Updated 12 November 2026
To check a registered quantity surveyor in Kenya, search the official Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS) directory at boraqs.go.ke/registered/qs. A business card, a “QS” title in an email signature or a site board is not proof. On 12 November 2026 the Board’s Registered Quantity Surveyors Directory showed 809 active members across 54 pages, and its separate Registered Quantity Surveying Firms Directory showed 163 active firms across 11 pages.
Updated November 2026. Counts are the totals printed on the official directory pages when we checked them on 12 November 2026. They change as the Board registers, suspends or removes people, so always search the live page for the person you are about to hire.
On this page
In this guide
Why a registered quantity surveyor matters
A quantity surveyor prices a building before it is built and controls the money while it is going up. On a typical project the QS prepares the bill of quantities that contractors price, compares the tenders, values work for each interim payment certificate and settles the final account. If you are building a home, putting up rental units or financing a project, the QS is the person whose figures decide how much you pay and when.
That is why the registration check matters. BORAQS regulates architects and quantity surveyors under the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Act, Cap 525 of the Laws of Kenya. The Board’s website says it was established in 1934 and that its mandate is to regulate the two professions through training, registration and ethical practice. Its public directory describes the people listed as “verified & active licensed professionals”. A registered quantity surveyor in Kenya is therefore answerable to the Board if a valuation is inflated or a final account goes wrong; an unregistered “estimator” is not.
Lenders and developers often ask for a QS valuation or cost report before releasing construction money. If you are building with a loan, our guide on how to get a mortgage in Kenya explains where these reports fit.
How to check a registered quantity surveyor in Kenya
- Open the directory. Go to boraqs.go.ke, choose Members, then Quantity Surveyors. The older boraqs.or.ke address forwards to boraqs.go.ke.
- Pick a search field. The page lets you search by name, by registration number or by certificate serial number. The registration number is the most reliable.
- Search the exact name. If a search by full name fails, try the surname alone, because rows are written in different styles (some in capitals, some with middle names).
- Read the whole row. Each row shows the registration number, the practitioner’s name, a practice county, a postal address, a town and a status.
- Match it to your paperwork. The name and registration number on the fee proposal, the bill of quantities and any valuation certificate should match the row.
| Directory on boraqs.go.ke | Count shown on 12 November 2026 | Use it to check |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Quantity Surveyors | 809 active members, 54 pages | An individual QS who signs your bill of quantities or valuation |
| Registered Quantity Surveying Firms | 163 active firms, 11 pages | The consultancy named on the fee agreement and invoices |
| Other Professionals and Technicians | 129 registered, 9 pages | Architectural and QS technicians working under a registered professional |
What the BORAQS row tells you
Individual quantity surveyors carry a registration number that starts with Q (for example, the first rows of the directory begin Q076 and Q078). Quantity surveying firms carry a number that ends in Q, such as 005Q. The status column on the rows we checked read Active. Treat any other status, or a missing row, as a reason to stop and ask the Board.
The row does not tell you everything. It does not show the QS’s fee scale, professional indemnity cover or past projects, and the address fields are self-reported and sometimes blank (“#” or “N/A”). It confirms one narrow fact: the Board lists this person or firm as an active registered quantity surveyor in Kenya. Ask for the indemnity policy and a signed appointment letter separately.
Also check that the QS is not the same company as your contractor. A quantity surveyor is meant to protect the client’s money when valuing a contractor’s work. If the person valuing the work is employed by the builder, you lose that check.
Firms, technicians and project boards
A registered quantity surveyor in Kenya may practise through a firm. If the appointment letter is in a company name, check the firm in the Quantity Surveying Firms directory as well as the individual in the main directory. The two are separate lists.
BORAQS also keeps an Other Professionals and Technicians directory, which showed 129 registered technical practitioners on 12 November 2026, in the categories “Architectural / QS Technicians”. A technician can support a project but is a different registration from a full quantity surveyor.
For buildings already under construction, the Board runs a Project Registry. Its page asks for the project serial number or QR code number printed on the BORAQS building board sticker, and says the check shows the project’s registration, the assigned architects and quantity surveyors, and the developer’s status. If you are buying off-plan, compare the names on that result with the professionals the developer gives you.
The builder is regulated separately. Use our guide to check an NCA registered contractor, and see the registered architect check for the design side. Large projects also need environmental approval; our NEMA EIA licence guide explains it, and new buildings in Nairobi filed with NEMA shows recent examples.
If the name is missing
- Search again by registration number and by surname only before drawing conclusions.
- Ask the person for their BORAQS registration number and certificate serial number, then search those.
- Contact the Board. Its website lists Transcom House Annex, Ngong Road, Nairobi, and phone numbers (+254) 020 2728 444, 0726 243 005 and 0780 496 588.
- If someone is presenting themselves as a registered quantity surveyor in Kenya without being on the list, the Board’s website has a complaint form.
For other professions, our guide to checking if a professional is registered in Kenya lists the right register for doctors, advocates, nurses and engineers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a quantity surveyor is registered in Kenya?
Search the person’s name, registration number or certificate serial number on the BORAQS Registered Quantity Surveyors Directory at boraqs.go.ke. A registered quantity surveyor in Kenya appears there with a Q-number and an Active status.
How many registered quantity surveyors are there in Kenya?
The BORAQS directory showed 809 active quantity surveyors and 163 active quantity surveying firms when we checked on 12 November 2026. The numbers change as the Board updates the register.
Which body registers quantity surveyors in Kenya?
The Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS), under the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Act, Cap 525. The same Board registers architects.
Is a QS firm the same as an individual registration?
No. BORAQS keeps separate directories for individual quantity surveyors and for quantity surveying firms. Check both if your contract is with a company.
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