The construction process: from plot to handover

1. Confirm the site and your brief

Start by confirming that the land is suitable for your intended project. Gather ownership and survey information, understand access and services, and discuss your budget, needs, and preferred timeline with your design team.

A site visit early on can reveal slopes, drainage, access, or ground conditions that may affect the design and cost.

Collect the title or other ownership documents and a current survey plan for your team to review.
Record site access, boundaries, visible utilities, drainage routes, neighbouring buildings, and any wayleaves or easements you know about.
Ask whether a topographical or geotechnical survey is needed before fixing the design or foundation assumptions.
Write down your must-haves, items you can compromise on, budget range, and target move-in date.

2. Assemble the right team

Choose qualified professionals for the work they are responsible for. Depending on the project, your team may include an architect, structural and building-services engineers, a quantity surveyor, and a project manager. Check current registration and practising status with the relevant professional body.

Ask one person to coordinate communication and keep a written decision log. Agree how quickly you expect replies, who can issue site instructions, and who can approve changes to cost or scope.

Request a written scope, deliverables, fee basis, programme, and exclusions from each consultant.
Confirm who prepares and signs each drawing, who submits applications, and who will inspect the work.
Use the same project name, site details, and drawing revision references across the team’s documents.

3. Develop the design and budget

The team turns your brief into a design, technical drawings, and a cost plan. Review the layout, materials, and estimated costs before the drawings are submitted for approval. Changes made after construction starts can cost more and affect the programme.

A quantity surveyor can help test whether the selected finishes and scope fit your budget. Ask what the estimate includes, what assumptions it uses, and which items remain provisional or excluded.

Review room sizes, circulation, privacy, daylight, ventilation, storage, and how the building meets the site.
Agree material and finish specifications in enough detail to price and procure them consistently.
Ask the team to identify long-lead items and design decisions that could delay construction.
Before submission, confirm the correct drawing set and revision is being used by all consultants.

4. Get the required permissions

In Kenya, development permission is handled by the relevant county. Additional reviews or licences may apply depending on the site and project. Do not assume that one approval replaces another; ask your professionals and county which permissions apply to your specific build.

The county may circulate an application to other authorities or agencies for comments. Keep a record of submissions, requests for clarification, payments, decisions, and any conditions attached to an approval.

Get the current application checklist directly from the county where the site is located.
Check whether the project needs environmental screening or other agency approvals before work begins.
Read every approval condition and ask the design team how it affects the drawings and construction plan.

5. Appoint a contractor and prepare the site

Compare written quotations against the scope and bill of quantities, check the contractor’s registration and current licence, and sign a clear contract. Agree how payments, changes, delays, defects, and handover will be handled before work begins.

NCA says the project owner or developer is responsible for project registration. Its current guidance says to apply within 30 days after the construction tender or contract is awarded to a registered contractor. Confirm the current requirements and gather the supporting documents with your team.

Compare like-for-like quotations and ask contractors to explain exclusions, provisional sums, and assumptions.
Agree a written payment schedule and the evidence required before each payment is certified or released.
Keep signed contracts, consultant appointments, approved drawings, the BOQ summary, and applicable permits together.

6. Build, inspect, and keep records

Follow the approved drawings and the agreed programme. Your consultants should carry out the inspections and supervision set out in their appointments. Keep copies of approvals, instructions, payment records, test results, and updated drawings.

Set regular site meetings with a short agenda: progress against programme, decisions needed, safety and quality issues, changes, and actions with an owner and due date. Share minutes so everyone works from the same record.

Before covering work that will later be hidden, confirm the relevant inspection or test has been completed where required by the design or project plan.
Photograph progress and label the images by date, location, and work stage.
Request a written cost and time impact before approving a change.
Escalate safety concerns promptly to the contractor and responsible site professionals.

7. Complete and hand over

Before taking over the building, walk through it with the project team, record unfinished or defective work, agree when it will be corrected, and collect the final drawings, certificates, warranties, and operating information relevant to your project.

Ask for a practical demonstration of equipment such as pumps, water heaters, electrical controls, and security systems. Make sure the people who will maintain the building know where shut-offs, meters, and service panels are located.

Use a written snag list with each item, location, responsible party, and agreed completion date.
Collect keys, manuals, warranties, test and commissioning records, and final account documents.
Keep the defects or maintenance period and the procedure for reporting issues clear in the contract.