Most homeowners in Kenya breathe a sigh of relief when their contractor hands over a five-year guarantee certificate. That piece of paper feels like security. Like peace of mind. Like someone will actually stand behind their work when cracks appear or pipes fail.
Reality often tells a different story.
I’ve sat across kitchen tables in Kenya, with clients holding crumpled guarantee certificates from defunct companies. Their contractors vanished after rebranding. Changed directors. Simply stopped answering calls. That five-year promise? Worth less than the paper it was printed on.
At Lanny Builders, we believe your guarantee should mean something long after we leave your site. That’s why we rebuilt our entire warranty system from the ground up.
The Guarantee Gap No One Talks About
Kenya’s construction industry moves fast. Companies come and go. Partnerships dissolve. Business names change. Standard guarantees tie protection to a specific company entity. When that entity disappears, so does your coverage.
Worse still, many guarantees contain hidden clauses that void protection if you use any other contractor for future repairs, even for completely unrelated work. One client in Kilimani lost coverage on their foundation because they hired a different electrician to fix a lighting issue three years later.
These aren’t technicalities. They’re protection failures.
How Insurance-Backed Warranties Actually Work
True protection doesn’t depend on one company’s longevity. It depends on financial security that survives business changes. That’s why every Lanny Builders project comes with an insurance-backed warranty through Jubilee Insurance.
Here’s what makes the difference:
Independent Verification
Before your warranty activates, an independent engineer conducts a final inspection. Not our team. Not your architect. A neutral third party verifies work against NCA standards. This creates an objective record that can’t disappear if business relationships change.
Direct Insurance Coverage
Your warranty exists as a separate insurance policy, not a company promise. If Lanny Builders ceased operations tomorrow (which we have no plans to do), your coverage remains active because it’s held by the insurer. The policy covers structural defects, waterproofing failures, and critical systems for five full years.
Transparent Claim Process
No more chasing vanished contractors. If issues arise, you contact the insurer directly. They dispatch approved engineers to assess and approve repairs. We handle the remediation, but the financial responsibility sits with the insurance policy, not our company accounts.
Why This Matters More Than You Realize
Last year, a homeowner in Thika discovered water seepage in their basement walls eighteen months after completion. Their original contractor had dissolved the company and registered a new entity under a different name. The guarantee became unenforceable.
Their only recourse? Costly litigation with no guarantee of recovery. Total repair costs exceeded Ksh 2.3 million. All because their protection wasn’t truly independent.
Our clients don’t face this nightmare. When a pipe fitting failed in a Lang’ata penthouse last November, the homeowner called Jubilee directly on a Saturday morning. By Monday, engineers were on site. Repairs completed within ten days. Zero arguments about liability. Zero delays waiting for business hours.
The Professional Standard Kenya Deserves
Some contractors resist insurance-backed warranties because premiums increase project costs slightly. We see it differently. True professionals build trust through verifiable protection, not just promises.
Our warranty system costs approximately 1.2% more than standard guarantees. But it eliminates the hidden risk of contractor disappearance, business restructuring, or simple negligence. For a Ksh 15 million home, that’s Ksh 180,000 for genuine peace of mind.
Think about it: Your home represents decades of savings. Should its protection depend on one company’s continued existence?
Building Trust That Lasts Beyond Completion
We include full warranty documentation in every project handover package. Not just terms and conditions, but direct contact information for the insurer, claim procedures, and your policy number. No fine print. No hidden clauses. Just clear protection you can actually use.
Because in construction, the real test of quality doesn’t come during building. It comes years later when issues inevitably arise. How we respond then defines our professionalism.
Ready for construction protection that actually works when you need it? Let’s discuss how proper warranty planning fits into your project from day one. Your future self will thank you.
