Picture this: you walk onto your building site after a few days away. Sand you paid for has disappeared. Steel bars are scattered and bent. The tiles you imported? Cracked—because they were dumped carelessly in the rain. This isn’t an accident. It’s a consequence of poor site supervision.
It happens all the time in Kenya. Homeowners assume things are progressing well—until they realise their money is disappearing faster than the house is rising. Whether you’re building in Kitengela, Ruiru, or Syokimau, one thing is certain: without solid supervision, waste and loss are guaranteed.
Let’s be clear: construction materials are expensive. Supervision isn’t optional—it’s the insurance for your investment.
What Does Site Supervision Actually Involve?
It’s not just “checking in” on the site. A proper site supervisor actively:
- Tracks material deliveries and usage
- Manages daily work schedules
- Verifies that all work aligns with approved drawings
- Prevents unnecessary reworks
- Handles disputes or miscommunication among fundis
They’re your eyes and ears on the ground, ensuring that your plan isn’t just executed—it’s protected.
If your site supervisor only shows up once a week, you’re not supervising—you’re gambling.
Common Losses Caused by Weak Supervision
Here’s where money silently leaks away:
- Material wastage: Concrete mixed in the wrong ratios and thrown out. Timber cut poorly. Nails rusting in the rain.
- Pilferage: Materials “vanish” in small portions daily. Nobody accounts for it.
- Reworks: Without oversight, fundis lay tiles or bricks wrong. You end up paying to redo the same job.
- Downtime: Fundis sit around waiting for instructions, materials, or tools that should have been ready.
In large or even mid-sized builds, these losses can run into hundreds of thousands. On bigger developments? Millions.
Real Voices, Real Regrets
You’ll hear homeowners say:
- “I thought my cousin was checking the site. Turns out, no one was.”
- “We overbought cement, and by the time we realised, 10 bags had gone bad.”
- “The plumbing was done twice because the walls were plastered before inspection.”
This is what happens when there’s no one steering the ship daily.
The Lanny Builders Way
We don’t just build—we guard your build. Our supervision model includes:
- Daily site attendance
- Digital progress logs and updates
- Inventory control systems
- Strict fundi coordination and timekeeping
Whether we’re managing a standalone maisonette or a 30-unit project, every shilling of material is tracked, every milestone is verified, and every trade is held accountable.
You wouldn’t leave your car engine open in Nairobi CBD. Don’t leave your site open without supervision either.
What to Look for in a Proper Supervisor
Not every “supervisor” has the chops. At the very least, they should:
- Understand construction workflows
- Be able to read and interpret drawings
- Communicate clearly with both workers and clients
- Be firm, yet fair
- Keep detailed records and reports
Final Word
Bad supervision doesn’t just waste materials—it delays your dream, drains your budget, and dents your peace of mind.
With proper site oversight, you not only protect what you’ve bought—you get the build you actually planned for.
Lanny Builders Limited doesn’t let things slip through the cracks—because we’re always watching where they happen.
