A Senior Engineer’s Perspective

The most common question I get as a consulting engineer is “what is your role is in a project?”. Today, I will answer all your questions drawing from my over 30 years’ experience as a civil engineer in Kenya. I have worked as a consultant and as part of the contractor’s team so, I understand the interplay between these two roles. Hopefully, at the end of this article you will appreciate our role in project delivery.

First things first, let us define a civil engineering consultant. What do we do? And why are we needed?

What Exactly Is a Civil Engineering Consultant?

If you are a client working on your first project, you can be forgiven for thinking that your contractor can design as well as build. That they can supervise themselves, meet standards, and also faithfully inform you about project status at every point in time.

Technically, some contractors can do all these things, but not when a project is complex and where the client doesn’t have the expertise and knowledge to read into engineering designs, project reports, or specifications.

Questions that you the client will deal with constantly include has the contractor done enough to get paid? How much should they get paid? What happens when you have an argument over project delivery? Most importantly, how do you know that you are getting value for your money?

This is where I come in.

A civil engineering consultant is an independent professional (or firm) engaged by the client to provide technical expertise across the lifecycle of a project, from feasibility studies and design through to construction supervision and final handover. The word that matters most here is independent. I am not the contractor. I do not pour the concrete or lay the blocks. My obligation is to you, the client, and to the integrity of the structure, not to the contractor’s bottom line or schedule.

I work to supervise your project and protect your interests including money and timeline. While a contractor’s job is to build what they are told to build, our job is to define what gets built, and verify that it’s built correctly, and within budget. In short we are the ones that protect your interests i.e time, money, quality, compliance and all else.

To be a civil engineering consultant, I have to register with the Engineers Board of Kenya and possess a consulting license from the board. To offer civil engineering services, our firm also has to be registered because under Kenya’s Engineers Act (Cap 530), only firms registered with the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) can legally offer civil engineering consultancy services. Registration comes with professional indemnity insurance, a binding code of conduct, and a license that can be revoked for professional failure. That accountability chain is what protects your investment when things get complicated.

Strasan Group’s technical scope spans structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, transportation engineering, water resources engineering, environmental engineering, and construction project management.

As a senior consultant, I have specializations in some of these areas such as transport engineering and project management but as engineers often come to learn, projects don’t divide neatly along those lines. A road job involves geotechnics, drainage, pavement design, traffic analysis, and often structures like bridges and culverts all at once. So you have to have the technical depth to navigate all these project aspects.

Personally, I came up as a highway and materials engineer — roads and bridges for the first decade. But the most demanding work I’ve done has always crossed disciplines, and over time I built out my geotechnical and project management knowledge alongside the structural work. That breadth is what allows a senior consultant to see a project as a whole rather than as a sequence of disconnected technical problems.

What are the Responsibilities of a Civil Engineering Consultant in Kenya

Most of what we do as a firm falls into four categories. By understanding them, you will understand why you need us for your project.

1.    Feasibility Studies and Site Investigation

A feasibility study answers a very important question: Is it possible? Does the ground allow for what you are trying to build? What do the regulations say? Can your budget support completion of the project? Does the community approve? What impact will it have on the local environment?

Without answering these questions, your project might stall, be halted by the authorities or even endanger people. For instance, if it diverts rivers, or builds structures on loose soil, the project can have life altering consequences. You don’t want that that’s why you need someone like me to guide you.

Some of the work we do as part of feasibility studies and site investigations include topographical surveys that map the contours, features, boundaries, and existing utilities of the land. These tell us where we can build and, just as importantly, where we can’t. Alongside that, our geotechnical investigations involve drilling boreholes, pulling soil samples, and running them through a lab. We’re measuring bearing capacity, settlement characteristics, groundwater levels, and any problematic conditions such expansive clays, loose sands, old fill, rock at unpredictable depths.

For developments that cross NEMA‘s thresholds, we handle the Environmental Impact Assessment process from initial screening through public participation and license application. For commercial developments, county governments typically require a traffic impact assessment before approving the building plan. And before any of that, we produce a preliminary cost estimate based on actual site so you know whether the project makes financial sense before you’ve committed serious money.

The clients who value this phase most are the ones who’ve been burned by skipping it. Finding a problem during feasibility, when the remedy is walking away from a bad site, is far cheaper than finding it after construction has started.

