Your contractor asks for the next payment just as you are starting your working day abroad. There are photos, a message about rising material costs and a request to send money quickly. You want the house to keep moving, but you also want to understand what you are paying for.
This contractor payment checklist for Kenyan diaspora homeowners helps you organise that conversation. Use it alongside your construction agreement and advice from the professionals appointed to your project. It does not determine whether a payment is legally due.
1. Identify what the payment request covers
Ask for a written claim showing the work, materials or agreed advance being requested, the amount in KSh and the relevant contract provision or milestone. “Next stage” is too broad if you cannot tell which activities it includes.
Separate completed work from materials on site, materials still to be purchased and future labour. These may have different treatment under your agreement. Do not assume that everything shown in a photograph belongs to your project or is payable at that point.
2. Read the agreed payment terms
Check how claims are submitted, who reviews or certifies them, the payment deadline and the process for queries or disputes. Check any agreed advance recovery, retention or other deductions with the person administering the contract.
There is no universal percentage that every homeowner should release at foundation, roofing or finishing stage. A lump-sum milestone arrangement, a labour-only agreement and a measured-work contract can operate differently.
If you are unsure about an obligation or considering delaying a payment, seek project-specific contractual advice promptly. Missing information is a reason to raise a clear query; it does not automatically cancel a payment deadline.
3. Compare the claim with the agreed scope
Use the current drawings, specification, quotation and bill of quantities where applicable. Ask the contractor to identify the location and extent of the work claimed. For a milestone described as complete, list any associated work still outstanding.
For example, “windows complete” could mean frames delivered, frames installed or glazing and fittings finished. Agree what completion means in your documents rather than assuming you and the contractor mean the same thing.
Our building contractor quotation checklist can help you spot scope details that need clarification.
4. Ask for evidence that matches the claim
Request dated, labelled photographs of the claimed areas, relevant delivery records and the inspection, testing or valuation documents required for that work. Ask about areas missing from the update.
Photos of roof sheets do not show every connection underneath. An invoice records a supplier’s charge; it does not by itself prove delivery, installation, ownership or compliance with the agreed specification. Treat each document as evidence of a particular thing, with limits.
A photographic site visit can record accessible visible conditions. Where the question concerns quantities, valuation or technical quality, arrange an appropriately scoped professional assessment. See the limits of an independent site visit.
5. Reconcile previous payments and changes
Ask for a cumulative statement showing the claimed total to date, previous payments, approved changes and the new amount requested. Compare it with your own bank or transfer records.
Keep original contract work and variations identifiable. For each change, record what was requested, who approved it, the agreed price and any programme effect. An informal instruction to upgrade tiles can otherwise become an unexplained extra later.
Distinguish a change already approved from one still being discussed. If the records disagree, send a specific written query referencing the item and supporting documents.
6. Involve the right project professional
If your agreement requires a valuation or certificate, obtain it from the appointed person through the agreed process. For quantity or cost questions, ask a suitably qualified quantity surveyor about the scope of review needed. Our guide explains the role of a quantity surveyor.
BORAQS is the Kenyan regulator for architects and quantity surveyors. Confirm the professional’s current credentials and appointment rather than assuming a site visitor can certify a claim.
7. Confirm the recipient and keep the record
Check that the payment destination matches the agreed recipient. If new bank or mobile-money details arrive, confirm them using a contact method you already trust, rather than relying only on the message containing the change.
Record the amount, currency, date, reference and purpose. Keep any foreign-exchange and transfer charges separate from the KSh amount credited against the construction claim. Ask for acknowledgement so both records can be reconciled.
A message you can send before the next payment
“Please send the claim breakdown in KSh, the contract milestone or items it covers, dated photos of those areas, any required inspection or valuation documents, and a cumulative statement showing previous payments and agreed variations. Please also list outstanding work and the contractual payment date so we can resolve queries through the agreed process.”
If the update still leaves questions
Write down the precise gap: an unseen room, a material delivery without a receipt, a change with no agreed price or a claim without the required review. Ask who will address it and by when. Keep the conversation factual; incomplete reporting alone does not establish dishonesty.
For a disputed claim, involve the relevant contract administrator or professional adviser. For a clearer record of visible progress, consider an independent visit. A visit report supports questions; it does not authorise withholding or releasing money.
To improve the next update, read how to monitor construction in Kenya from abroad.
Need someone to look at the site?
Tell MyJenga which areas you want recorded and whether your concern involves technical quality, quantities or a payment valuation. A photographic update and a professional assessment serve different purposes.
Describe your project and concerns through MyJenga. Suitable providers are invited to propose a progress visit or professional assessment. Compare up to five proposals and choose who visits your site; five is a maximum, not a guarantee of five responses.
Compare the total price including travel, the named attendee, relevant qualifications, agreed checks, exclusions, proposed visit date and report turnaround. Confirm any relationships with your contractor or family contact, and agree authorised access and private report delivery before booking. An enquiry requires no account and does not commit you to a purchase.
A visit report does not authorise withholding or releasing money. Payment decisions follow your agreement and any required professional review.