NCA Registered Contractor Check: How to Verify a Builder

Updated 27 October 2026

For Kenyans abroad building a home back home, the contractor is the single biggest risk. You are sending money to someone you may never meet in person, for work you will mostly see in photos. The first and cheapest protection is to confirm you are dealing with an NCA registered contractor, listed by the National Construction Authority (NCA) and holds a valid practising licence. This guide shows how to run that check, what the NCA categories mean, and the other checks to do before you send a deposit.

Updated October 2026. Official sources: www.nca.go.ke www.nca.go.ke.

Sources: the NCA website (nca.go.ke), including its registered contractors search, local contractor registration page and FAQs, and the National Construction Authority Act No. 41 of 2011. Checked on 27 October 2026.

Why NCA registration matters

Section 15 of the National Construction Authority Act says a person shall not carry on the business of a contractor unless they are registered by the NCA Board and hold a valid practising licence. An unregistered builder is operating outside the law. If something goes wrong, you have far fewer options: there is no regulator record to point to, no category showing what size of job they are allowed to do, and no professional standing they risk losing.

NCA also requires construction projects to be registered on its Online Project Registration System (OPRS), where developers apply for a compliance certificate. A registered contractor will know this process; one who has never heard of it is a warning sign.

How to check a contractor on the NCA website

1. Go to nca.go.ke and open Search Registered Contractors (the page is at nca.go.ke/registered-contractors).
2. Type the company name exactly as it appears on the contractor’s quotation or letterhead, or their NCA registration number.
3. Read the results row. The NCA search shows the company name, registration number, category, county, licence status and certificate status.
4. Check that the licence status is current. Registration alone is not enough; the Act requires a valid practising licence, which contractors renew.
5. Match the details. The county and company name should match the person you are dealing with. Ask for a copy of the practising licence and compare the registration number.

Take a screenshot of the search result with the date showing and keep it with your contract. If the contractor’s name doesn’t come up, ask them for their registration number and search again. If it still doesn’t appear, don’t proceed until they can explain why.

What the NCA categories mean

NCA registers contractors in eight categories, NCA 1 to NCA 8, across five classes of works: building works, civil works (roads and water) and specialist mechanical and electrical works. NCA 1 is the highest category and NCA 8 the lowest. The category reflects the contractor’s technical staff, equipment and financial capacity, and it limits the value of the jobs they should take on.

For a family home, you want a contractor registered under building works in a category whose limit covers your project value. Ask the contractor to confirm in writing that your project falls within their category. If you are unsure, ask NCA directly through its official contacts on nca.go.ke.

Specialist trades need extra licences. NCA lists electrical installations, generating plants, lifts and escalators as needing a licence from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), and structural cabling, radio and telecoms work as needing one from the Communications Authority. Your electrician should be able to show an EPRA licence.

What a registered contractor must have submitted

NCA’s registration page lists the documents local contractors must provide. The mandatory ones include a company registration certificate or certificate of incorporation (with a CR12 for limited companies), academic certificates for the technically qualified directors and staff, a valid KRA tax compliance certificate and a current business licence. Firms can also submit past project experience, equipment ownership and audited accounts.

You can ask for copies of the same documents yourself. A genuine firm will have them on file.

Seven more checks before you pay a deposit

1. Visit a finished project. Ask for two completed homes you can visit, or send a relative. Speak to the owners.
2. Check the land first. Before building, confirm the plot belongs to you and is free of disputes. See our guide to doing a land search on ArdhiSasa and getting a title deed.
3. Get approved plans. Building plans must be approved by your county before construction starts. Don’t let anyone start on “approval coming”.
4. Use a quantity surveyor’s bill of quantities. A BQ prices every item, so you can compare quotes and track progress against it.
5. Pay in stages, not upfront. Tie payments to completed stages (foundation, walling, roofing, finishes), confirmed by photos, video calls and, ideally, a site visit by someone you trust or an independent professional.
6. Pay a business account, not a personal line. Pay the company’s bank account in the name registered with NCA. Keep every receipt.
7. Sign a written contract. It should cover scope, price, stages, timelines, defects and what happens if either side pulls out.

Sending money for the build

Most diaspora builders send money to a Kenyan bank account and pay the contractor from there. A Kenyan account in your own name gives you a clear paper trail. See how to open a Kenyan bank account from abroad. If you need finance against land you already own, compare title deed loan providers.

NCA registered contractor: frequently asked questions

How do I know if a contractor is registered with NCA?

Search the company name or registration number on the NCA “Search Registered Contractors” page at nca.go.ke. Check both registration and licence status.

Is it illegal to use an unregistered contractor?

Section 15 of the NCA Act prohibits anyone from carrying on business as a contractor without NCA registration and a valid practising licence.

Which NCA category should my contractor have?

A building works category whose value limit covers your project. NCA 1 is the highest and NCA 8 the lowest.

Does my project need to be registered with NCA?

NCA says construction projects must be registered through its Online Project Registration System, where developers apply for a compliance certificate.