2. Detailed Engineering Design

Once the site is understood and the project is confirmed viable, the design work begins. This is what most people picture when they think of an engineer’s output, though what’s visible on paper is only part of it.

We start with conceptual design: developing options, comparing their technical and cost implications, and recommending the path that serves the client’s objectives best. For a road project that might mean evaluating three alignment alternatives. For a building project it often means choosing between structural systems reinforced concrete versus steel, for instance based on cost, construction programme, and the specific loads involved.

From there we move into detailed design: engineering drawings, structural calculations, specifications, drainage design, utility coordination, and Bills of Quantities. Every element gets sized properly. Beam depths, column sections, foundation types, pipe diameters, and pavement layer thicknesses. The Bills of Quantities that come out of this process are what contractors use to price their bids, and what you use to compare those bids on equal terms.

Good design is also good economics. On some projects I’ve reduced construction costs by 30 percent through structural optimization alone i.e. using less material without compromising safety or performance. Such savings typically dwarfs the consulting fee several times over.

3. Construction Supervision and Contract Administration

From my experience, this is the most critical part of our job. Why? Because good design counts little if there is no quality control. In other words, if there is no one watching the contractor as they work, the project is at serious risk of failing. The reason is simple: the contractor is after money and will get as much as possible if they use cheap materials while avoiding standards. As your civil engineering consultants, we ensure none of that happens.

Our resident engineers are on site every working day during construction. They’re watching what’s being built, how it’s being built, and whether it matches the drawings. When it doesn’t, the work stops until it does. Quality assurance involves testing materials as they arrive and after they’re placed: concrete cube strengths, steel mill certificates, soil compaction tests, asphalt cores. A test failure means the work gets rejected and redone.

Progress gets tracked against programme and budget. Payment certificates are issued only for work that has been completed and tested to standard. Variation orders — changes in scope — get evaluated for cost and time implications before the client signs off. This prevents the unpleasant discovery, common on poorly supervised contracts, that variations have run away and the final account is 40 percent over the original contract sum.

After practical completion, we oversee the defects liability period, typically six to twelve months, ensuring the contractor addresses any issues at their own cost. The project file we hand over at the end as-built drawings, test records, operation and maintenance manuals becomes the definitive record of what was built and how it performs.

4. Regulatory Compliance and Permitting

Compliance is another area where civil engineering consultants are really needed. As the client, you probably never think about the building code, NEMA, Kenya Power, County or even national regulations around construction sites. And the reason is simple, this is not your area of operations. This is where we, civil engineering consultants live and thrive!

Every project I have handled involves navigating Kenya’s approval landscape. I have dealt with almost every authority in the country including County building departments, NEMA, the National Construction Authority (NCA), Kenya Power, water utilities, the Ministry of Transport, Kenya Urban Roads Authority etc. As a client, trust me when I say you need someone who knows where to go when something is needed. You also need an engineer who knows what’s needed for specific approvals.

For example, building permit submissions require professionally stamped drawings and structural calculations. NEMA licences for EIA-category projects require public participation, impact studies, and formal applications that follow a defined process. NCA compliance applies to contractors on site. Fire safety approvals under the Kenya Building Code require coordination with county fire departments. As your consultant, we handle each of these not just because we know the process, but because we know the people reviewing applications and understand exactly what they need to see to approve efficiently.

I’ve had clients come to us after months stuck waiting on approvals that were going nowhere. In most cases, the problem wasn’t the application itself — it was something specific about the documentation or the presentation that the reviewing officer couldn’t accept. We clear those logjams quickly because we’ve been through the same process hundreds of times.

The Consultant’s Role Across Project Phases

Now that you understand the role of a civil engineering consultant, it is time I answer some of your questions such as at what stage of a project should I involve a consulting engineer? Here’s how the engagement typically runs on a standard project, with approximate timeframes.

Pre-Construction Phase (Weeks 1–16)

  • Weeks 1–2: Initial client meeting and site visit. We walk the land, understand your goals, budget, and timeline, and start forming an initial view of site constraints.
  • Weeks 2–6: Site investigations. Topographical survey, geotechnical boreholes, environmental screening, traffic counts for road or commercial projects.
  • Weeks 4–8: Conceptual design and feasibility analysis. Options developed, costs estimated, best approach recommended and agreed with client.
  • Weeks 6–12: Detailed engineering design. Drawings, structural calculations, specifications, drainage design, Bills of Quantities.
  • Weeks 12–14: Regulatory submissions. Building permit applications, NEMA licence, NCA requirements, utility connection approvals.
  • Weeks 14–16: Tender process. Tender documents prepared, contractors invited, bids evaluated, appointment recommended to client.

