Block Construction
Construction Project Management in Nairobi
Client-side project management for new homes, apartment blocks, renovations and stalled builds — the right team, verified progress, and payments that never run ahead of the work.
Six-level apartment block
- Level 5 slab · formwork & steelInspection booked
- Level 4 slab · concreteCertified
- Level 3 slab · concreteCertified
- Level 1 plumbing · first fixSnag raised
Next payment released only against a certificate.
Building in Nairobi rewards discipline and punishes assumptions. Block Construction puts an independent team on your side of the table — the scope fixed on paper, the work checked against the drawings, and every shilling released against verified progress.
What we do
One accountable team, from first sketch to occupation
Use us end to end, or only for the stage where you need a second pair of eyes. Either way, we work for you — never for the contractor.
Feasibility & cost planning
Before you commit a shilling: what your plot allows under Nairobi’s planning rules, what the build should realistically cost, and how long it will take. Better to learn now that the numbers don’t work than halfway up the walls.
You getA feasibility note, budget range and programme
Design & approvals coordination
We brief and coordinate the architect and engineers — our Block Architecture and Design team or your own — and drive the drawings through county approval, NEMA where required and NCA project registration.
You getApproved drawings and a live approvals tracker
Block Architecture and DesignContractor & consultant procurement
Competitive tenders to a shortlist we have vetted: NCA category and practising licence checked against your contract value, past sites visited, references called. Bids compared like for like, then a standard-form contract that protects you.
You getA tender report, recommendation and signed contract
BQ & quotation review
A line-by-line review of the bill of quantities or quotation — quantities, rates against the current market, provisional sums, and what has quietly been left out. Know what a fair price looks like before you sign.
You getA marked-up BQ and clear negotiation points
Site supervision & quality control
Scheduled and unannounced visits by someone on your side. Concrete, steel, blockwork, waterproofing and finishes are checked against the approved drawings and specification, and problems are raised while they are still cheap to fix.
You getDated site reports with photos and video
Cost control & staged payments
Every contractor claim is inspected and valued before you pay. Variations are priced and approved in writing before the work is done, retention is held back as security, and you always know committed cost against budget.
You getPayment certificates and a monthly cost report
Renovations & fit-outs
Kitchens, bathrooms, full apartment refurbishments and rental-ready upgrades — scoped for value per shilling rather than looks alone, and run with the same controls as a new build.
You getA fixed scope, budget and managed programme
Handover & defects
Snag lists closed before the final payment, as-built drawings and warranties collected, the occupation certificate pursued, and the contractor held to the defects period. Then, if you wish, straight into Block Management.
You getA complete handover file — and a building ready to earn
Block ManagementWhy an independent eye
Builds go wrong in the same three places
Unclear scope, unverified progress and payments that run ahead of the work. We close each gap before it becomes an expensive argument.
Unclear scope
The gapIf it isn’t drawn, specified and priced, it gets argued about later — usually at your expense.
How we close itDrawings, specification and a priced BQ agreed before anyone mobilises to site.
Unverified progress
The gapPhotos sent by the contractor are not an inspection, and substitutions hide easily under plaster.
How we close itWe check the work on site against the approved drawings, and record what we find.
Payments ahead of work
The gapAdvances and “urgent” top-ups are how build money disappears.
How we close itPayments follow certified work, variations are agreed in writing first, and retention is held until defects are cleared.
How your money moves
No certificate, no payment.
- Contractor claimsAn interim claim for work actually completed.
- We inspect on siteMeasured, photographed and checked against the drawings.
- Value is certifiedOnly work that is built, and built right, is certified for payment.
- You release paymentThe certified amount — nothing more, nothing early.
- Retention is heldA share stays back until the defects period ends.
How it works
How a project runs
Six stages, each ending with something you can hold in your hand. You decide at every stage whether to go on.
- Stage 01
Consultation
We hear the brief, look at the site or the drawings, and tell you plainly what is achievable for the budget.
You getA written scope note
- Stage 02
Feasibility & cost frame
Planning rules, a budget range and a realistic programme — expectations set by numbers, not optimism.
You getA feasibility report
- Stage 03
Design & approvals
Drawings developed and coordinated, then taken through county approval and the other permits your project needs.
You getApproved drawings
- Stage 04
Procurement
Vetted contractors tender against the same documents. We compare, negotiate and recommend.
You getA signed contract
- Stage 05
Build & supervise
Inspections, quality checks, cost control and reporting on a fixed rhythm, until the last snag is closed.
