Owning land does not mean you can start construction as soon as the architect finishes the drawings.
Building plans go through development-control and technical approval processes intended to check whether the proposed development fits the site, zoning and applicable standards.
Who approves building plans?
County governments handle development control within their jurisdictions, while national planning law and standards provide the broader framework.
The State Department for Lands also publishes planning guidance and a building-plan approval service.
The exact submission system and county charges depend on where the property is located.
What do planners look at?
Kenya’s Physical and Land Use Planning Handbook says building-plan review should consider matters such as:
- zoning and approved land-use plans
- setbacks and building lines
- plot coverage and plot ratio
- access
- parking and loading
- drainage
- water and sewer services
- electricity
- environmental considerations
- health and safety
- building height
- compatibility with the neighbourhood
This is why a plan that physically fits inside the boundary can still fail planning review.
The current handbook is available through the State Department for Lands downloads.
Check the land use first
If the title and approved use are residential but the project is commercial, the first issue may be change of user, not the building drawing.
Resolve planning-use questions before spending heavily on detailed construction documentation.
Setbacks reduce the buildable area
A 50 by 100 plot is not a 50 by 100 building footprint.
Front, rear and side setbacks, parking requirements, access and services all reduce the area available for construction.
Ask the architect or planner to test the proposed building against the actual planning controls for the site.
Drainage is not an afterthought
Planning guidance specifically considers drainage and infrastructure.
Before approval, understand:
- where storm water goes
- whether the road has drainage
- whether the land sits below neighbouring plots
- whether a river or riparian issue affects the site
- how wastewater will be handled
A design that ignores water movement can create a permanent problem for the owner and neighbours.
What should you have before design starts?
Useful starting information includes:
- ownership documents
- a survey or site plan
- plot dimensions and beacons
- current land use
- road access
- site levels where relevant
- utility information
- the client’s actual room and parking requirements
Designing first and checking the site later often means paying for revisions.
Do not rely on a neighbour’s approval
The house next door may have been approved under different rules, a different plot size or an older development plan.
Use the controls applying to your parcel and current proposal.
Government charges are only part of the cost
The State Department’s current building-plan service lists a minimum charge of KES 750, but that is not a realistic estimate of the total cost of getting a building ready for approval and construction.
County fees, professional design, structural work, surveys and other approvals can add separate costs.
Ask for the current county fee schedule and professional quotations.
Approval is not the end of compliance
Construction still needs to follow the approved drawings and other applicable requirements.
Major changes during construction can create compliance problems if they were not approved.
The practical order
Before construction:
- confirm ownership and boundaries
- confirm the permitted land use
- understand the site’s planning controls
- design to those controls
- obtain the required approvals
- build from the approved documents
That order is cheaper than redesigning a project after enforcement begins.
