because a price displayed without knowing the land would be either too high for a simple case or misleading for a complex one. The law requires fair and measured fees: they can only be so in relation to the actual work.

Our practice is described in our method: we first review your documents, then we provide a written quote detailing the services, the deliverables, the estimated timeframe for our work, our fees, and the administrative costs shown separately. If your need does not fall within our profession, we tell you so. You can write to us via the Request a quote page.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Law No. 30-93 on the practice of the profession of surveying engineer and establishing the National Order of Surveying Engineers, Articles 3, 5, 19, 21 to 24, 38, 49, 68 and 110 — Ministry of Justice (adala.justice.gov.ma)
• Missions of the Order (including: ensuring that fees are fair and measured) — National Order of Surveying Engineers (ONIGT)
• Reference guide to fees — service evaluation application (“en cours de validation”, being validated, on the date of consultation) — ONIGT
• Roll of the Order (check a surveying engineer's registration) — ONIGT
• Rates for land registry products (Tarifs des produits fonciers) — National Agency for Land Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (ANCFCC)
• Standards, reference guide to fees, QR Contrat: the ONIGT presents its 2016-2020 record (article in French) — Aujourd'hui le Maroc

This guide provides general information, up to date as of the date shown. It does not replace the official texts or a professional review of your file. Ask us about your situation.