How to Choose the Best Architect in Kenya for Your Project

Choosing an architect is one of the earliest decisions you make on a building project, and it affects nearly every decision that follows: how well the design fits your life or business, whether approvals move smoothly, how clearly the project is documented and how confidently you can manage construction. The best architect for you is not automatically the most famous or the one with the lowest fee. It is the qualified professional whose experience, working style and scope fit your specific project.

1. Define your project before you approach firms

You do not need a finished brief, but you should be able to explain what you want to build and why. Note the location, whether you own the site, the intended use, approximate size, people who will use it, preferred style, target budget and ideal timing. Include any known site issues such as a steep slope, access constraints, an existing building or uncertain utility connections. This gives each architect a useful starting point and makes their proposals easier to compare.

2. Verify registration and professional standing

Before discussing design details, confirm that the architect is registered with the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS). Ask for their full name and registration number, then check the Board’s current register. If you are appointing a firm, verify the firm’s registration as well as the professional who will take responsibility for your work. A polished portfolio or social media profile is not a substitute for checking credentials.

3. Look for relevant experience, not just attractive images

Review completed projects that are similar to yours in type, scale, location or complexity. A home, apartment block, office and hospitality project each bring different design and coordination needs. Ask what the architect did on each example and whether it reached construction. If possible, speak with a past client or visit a completed project. Look for evidence of thoughtful planning, buildable details and a response to the site, rather than judging only by the façade or render.

4. Assess how they listen and explain

A good architect asks about your priorities, challenges assumptions respectfully and explains trade-offs in language you understand. Notice whether they listen before proposing a solution. You should be able to discuss budget openly and hear how choices in floor area, structure, finishes and services affect cost. Clear communication at the start is a useful sign of how decisions and issues may be handled later.

5. Understand the full scope of services

The word “design” can describe very different levels of service. Ask whether the proposal covers feasibility, concept design, developed design, detailed drawings, coordination with structural and building-services consultants, county submission and follow-up, tender documentation, contractor selection, contract administration and site inspections. Confirm which consultants are included, who appoints them, and which services are optional or charged separately. Do not assume that approval drawings alone include construction supervision.

6. Compare fees on an equal basis

Request a written fee proposal that states the calculation method, deliverables, number of design revisions, payment milestones, reimbursable expenses and exclusions. Compare proposals only after aligning their scope: one lower quote may cover drawings only while another includes consultant coordination and construction-stage services. Ask how changes to your brief affect the fee. A clear appointment agreement protects both sides and helps prevent misunderstandings once work begins.

7. Ask how they will manage budget and buildability

An architect can help shape a design around your budget, but construction pricing should be developed with the appropriate cost professional, typically a quantity surveyor. Ask when cost checks happen, how the team responds if estimates exceed the budget and how design decisions are documented. Find out how the architect coordinates drawings with engineers and resolves queries during construction. Good coordination and clear documentation reduce avoidable uncertainty, although no professional can guarantee a final price before the scope and market conditions are known.

8. Discuss site realities and county approvals

Approval requirements and planning controls vary by location and project. Ask how the architect will check applicable zoning, setbacks, site coverage, access and other relevant requirements before design work advances. Clarify who prepares and submits the application, handles comments, pays statutory charges and keeps you informed. For a site with difficult ground, drainage or access, ask whether surveys or specialist investigations are needed and who will arrange them.

9. Agree on communication, decisions and revisions

Ask who your day-to-day contact will be, how often you will receive updates, what decisions you need to make at each stage and how approvals are recorded. Agree on a realistic process for feedback and revisions. Delayed decisions can affect the programme, while changes after drawings are coordinated may have cost and timing consequences. A shared record of decisions helps the client, architect and consultants work from the same brief.

10. Check the appointment before you sign

The written agreement should identify the client and architect, project, services, deliverables, fee and payment schedule, responsibilities, assumptions, exclusions, termination terms and how disputes or additional services are handled. Make sure you understand who owns or may use the drawings and what happens if the project pauses. Ask for clarification on anything vague before paying a substantial deposit or instructing work to proceed.

Questions to take to your first meeting

• Are you and your firm currently registered with BORAQS, and may I confirm the details?
• Which projects most closely match mine, and what was your role in each?
• Who will lead the project and coordinate the other consultants?
• What services and deliverables does your proposed fee include?
• How will we check the design against my budget and site constraints?
• How do you handle county submissions, feedback and approval charges?
• How many revisions are included, and how are later changes priced?
• What support do you provide during tendering and construction?
• What information do you need from me before work can begin?
• Can I speak with a recent client or visit a completed project?

Warning signs to take seriously

• The professional or firm will not provide registration details for verification.
• The proposal promises a guaranteed approval, fixed construction price or completion date without explaining the assumptions.
• The fee is unusually low but the deliverables, exclusions and additional charges remain unclear.
• The architect dismisses your budget or pressures you to sign before you have read the appointment.
• The portfolio cannot be tied to the firm’s actual role or to completed work.

Take time to compare two or three suitable firms using the same brief. Check credentials, relevant work, communication, scope and fee together. When you can see what the architect will deliver and how the working relationship will operate, you can appoint with greater confidence and begin the project with shared expectations.