Whether residential, commercial or industrial construction, it is a must to go through the NCA registration process. This approval by the National Construction Authority will ensure your project doesn’t face legal setbacks, costly penalties, or even forced shutdown. At Timely Architecture and Engineering Survey, we’ve experienced firsthand how small oversight into the registration process can frustrate the whole project, thus leading to problems that could be avoided.
To avoid such issues, this article will take you through the process of NCA application, and the common mistakes to avoid when registering construction projects with NCA.
What is NCA and why it matters in Kenya’s Building and Construction Industry.
The National Construction Authority was formed under the National Construction Authority Act of 2011, with the organization starting service on June 6th, 2014, after the operationalization of the Act. According to the Act, NCA was given the mandate to oversee and coordinate the building and construction industry in Kenya. They were to do this through promoting and continual improvement of the industry, advising the relevant cabinet minister, to ensure research and quality within the building and construction industry.
To achieve this, they carry out different functions including registering professionals in the building and construction industries like contractors, construction workers, and supervisors. They are also tasked with developing compliance regulations, like safety protocols for building and construction.
Another one of their roles is registration of construction projects. According to section 17 of the NCA regulations,
“All construction works, contracts and projects either in the public or private sector shall be registered with the Authority in accordance with the Act. The owner shall make an application for registration of a project to the authority in writing within 30 days from the day the project is awarded to a contractor registered under the ACT.” (https://www.nca.go.ke/project-registration)
The registration of projects doesn’t only involve knowing the owner, but rather their main task is ensuring that all projects meet all legal requirements from the start. It can be hard to keep up with all these evolving NCA standards. Timely Architecture and Engineering Survey can guide you in this process as they continually know the changes, and thus how to keep up with them within the construction journey.
NCA project registration process is necessary for all residential and commercial projects. The NCA registration process takes approximately 10 working days if done correctly.
NCA Registration process in Kenya: Steb-by Step
it is the responsibility of the developer to register their building and construction projects. They can register it through the NCA project registration portal or visit any of the liaison regional offices. To comply with the NCA registration process in Kenya, these are the requirements:
- Ensure that the contractor and sub-contractors are registered by NCA, with a valid practice license.
- The project professionals need to be duly registered with the respective professional regulatory board. E.g., engineers should be registered by the Engineering board of Kenya. Other than registration, they need to have valid practice licenses.
- Site ownership document
- Approved architectural and structural drawings
- Physical planning forms – which are acquired from the county.
- Bill of quantities summary page duly signed and stamped by the quantity surveyor
- Copy of the KRA pin
- Signed agreement between develop and contractor
- Statutory and regulatory approvals from NEMA, KCAA, WRA and EPRA where applicable.
With these documents, now you can start the NCA project approval process. Timely Architecture and Engineering Survey encourages developers going through the NCA approval process to ensure to first have all these documents before starting the approval process. It reduces the demand and makes the process easier.
- Go to the NCA portal https://oprs.nca.go.ke/
- Submit the project plans, site ownership documents, contractor details, and safety plans, among the other documents mentioned above.
- Ensure contractor is registered under the correct class (between class 1-8)
- Pay fees using the e-citizen platform; the cost is dependent on the class of contractor and the project size. Consult with Timely Architecture and Engineering Survey to get a breakdown of the cost tailored to your project.
- Await approval
Once the application is received, all consultants and contractors listed in the project are notified through email. They should confirm their engagement and upload any necessary documents to verify their engagement in the project. After this, a verification email is sent out asking the developers and the contractors to await site inspection.
The officials of NCA carry out a site visit. After which, the project receives either a compliance certificate, or the application is returned with commends. The duration of certificate issuance will depend on the risk rate of the project, whether low, medium, or high. Each certificate has a unique project ID for future verification.
Other than the developer, a contractor can make the application on behalf of the developer. Timely Architecture and Engineering Survey has professional contractors that have experience with making NCA project approval, and thus can help clients through the process, thus ensuring accuracy and compliance with construction compliance Kenya standards.
Common mistakes to avoid when making an NCA Registration Process
Let’s explore common mistakes that often lead to the NCA registration process to be rejected.
