Are buildings in Lebanon built to resist earthquakes, and when did a seismic code start?

Also asked as: “Are buildings in Lebanon earthquake-proof?” · “Does Lebanon have a seismic building code?” · “Since when is there an earthquake code in Lebanon?” · “Is my Lebanese building safe in an earthquake?”

What the law says about new buildings#

The Building Law, Law 646 of 2004, requires a prior permit to build, convert, renovate or renew any building. The application and plans must be signed by a responsible engineer and registered with the Order of Engineers in Beirut or Tripoli, and the permit is issued by the head of the municipality, or the governor or caimacam outside municipal areas^[1]. The same law requires each application to include a soil-bearing study from a specialised soil-investigation office. More on what the Order of Engineers does in a permit.

A permit is granted under the laws and zoning rules in force on the day it is granted^[5]. The rules a building had to meet therefore depend on its permit date, which is one more reason to see the permit itself. Here is how to check a building permit and occupancy permit.

What we could not confirm about a seismic code#

We could not find the primary text or decree number of Lebanon's seismic rules, so we cannot tell you when they started or what they require. We also found no figure on how many buildings follow them, and no published way for a buyer to check whether one specific building was designed to them. Ask the Order of Engineers (in Beirut or Tripoli, whichever registered the permit) and the Directorate General of Urban Planning. Ask which seismic rules applied on the date the building's permit was granted, and whether the permit file shows a structural design that followed them.

Checks after construction are thin too. A Beirut Arab University law study says the 2012 public safety decree relies on accredited technical audit offices, and that the executive authority made them check only three basic conditions and classed the other 12 tasks, including public health and environment, as optional^[3]. The same study finds that laws settling building violations weakened public safety control.

Why older buildings are the bigger worry#

Al Jazeera reported in February 2026 that hundreds of Tripoli buildings were at risk because of ageing infrastructure, unregulated construction, the 2019 crisis, the 2023 earthquake and heavy rain^[2]. Reports differ on the toll of the collapse of 8 February 2026: Al Jazeera says at least 15 died, Amnesty International says 14^[2,6]. Amnesty says a 2024 report it published documented how failures by the authorities left Tripoli residents in unsafe houses after the 2023 earthquakes^[6].

Added floors are part of the problem. Local officials quoted by Al Jazeera said many damaged older buildings had irregular or unregulated floors added that made them weaker^[2]. A 2023 paper by a Lebanese University architecture academic and an adviser to the Minister of Public Works says contractors and residents build beyond their licences^[7]. One engineer quoted by Al Jazeera said concrete lasts 50 to 80 years and that many central Tripoli buildings are near the end of that span. See how to tell whether a building is at risk of collapse.

Insurance and earthquakes#

According to Kallas Law Firm, Lebanese fire insurance does not cover fire caused by earthquakes, volcanoes or storms, though it covers fire caused by lightning^[4]. We found no source on earthquake add-on cover in Lebanon or its price, so ask an insurer for the policy wording in writing.

Law 646/2004 Art. 18 provides for insurance against total or partial collapse, phased in for buildings under mandatory technical audit and running 10 years from the technical auditor's final report^[1]. The Council of Ministers decree that sets which projects it covers was not found, so whether a given building has this cover is unconfirmed.