Home / Quantity surveyor on the Kenya Coast: Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Tana River and Taita-Taveta
Quantity surveyor on the Kenya Coast: Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Tana River and Taita-Taveta
Most of my 10 years in practice have been spent on projects across the Coast counties, from beach plots in Diani and Watamu to public works far from the tarmac. I know what building here costs and why.
By Edwin, quantity surveyor, registered with IQSK. 10 years in practice. Fixed fee agreed in writing.
County by county
Kilifi: Mtwapa, Kilifi town, Watamu, Malindi and the hinterland. Residential and holiday homes, apartments and hospitality projects, where finishes and external works carry much of the cost.
Kwale: Diani, Ukunda, Msambweni, Kwale town and Lunga Lunga. Villas and resorts along the beach road, and institutional and public buildings inland.
Lamu: on the islands every bag of cement arrives by boat and is carried by hand or donkey. Transport and handling are a cost item of their own and must be priced, not assumed. Traditional coral stone construction needs craftsmen who know it.
Tana River and Taita-Taveta: long distances from suppliers, limited local plant and seasonal access. Preliminaries and transport are a larger share of the cost than in town, and programmes have to allow for the rains.
What drives cost on the Coast
- Distance from Mombasa, where most manufactured materials come from
- Local supply of sand, ballast, coral block and hardcore, which varies by area
- Ground conditions: coral rock, sand, black cotton soil inland, and high water tables near the shore
- Marine exposure: steel protection, roofing and joinery specified for salt air
- Water and power on site, which on a remote plot may mean a borehole or tank and a generator before work can start
An estimate that takes Nairobi rates and adds a percentage will be wrong. I price from local rates and state the transport assumptions openly.
Services
- Cost estimates before you buy or design
- Bills of quantities and material schedules
- Tender documents and evaluation
- Site valuations and payment certificates
- Variations, cost reports and final accounts
- Project management and site reporting, including for owners who live abroad or upcountry
Public works
For county governments and national agencies I prepare estimates and tender documents, support contract implementation teams and keep the payment and variation records in the form required under the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015.
Services in detail
- Feasibility and cost planning
- Bills of quantities
- Tender documents and evaluation
- Valuations and payment certificates
- Variations and cost control
- Final accounts and claims
- Construction and project management
- Independent reviews
Questions clients ask
Do you travel to sites outside Mombasa?
Yes, across the Coast counties. Travel for site visits is agreed and stated in the fee quote, so there are no surprises.
I own a plot in Diani or Watamu and live abroad. Can you manage the build?
Yes. See the guide to building in Kenya from abroad for how payments and reporting are set up.
Can you price a project on Lamu island?
Yes. The estimate carries separate items for sea transport and handling, which are the costs most often missed.
Get a fixed-fee quote
Send your drawings. You get a written scope, a fixed fee and a delivery date within two working days. No charge and no obligation for the quote.