Construction Phase (Duration varies)

  • Daily: Site supervision by resident engineer. Work quality checked against drawings and specifications. Materials tested as placed.
  • Weekly: Progress meetings with contractor and client. Schedule reviewed, issues addressed, completed work certified for payment.
  • Monthly: Detailed progress reports including photographs, test results, payment certificates, and updated programme forecasts.
  • As required: Variation order evaluation, design clarifications, quality remediation, and dispute resolution.

Post-Construction Phase (Weeks 1–52 after completion)

  • Weeks 1–2: Final inspection and punch list. All incomplete or defective work formally documented.
  • Weeks 2–4: Project handover. As-built drawings, operation and maintenance manuals, and final completion certificates issued.
  • Weeks 4–52: Defects liability period. The project is monitored and the contractor is required to remedy any defects at their cost.

The Kenyan Context: Why Local Expertise Matters

Say you are an international investor looking to make your mark in Kenya, do you really need a local engineering firm?

Good question.

Technically, you don’t need a local engineer to handle your construction project what you need rather is local knowledge, local networks and someone who knows their way around.

Here are just a few reasons why you should consider hiring a local civil engineering consultancy.

Understanding Local Geology

Kenya’s ground conditions vary dramatically over short distances. Nairobi sits largely on black cotton soil which swells when it absorbs water and shrinks as it dries. Mombasa has coral limestone and sandy coastal soils. Kisumu has volcanic deposits and lake sediments that behave differently again. Our geotechnical team has worked across all of these conditions and calibrates every design accordingly.

Navigating Local Regulations

The regulatory environment changes constantly. The Kenya Building Code 2024 introduced substantially revised fire safety requirements. County governments each run their own building approval processes with their own specific documentation requirements. NEMA’s EIA thresholds and procedures differ by project type, size, and location. We know this because we have navigated the approval corridors hundreds of times.

Sourcing Local Materials and Labour

International specifications frequently call for materials that are unavailable in Kenya, or available only at a significant import premium. Having worked in Kenyan construction projects for decades, I can tell you which alternatives are best or work just as well.

Working with Local Contractors

After enough projects, you develop a clear picture of which contractors deliver quality work consistently and which ones cut corners when the supervisor’s back is turned. That knowledge informs our tender recommendations. Selecting the right contractor from the start avoids a great deal of grief later.

Understanding Local Construction Practice

Construction in Kenya operates differently from construction in Europe or North America. Labor is abundant but formal trade training is less prevalent. Equipment availability is less predictable. Site conditions vary more than a controlled environment tolerates. Designs that don’t account for these realities tend to cause friction and cost overruns during construction. We design for the conditions as they actually are.

When Should You Hire a Civil Engineering Consultant?

I might be biased when I say this, but you should hire a consultant for your project as early as possible. The earlier we get involved, the more control you will have over your budget, and timeline.

Below is a guide to tell you when you need a consultant.

You Definitely Need a Civil Engineering Consultant If:

  • You’re building something that affects public safety. Buildings, bridges, roads, dams, large retaining walls. If these fail, they can kill or injure people and you can go to jail for it.
  • Your project requires regulatory approvals. Building permits require professionally stamped drawings. NEMA licenses require professionally prepared EIA reports. To get these documents, you need a registered engineer as part of your team.
  • You’re committing significant capital. If you’re spending millions of shillings, the cost of professional oversight is small relative to the cost of things going wrong.
  • Construction is not your core business. If you lack the technical capacity to run a construction project without support you need us.
  • You’ve had problems with past projects. If you have hadcost overruns, delays, structural issues or any of these issues, you need professional oversight.

You Might Not Need Full-Time Consulting If:

  • You’re doing genuinely minor works. A single-room addition, a low garden wall, a simple gravel drive. Though even these benefit from at least one site review session.
  • You have qualified in-house engineers. Some large organizations such major developers, county governments, utilities  maintain their own engineering departments. Even they often retain external consultants for specialist input or independent review.
  • The work is routine maintenance. Repainting, minor patching, cleaning and inspection don’t normally require engineering oversight.

