On the big projects with an importance structure greater than 1, the clients prefer having an engineer/clerk of works on site (looking at projects like thika road, times tower, britam tower, UON towers, etc)
On small projects with importance factor less than one (bungalows and maisonettes,your simba and other small houses), having a foreman who can understand 1. Architectural drawings because of setting out, and 2. Structural drawings to ensure the structure will function as intended over its design life, and supplement the foreman by having the structural engineer come over and confirm his instructions via the drawings are being implemented.
Matters pay: The engineer would usually charge a professional fee, anywhere from 60-100k depending on built-up area. Before you scream expensive, this amount would be used to compensate for his time working on calculations that are usually submitted to the local council for approvals and also pay the draftsman who would produce the drawing, it would also pay for the printing of the drawings( also called plotting). Part of that would also cover professional indemnity insurance, so that if a problem arises with the structure and you sue him, the insurance would cover the same.
Over the duration of the construction, you would then pay the engineer for him coming for site visits, usually over the following intervals: After excavation, to check the excavated trenches for the strip footings and the pad footings, if any; Before concreting for the strip footing (confirm bar sizes used). These two are sometimes combined, in cases where the steel has been cut and tied while excavation is still ongoing; Before concreting for ground slab to confirm hardcore and BRC is as specified, plus inclusion of DPC in the foundation to ensure no water would trickle upwards; before concreting of suspended slab to ensure steel is of required diameter and recommended spacing, and sometimes before concreting of roof beam, for similar reasons as above. They usually request amounts in the range of 3-5k per visit (fuel,etc).

Finally, think of the many buildings that have collapsed, majority had an engineer who came up with the drawings, but the fundi on site almost always over-rode the drawings to save funds. always ensure you have an engineer recognized by the engineers board of kenya, and a fundi who will follow the drawings to the letter. If you have a query and you engaged an engineer, by the fact that you paid him will leave him open to receiving and answering your queries.

On the big projects with an importance structure greater than 1, the clients prefer having an engineer/clerk of works on site (looking at projects like thika road, times tower, britam tower, UON towers, etc)
On small projects with importance factor less than one (bungalows and maisonettes,your simba and other small houses), having a foreman who can understand 1. Architectural drawings because of setting out, and 2. Structural drawings to ensure the structure will function as intended over its design life, and supplement the foreman by having the structural engineer come over and confirm his instructions via the drawings are being implemented.
Matters pay: The engineer would usually charge a professional fee, anywhere from 60-100k depending on built-up area. Before you scream expensive, this amount would be used to compensate for his time working on calculations that are usually submitted to the local council for approvals and also pay the draftsman who would produce the drawing, it would also pay for the printing of the drawings( also called plotting). Part of that would also cover professional indemnity insurance, so that if a problem arises with the structure and you sue him, the insurance would cover the same.
Over the duration of the construction, you would then pay the engineer for him coming for site visits, usually over the following intervals: After excavation, to check the excavated trenches for the strip footings and the pad footings, if any; Before concreting for the strip footing (confirm bar sizes used). These two are sometimes combined, in cases where the steel has been cut and tied while excavation is still ongoing; Before concreting for ground slab to confirm hardcore and BRC is as specified, plus inclusion of DPC in the foundation to ensure no water would trickle upwards; before concreting of suspended slab to ensure steel is of required diameter and recommended spacing, and sometimes before concreting of roof beam, for similar reasons as above. They usually request amounts in the range of 3-5k per visit (fuel,etc).

Finally, think of the many buildings that have collapsed, majority had an engineer who came up with the drawings, but the fundi on site almost always over-rode the drawings to save funds. always ensure you have an engineer recognized by the engineers board of kenya, and a fundi who will follow the drawings to the letter. If you have a query and you engaged an engineer, by the fact that you paid him will leave him open to receiving and answering your queries.

I left most of that out because before, construction professionals had been associated with a waste of money, had to define what our role is especially for smaller construction works like building a house. But thanks for expounding some more for the naysayers.

Good tips brother. We need more posts like these. lakini hiyo bei yenu punguza kiasi kiasi. For a simple maisonette that is daylight robbery.

Currently it costs somewhere between 30k and 50k per square metre for a good finish to a house, and most built areas for houses are in the region of 150-200 square metres. We are talking max. 10 million on that house. We have 2, max 3 professionals to be paid a total 250k max (2.5% of total project cost) for their services, thus removing most of your risk, assuming you will listen to them. Can this be referred to as getting milked really? How much would you want to pay the professional? Are you assuming that they do no work to get you the blueprints and sign the indemnity form provided by the local council, deliver design calculations and get approvals for you?
Sometimes I pity professionals in our country, no one wants to pay them for their work but whenever a negative event happens in their field fingers are all pointed at them.