Incomplete and Incorrect Documentation
The documents listed above must all be submitted. In case these documents are not all provided, then it will lead to the rejection of the application. Other than just providing the docuemnts, it is necessary to ensure that these documents are accurate. Some submit expired licenses, or outdated forms. These inconsistencies will be flagged by NCA and thus lead to rejection of the application.
The documentation should reflect the true scope of the construction project. Further, these documents need to be signed and stamped by registered professionals.
Wrong Contractor Classification
Contractors are classified by class based on the level of the project they can handle. As such, the classification class of the contractor must match the building and construction classification. An example is a Class 6 contractor cannot handle a Class 2 project, but a Class 2 contractor can handle a Class 6 project.
Class classification of contractors is based on the value and complexity of the project. As such, it is to the developers own benefit if they choose a contractor who is in the same class as their project, or higher. This gives them an upper hand in the project as their contractor is certified to have greater capacity to fulfil and meet the needs of the project.
Contractor not Fully registered
Contractors used in any building and construction project must be fully registered by NCA, and their license is up to date. If a developer hires a contractor whose license has expired or evoked, then NCA will not approve their project.
Just like the other requirements for NCA approval, this requirement is to protect the developer. There are many individuals calling themselves contractors but lack the professional and educational background to be contractors. NCA contractor registration ensures that they have completed their education, have experience, and thus can be termed to be professionals in that industry. The yearly registration also enforced the need for continuous development of skills among contractors.
Ignoring Construction Compliance requirements in Kenya
The building and construction compliance requirements vary based on the risk factor of a project. Safety policies, insurance covers and Environmental Impact Assessment are reports that are needed for high-risk projects, and lack of this documentation will lead to the rejection of your NCA approval.
One of the most ignored compliance requirements is environmental, health, and safety standards. NCA stipulates the need for worker safety, thereby each project should have a safety officer and proper documentation including PPE plans and hazard management protocols. Health and safety standards make your application more credible and reduce your chances of rejection.
Not meeting NCA regulations 2025
As a governing body, the regulations and policies of NCA continually change to meet the growing needs of the organization, and to keep up with international standards. In 2025, an update was made to their requirements stating that all projects need to put an emphasis on sustainability. A building and construction project application that fails to meet this standard, among the other standards set by NCA, will receive an automatic disqualification.
No local Authority Approval
Before receiving NCA approval, building and construction projects need to acquire county building approval. Without local authority clearance, the project will not receive an NCA compliance certificate. County approvals confirm the land use and zoning regions, and thus necessary for all projects. This compliance is different from NCA approval, which ensures technical and professional construction compliance.
As seen from above, the NCA project registration process can be hard and taxing, with numerous i’s to be dotted and t’s to be crossed. A developer can opt to hire Timely Architecture and Engineering Survey, an expert-driven company that combines experience and professionalism to guide you through the whole building and construction process. They will double-check every detail, including documentation, compliance and approvals, so that your NCA project is not rejected.
Consequences of a Rejected NCA Approval
Some of the consequences of a rejected NCA approval include:
- Delayed project timelines
- Loss of investors or lender confidence
- Legal action or stop order in case one starts the project before authorization
- Financial penalties from regulatory bodies.
In some dire cases, repeated rejection can lead to your project being blacklisted.
Do you need assistance filing your NCA project approval?
Follow these tips to avoid rejection in the NCA registration Process in Kenya.
- Hire professionals like Timely Architecture and Engineering Survey to manage the process from start to end
- Cross-check the credentials of all your professionals.
- Keep-up with NCA regulation changes and update submission
- Ensure to have local approvals
- Continually monitor the NCA portal and respond quickly to any queries.
Let us help you save time, money, and stress. With the continually changing NCA registration process in Kenya requirements, it is necessary to have a partner.
Timely Architecture and Engineering Survey specializes in helping developers, homeowners and institutions register their constriction projects with confidence. Other than handling the paperwork, Timely Architecture and Engineering Survey can also help in the other basic steps of building and construction, from beginning to the end.
Contact us today.