Get building plans approved in Nairobi (construction permit)
Nairobi City County Government · sources read 30 Sep 2026
Your registered architect submits your building plans on the Nairobi e-development portal (edev.nairobiservices.go.ke) with your ownership documents, survey plan and land rates clearance. You pay the invoice, and once the architectural plans are approved your structural engineer submits the structural plans.
- Fee
- We couldn't confirm a fee from the official page. Check it there before you pay.
- Where
- Online on the Nairobi e-development portal (edev.nairobiservices.go.ke), through a registered architect
What you need
- Architectural drawings
- Survey plan of the plot
- Proof of land ownership
- Land rates clearance receipt
- Change of user approval, if the land's use must change
- For structural approval: structural drawings and design calculations
Steps
- Hire a registered architect. The architect registers on the Nairobi e-development portal (edev.nairobiservices.go.ke).
- The architect submits the architectural plans online with your documents. The portal gives a payment invoice.
- Pay the invoice. The amount depends on the built-up area of the building. The architect then uploads the payment notification.
- When the architectural plans are approved, download and print the approval.
- The architect links your structural engineer on the system, who then submits the structural plans for approval.
Watch out
- Plans are rejected if any requirement is missing, so check the documents with your architect before submitting.
- Clear your land rates first: a land rates clearance receipt is part of the application.
Who can apply
- Anyone building in Nairobi, but the application is made through a registered architect, who signs up on the portal with their Architects Board registration number.
Official sources (2)
- Construction permit (Nairobi) eprocedures.investkenya.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Nairobi Planning and Development Management System edev.nairobiservices.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026