You getSite reports and payment certificates
- Stage 06
Handover
Snagging, testing, as-built drawings and the occupation certificate — then into Block Management if you wish.
You getA complete handover file
Building from abroad
Build at home without flying home
The classic heartbreak — money sent home for a build that never rises past the foundation — is avoidable with the right controls. Diaspora projects run on documented milestones, one accountable project lead and payments that only move against verified work.
- Milestone reports with dated photos and video walk-throughs
- Payments released against certified work — never on a phone call
- One project lead on WhatsApp, reachable across time zones
- Drawings, approvals, contracts and receipts in one shared folder
Stalled projects
Stuck mid-build? Start with the truth.
Builds stall when the money runs out, the contractor walks, or the numbers never added up. Before anything restarts, we establish what has actually been built, paid for and owed — and whether what is standing is sound enough to build on.
Audit
A site and cost audit: what is built, what is paid, what is defective, and what is left to do.
Re-plan
A revised scope, budget and programme — including anything that must be fixed before building higher.
Restart
The team re-tendered or restructured, with payments tied to certified work from day one.
Approvals & compliance
The paperwork that keeps a build legal
Most Nairobi builds touch the same approvals. We map yours at feasibility and track each one to sign-off, so nothing stops the site halfway.
County building approval
Plans submitted through Nairobi City County’s online development permit system by a BORAQS-registered architect, with structural designs by a registered engineer.
NCA project registration
A legal duty of the developer — you — within 30 days of awarding the contract. We prepare the file and track it with you.
NEMA environmental licence
An environmental impact assessment licence, where the project’s scale, use or location calls for one.
Contractor registration
The contractor’s NCA category and practising licence checked against your contract value before anyone is appointed.
Other statutory permits
Approvals such as WRA, EPRA or KCAA — only where your project triggers them, identified early rather than discovered late.
Occupation certificate
The county’s confirmation that the finished building is fit to occupy. We assemble the handover documents that support it.
Requirements vary by county and by project. We confirm the exact list for your site at feasibility stage.
Read: Nairobi’s new Development Control PolicyWho we work with
Built for owners, not contractors
From a single kitchen to a multi-unit block, the controls are the same: clear scope, verified work, certified payments.
Homeowners
Building the family home, with someone on your side checking every stage.
Kenyans abroad
Building back home with eyes on site and control of every payment.
Landlords & investors
Build-to-let apartments planned around the rent they will earn, not just the cost to build.
Small developers
Apartment and townhouse schemes that need tight cost control and reporting your financiers can trust.
Owners of stalled projects
Half-built and stuck — audited, re-planned and restarted on firm ground.
Renovation clients
Homes and apartments upgraded to sell, to let or simply to live in better.
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Read the articleFAQs
Frequently asked questions
Does Block build the house itself?
No — and that is deliberate. We act as your client-side project manager, sometimes called an owner’s representative. The building is done by a vetted, NCA-registered contractor under a written contract with you, while we manage, inspect and certify the work on your behalf. The person checking the work should never be the person paid to do it.
What kinds of projects do you take on?
New homes, apartment and build-to-let blocks, townhouse schemes, renovations and fit-outs, and stalled projects that need rescuing. The team and the reporting scale to the job — a kitchen renovation does not need the paperwork of a six-storey block.
Can you take over a stalled project?
Yes. We start with a site and cost audit to establish what has actually been built, paid for and owed, and whether the existing work is sound. Then we restructure the team, budget and payment plan to get it moving again.
Can you manage my build while I live abroad?
Yes. Diaspora projects run on milestone reports with dated photos and video, payments released only against certified work, one project lead on WhatsApp, and every document in a shared folder — no relative needed to “check on the fundi”.
How do you protect my money during the build?
No certificate, no payment. The contractor claims for work done, the work is inspected and valued on site, and you pay only the certified amount. Variations are priced and approved in writing before the work, and retention is held back until the defects period ends.
Which approvals will my project need?
Most Nairobi builds need county building approval, NCA project registration and, at the end, an occupation certificate — plus a NEMA licence and other permits where the project triggers them. We map your exact list at feasibility stage.
Which areas do you cover?
Nairobi and its satellite towns, from Ruaka and Tatu City to Syokimau, Kitengela and Rongai. For projects further afield, talk to us first.
What does it cost?
The first consultation is free. Fees for project work depend on the scope and length of the build, and are always agreed in writing before you commit.
Start the conversation
Planning to build — or stuck mid-build?
Bring us the drawings, the quotes or the problem. We will tell you what it should cost and how to get it delivered.