Upgrade or downgrade your NCA contractor category
National Construction Authority · sources read 3 Oct 2026
Once you have renewed and hold a valid NCA practising licence for the year, apply on the NCA portal to move up (or down) a category. An upgrade application costs KSh 5,000.
- Fee
- KSh 5,000Upgrade application (Kenyan contractor)
- Where
- Online on the NCA contractor portal (link on the NCA 'Upgrade/Downgrade Your Category' page)
What you need
- Proof of growth: more professional experience, more equipment and assets, and better financials (higher turnover and cash at hand)
Steps
- Renew your practising licence for the current financial year first. You can only apply to upgrade after that.
- Make sure a technically qualified director or partner has attended at least one NCA-recognised CPD event this year. NCA looks at this when deciding an upgrade.
- Apply to upgrade or downgrade on your NCA contractor portal and attach proof of your firm's growth: experience, equipment and assets, and financials.
- Open the application's tracking number, click to make payment, pay the KSh 5,000 upgrade fee and click complete.
- Track progress under 'Application status' in your account. If it says 'update', read the comments, fix the documents and resubmit.
Watch out
- Paying doesn't guarantee the upgrade. The final decision rests with NCA alone.
- An 'update' status means NCA wants more documents. Your application won't move until you resubmit.
Who can apply
- Upgrade: registered contractors who believe they qualify for a higher category in a class of works
- Downgrade: contractors with good reason to move down from their current category
- You must already have renewed and been given a valid practising licence for that financial year
Official sources (4)
- Upgrade/Downgrade Your Category nca.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Schedule of Fees nca.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Renewal Of Practising License nca.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Contractor Registration FAQs nca.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026