Expertise
Transferring onto the ground the exact position of the authorised building, checking levels during the works, then describing what was actually built: three moments when an accurate measurement avoids a costly mistake.
What the service is for
Once the permit has been obtained, the first technical act is setting-out: marking on the ground, with reference marks, the position of the building as shown on the plans stamped “ne varietur”. No text specifies who must carry it out, but a mistake at this stage is paid for with demolition: a building that encroaches on a setback or onto the neighbour's land no longer complies with the permit.
The surveying engineer checks the boundaries of the land and the condition of the boundary markers, the building line on the public road, the setbacks, the dimensions and axes of the footprint, and the reference level (threshold, pavement) on which the authorised height and the drainage of water depend.
The framework of building authorisation is described in the guide Building authorisation in Morocco; for roads and utility networks, see Roads and utilities studies: the role of surveying.
Who it is for
Before the foundations, we check the boundaries and set out the building according to the authorised plans. Also useful if you live abroad and your family is following the works on site.
The architect designs and supervises the works; we measure. An independent check of the setting-out and levels secures your certificate of compliance at the end of the works.
Roads, utility networks, structures: setting-out of alignments, kerbs and manholes, checks as work progresses, then an as-built survey for acceptance.
How it works
The same coordinate and elevation reference system is used from the first check to the last.
Authorised plans, title plan, building line report: we check that the architect's dimensions are consistent with the actual boundaries of the land before going on site.
Search for the boundary markers and comparison with the title plan. A missing or displaced boundary marker is reported before the setting-out, not after.
Transfer of the corners, axes and reference level, with durable reference marks that the contractor can use and that we can check again.
At the stages agreed in the quote: foundations, floor levels, invert levels of the networks, height. Each check results in a record of the discrepancies observed.
Survey of the structures as they were built, in Lambert coordinates and tied elevation, signed by the surveying engineer.
Tolerances and precision
We do not publish a “standard” precision figure: the useful tolerance depends on the structure. A gravity sewerage network is very demanding in elevation, a pressurised water pipe much less so; setting out a wall on a property boundary is more sensitive than an internal fence.
The precision achieved depends on the tie-in to geodetic points and to a known levelling benchmark, the quality of the site reference marks, the instrument (total station, GNSS) and independent checks. Have the expected tolerances in position and elevation specified in writing in the contract or the quote: that is what makes it possible to say whether a structure complies.
To check a bearing, a slope or an earthwork volume yourself, our free Surveying calculations tool performs common calculations in the browser.
Deliverables and documents
Timescales and cost
The setting-out of a house is prepared at the office and then carried out on site; site monitoring follows the contractor's schedule. The quote specifies the number of planned visits.
The cost depends on the size and complexity of the structure, the number of checks, the condition of the boundary markers, access to the land and the deliverables requested. We do not publish a flat rate (see our fees).
Do not confuse our as-built plan (the survey of the completed works) with the inspection of the completed works (récolement) carried out by the municipal committee before the occupancy permit: they are two different things.
References
Extracts from our references.
Alongside the contractors SINTRAM and Route du Nord.
Frequently asked questions
No text specifies who must carry it out. But building outside the authorised boundaries, setbacks or height makes the building non-compliant with the permit, with a risk of the works being stopped and of demolition. The guide to building authorisation details these penalties.
Not necessarily. A fence may have been built next to the boundary. Only the boundary markers and the title plan are authoritative: we check them before setting out.
Before the first earthworks, once you have the authorised plans in hand. For monitoring, plan the checks from the quote stage: a level is easy to correct before pouring the concrete, much less so afterwards.
Requirements vary according to the contract and the network operator. For a subdivision, it prepares the provisional acceptance and the plan drawn up after boundary marking (see Subdivision and plot division). Provide for it in the contract from the outset.
Yes. We hand over the reference marks and the setting-out sheet to them, and agree with them on the check stages.
Your project
Send us the authorised plans and the planned start date: we will propose the useful visits and send you a written quote.