What to Look for When Hiring a Civil Engineering Consultant

I have attended many interviews over the years and can tell you some of the things clients look for in a civil engineering consultant

Registration with EBK

Registration with the Engineers Board of Kenya is a legal requirement. As a client, ask for the registration number and verify it on the EBK public register (ebk.or.ke).

Relevant Experience

Ask for documented examples of comparable projects. A consultant with strong highway design experience is not automatically the right choice for a complex high-rise building project. Look for similarity in project type, scale, site conditions, and complexity to what you’re planning.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Engineers make mistakes. When we do, our professional indemnity insurance is what covers the cost of correcting them. Ask for a current certificate.

Local Knowledge

Ask specifically about their experience in your location. Do they know the soil conditions in that county? Do they have a working relationship with the relevant county approval office? Can they name reputable local contractors? Genuine local knowledge saves both time and money, and it shows quickly in conversation.

Clear Fee Structure

A competent consultant will give you a detailed written proposal that spells out exactly what’s included, what’s charged extra, and how fees are calculated. Vague proposals or reluctance to commit to a fee structure in writing are warning signs.

References

Ask for contact details of past clients with similar project types. Call them. Ask specifically about responsiveness, how they handled problems that arose mid-project, and whether the project finished on time and within the agreed cost.

Communication Style

Engineering is technical work, but a good consultant explains complex issues in terms that non-engineers can follow and act on. If a consultant is talking past you during the interview stage, that pattern will continue — and get more frustrating — once the project is underway.

How Much Does a Civil Engineering Consultant Cost in Kenya?

Fee conversations happen early in most client discussions, and I’d rather address them openly than dance around them.

Typical Fee Structures

  • Percentage of construction cost: Full design and supervision services typically run 3–8% of the construction contract value. The percentage scales down as project value increases. A complex residential project might sit at 8%. A large infrastructure project is often in the 3–4% range.
  • Lump sum: For defined scopes such as a geotechnical investigation report, building permit drawings, or an environmental impact assessment lump-sum fees are common. Residential house designs typically run Ksh 150,000–500,000 depending on complexity and floor area.
  • Time-based: For advisory retainers or review services, senior engineers in Kenya typically charge Ksh 5,000–15,000 per hour, with junior staff billing at lower rates.

What a Full-Service Fee Covers

A professional fee of 6% on a construction project should include: initial site visits and client consultations, topographical survey, geotechnical investigation, conceptual and detailed engineering design, drawings, specifications and Bills of Quantities, tender documentation and contractor evaluation, building permit applications and all regulatory liaison, full-time construction supervision, quality control testing and reporting, payment certification and contract administration, and defects liability period oversight through to final completion.

What’s Usually Billed Separately

  • Specialist testing beyond routine quality control (advanced geotechnical lab work, environmental chemistry analysis)
  • Third-party services engaged directly by the client (registered land surveyors, independent environmental specialists)
  • Significant scope changes after design has been completed and approved
  • Travel and accommodation for projects at a significant distance from the consultant’s base

Is It Worth the Cost?

On a Ksh 50 million residential project, a 6% consulting fee is Ksh 3 million. In my experience, the same project managed without professional oversight typically loses Ksh 5–10 million to waste, rework, contractor disputes, and overruns. The consulting fee pays for itself before you’re through the foundation stage.

The clients who resist paying for proper oversight are generally the ones who haven’t yet seen what a badly supervised contract looks like from the inside. Those who have tend not to cut that corner twice.

Conclusion: The Consultant as Your Project’s Guardian

I hope this article clears things for you. Civil engineering consultants act like your project’s guardians. We watch the contractors closely to make sure they deliver on what they are told to build. We seek approvals on your behalf from various authorities, we control costs and timelines so that your project always gets delivered according to your expectations.

At Strasan Group Limited, we’ve been providing structural and building engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical investigations, water engineering, environmental assessments, and project management to Kenyan clients for many years now. We’re registered with EBK, licensed by NEMA, insured for professional indemnity, and experienced across the conditions that construction in East Africa presents.

If you have a project coming up whether it’s a modest residential development or a significant infrastructure scheme talk to us