What does building a house in Kenya cost?

Roughly KES 45,000 per m² for a basic bungalow to about KES 120,000 per m² for a well-finished maisonette. Most family homes land at KES 55,000–70,000 per m². A 3-bedroom bungalow of 120 m² at mid finish is typically KES 7.2M–8.4M. Full detail, and what the rate excludes, is on the cost page.

Is a bungalow cheaper than a maisonette?

Per square metre, by roughly 20–35%. No suspended slab, no staircase taking floor area on two levels, lighter foundations. On a generous plot where land is not the constraint, a bungalow gets you more house for the money.

How do you take payment?

Staged payments tied to completed milestones (substructure, ring beam, roof, plaster, handover) by M-Pesa or bank transfer with a receipt at each stage. We do not ask for a large deposit before materials are on site.

Are you NCA registered?

Yes. The registration number, the category and the name of our technical director go to you in writing with the tender documents. Ask any Kenyan contractor for the number and the category, not just the phrase, and check it against the NCA register rather than a certificate.

What happens if costs change mid-build?

Genuine changes happen: rock where the survey suggested murram, or a client who wants a different roof. Each becomes a written variation order you approve before we proceed. Nothing reaches the final account that you have not already seen and agreed.

Will you tell me if my budget is unrealistic?

Yes, at the brief stage, before anyone has spent money on drawings. If a 4-bedroom maisonette at your figure means finishes you would be unhappy with, that is a conversation worth having on day one.

Across Nairobi (Karen, Runda, Muthaiga, Gigiri, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Westlands, Parklands, Lang'ata and the Kiambu Road corridor) and elsewhere in Kenya for larger projects.

Custom Homes in Kenya, Built to the BQ You Signed

NCA-registered builders working across Nairobi and Kenya. A priced bill of quantities before you commit, staged payments tied to milestones, written variation orders for anything that changes, and a defects period after handover.

✓ No large deposit before materials are on site
✓ County and NEMA costs quoted as separate visible lines
✓ We tell you at brief stage if the budget and the brief do not meet

NCA registration, category and insurance details supplied in writing with every tender

Get a written quotation

Tell us the shape of the project and we will come back with a realistic cost range before anyone visits. No obligation, and no site visit charge.

What we build

Custom home building from KES 45,000 / m² Ground-up houses built against a priced bill of quantities, with staged payments and a defects period. Bungalow construction from KES 45,000 / m² Single-storey homes: the cheapest way per square metre to build well in Kenya, and why. Maisonette construction from KES 60,000 / m² Two-storey homes: more house on less ground, and an honest account of the premium. Home renovation Renovating older houses properly: survey first, then a staged programme that keeps the house livable. House extensions Extensions that are properly tied in, correctly approved, and served by upgraded services. Turnkey fit-out Shell to finished under one contract: joinery, surfaces, services and finishes, one accountability. Project management and QS BQ preparation, tender comparison, milestone valuations and variation control: including on builds we are not constructing.

What it costs to build in Kenya

Work	Rate	Notes
Bungalow, basic finish	KES 45,000 / m²
Bungalow, mid finish	KES 55,000 – 70,000 / m²	Where most clients land
Bungalow, high specification	KES 90,000 / m²
Maisonette	KES 60,000 – 120,000 / m²	20–35% more per m² than an equivalent bungalow
Residential, typical band overall	KES 50,000 – 97,000 / m²

Rates reviewed 2026-08. Every job is confirmed with a written quotation before work starts.

Worked examples, and everything the rate does not include, are on the cost of building a house in Kenya page. Before signing with anyone, get a priced bill of quantities.

How a build with us runs

1
Brief and budget test

Before drawings, we test whether the brief and the budget meet. If they do not, you hear it now rather than at plastering.
2
Design and structural drawings

Through an architect and structural engineer. The drawings are yours.
3
Priced bill of quantities

Every item measured and costed. This is the document the contract sits on, and the one to compare builders with.
4
County approval, and NEMA where needed

Quoted as separate visible lines, never folded into a rate.
5
Construction against a programme

Named milestones, staged payments, written variation orders for anything that changes.
6
Handover and defects period

We come back and fix what emerges. A handover is not the end of the obligation.

Why builds go wrong in Kenya

Six ways a Kenyan build turns into a dispute, and what we do instead.

The deposit disappears

A large sum taken up front, work abandoned somewhere around the ring beam, phone unanswered. We work to staged payments tied to completed milestones with a receipt at every stage, and we take nothing substantial before materials are on site.

The quotation creeps

A build quoted at one figure invoicing at another, arrived at through twenty unpriced small changes rather than one dramatic surprise. Every change here is a written variation order you approve before we proceed.

The BQ was never priced item by item

A headline figure hides what has been excluded. The cheap quote is usually cheap by exclusion: a lighter roof, no boundary wall, foundations your soil will not permit. A priced BQ is what makes two builders comparable at all.

The soil was never investigated

Black cotton across much of Lavington, shallow rock in Lang'ata, a high water table near Two Rivers. Each changes the substructure materially. A soil investigation costs a fraction of discovering it at excavation.

Approvals treated as a later step

County approval, and NEMA where the project needs it, run in parallel with design or they add months. Estate covenants in Karen, Runda and Gigiri are reviewed before the county even sees the drawings.

Nobody measured before certifying

Payment following the calendar rather than the work is how a client ends up ahead of the build and exposed. Milestones are measured before they are certified, which is only possible if the BQ exists.

On credentials: what NCA registration actually means, and how to verify anyone's, including ours.

Where we build

Gigiri Karen Kiambu Road Kileleshwa Kilimani Kitisuru Lang'ata Lavington Muthaiga Parklands Runda Westlands

Frequently asked questions

What does building a house in Kenya cost?: Roughly KES 45,000 per m² for a basic bungalow to about KES 120,000 per m² for a well-finished maisonette. Most family homes land at KES 55,000–70,000 per m². A 3-bedroom bungalow of 120 m² at mid finish is typically KES 7.2M–8.4M. Full detail, and what the rate excludes, is on the cost page.
Is a bungalow cheaper than a maisonette?: Per square metre, by roughly 20–35%. No suspended slab, no staircase taking floor area on two levels, lighter foundations. On a generous plot where land is not the constraint, a bungalow gets you more house for the money.
How do you take payment?: Staged payments tied to completed milestones (substructure, ring beam, roof, plaster, handover) by M-Pesa or bank transfer with a receipt at each stage. We do not ask for a large deposit before materials are on site.
Are you NCA registered?: Yes. The registration number, the category and the name of our technical director go to you in writing with the tender documents. Ask any Kenyan contractor for the number and the category, not just the phrase, and check it against the NCA register rather than a certificate.
What happens if costs change mid-build?: Genuine changes happen: rock where the survey suggested murram, or a client who wants a different roof. Each becomes a written variation order you approve before we proceed. Nothing reaches the final account that you have not already seen and agreed.
Will you tell me if my budget is unrealistic?: Yes, at the brief stage, before anyone has spent money on drawings. If a 4-bedroom maisonette at your figure means finishes you would be unhappy with, that is a conversation worth having on day one.
Where do you build?: Across Nairobi (Karen, Runda, Muthaiga, Gigiri, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Westlands, Parklands, Lang'ata and the Kiambu Road corridor) and elsewhere in Kenya for larger projects.