Construction Regulatory Authorities in Kenya

Construction Regulatory Authorities in Kenya

Construction Regulatory Authorities in Kenya; for an Industry as dynamic as Construction in Kenya that has a huge number of stakeholders and personnel involved in various sectors of construction there has been a great need to bring together the numerous regulatory authorities and associations to streamline the industry.

Construction Regulatory Authorities in Kenya; National and County

Construction Regulatory authorities in Kenya fall into two categories; National Construction Regulatory Authorities and County Construction Regulatory Authorities. For any individual or firm involved in construction in Kenya it is important that one possesses the correct licenses and permits that allows construction in the country legally. Lack of knowledge or ignorance can be a costly affair with hefty fines and even withdrawal of permits. Below are listed some of the government construction regulatory authorities in the country:-

Kenya County Government Construction Regulatory Authorities

Building Plans Approval

The required documents to be submitted are the following:
i. The proposed development
ii. A survey plan from Survey of Kenya
iii. Ownership documents
iv. Up-to-date rates payment receipts
v. Structural plans

Construction Building Process in Kenya

Construction Building Process in Kenya begins with the contractor registering the proposed construction project with NCA after obtaining the documents shown below, the contractor is required to fill a project registration form. The form can be downloaded from the NCA website.

Upon submission of the application, the contractor receives a temporary certificate that testifies the registration is under process.

They then submit the project registration form to the authority with the documents shown below:

1. Approved architectural and structural drawings
2. NEMA certificate
3. Bill of quantities (BoQ Summary)
4. Client and contractor signed contract documents
5. Contractor’s registration certificate
6. Quantity surveyor’s practicing certificate
7. Architect’s practicing certificate
8. Engineer’s practicing certificate
9. Client’s KRA certificate
10. An NCA compliance certificate will be issued by the authority.

Building Plans Approval With County Governments

For you to get a building plan approval from county governments you are required to pay the appropriate fees. Incidentally it is important to note that these are subject to your first getting the approval of the National Government, especially in regard to institutions such as the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), which you should provide with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project you are undertaking so that it can allow you to continue with the project after the environmental body ropes in stakeholders and the general public with a view to acquit themselves with any objections to the project. The fess that you are required to pay the county government includes the following: –

• Application Fees
• Building Plan Approval Fees
• Construction Sign Board Fees
• Inspection of Building Fees
• Occupation Certificate Fees

The above are applicable to all county governments in Kenya. These approvals cover a period of two years after which you are required to renew them if you have not completed the project.

Building Permit Fees is based on the size of the building. The estimated cost is Ksh.21,000/sq meter. The fees are as follows: –

1. Building plan approval fee: one percent of the estimated cost of construction
2. Construction sign board fee: Ksh.25,000/=
3. Application fee: Ksh.5,000/=
4. Inspection of building: Ksh.5,000/=
5. Occupation certificate: Ksh.5,000/=

It takes a period of 45 days to get the approval.

Other Relevant Documents

• Certificate of Title or Transfer Certificate of Title
• Architectural Plan
• Structural Plans
• Clearance Application Form
• Civil/structural Permit
• Electrical Permit
• Mechanical Permit
• Sanitary Permit
• Plumbing Permit
• Electronics Permit
• Fire Safety Clearance
• NEMA approval
• Bill of quantities
• Contractor’s Registration Certificate
• Quantity surveyor’s practicing certificate
• Architect’s practicing certificate
• Engineer’s practicing certificate
• Survey Plan