Construction Site Signboards in Kenya: What to Include (NCA & NEMA)

What the site board is for

A construction site board tells inspectors, neighbours and the public who is building, who designed the work and which approvals the project holds. The National Construction Authority (NCA) checks it during site inspections, and a missing or incomplete board is one of the basic failures that can lead to works being stopped.

The NCA Regulations of 2014 are under review. Before you print, check the current guidance on nca.go.ke and the conditions written on your own approvals.

What to put on the board

Most project boards in Kenya carry these details:

1. Project title and location, for example "Proposed 4-storey commercial building", with the plot or L.R. number.
2. Developer or client name.
3. Architect and their registration number.
4. Structural / civil engineer and their registration number.
5. Quantity surveyor, plus mechanical and electrical engineers if appointed.
6. Main contractor, as registered with NCA, with the NCA registration category.
7. NCA project registration reference. Registering the project is the developer's responsibility, not the contractor's.
8. County building plan approval number.
9. NEMA licence number, if your EIA licence requires it to be displayed. Numbers follow a format like NEMA/EIA/PSL/12345; copy yours exactly.
10. Start date and expected completion date.

Safety warnings, such as hard hat and boot areas, "No unauthorised entry" and "Danger: deep excavation", go on separate signs around the site, not on the project board.

Gather this before you order

A board is only as accurate as the details sent to the printer. Have these ready:

• The exact spelling of every company and consultant name, as registered.
• Registration numbers, copied from certificates, not from memory.
• The approval and licence numbers from the documents themselves.
• Logos as PDF, SVG or high-resolution PNG files, if you want them on the board.

Ask the architect or project manager to approve a proof before printing. A wrong digit in a licence number means reprinting the board.

Size and build

• Size: 8ft × 4ft (2440 × 1220 mm) is the usual choice. It matches a standard metal sheet, so there are no joins and less waste. Smaller sites sometimes use 6ft × 4ft.
• Lettering: as a rule of thumb, allow 25 mm of letter height for every 3 m of viewing distance. A title read from the road 15 m away needs letters about 125 mm tall.
• Face: printed vinyl with UV lamination on galvanised steel sheet handles sun, dust and rain for the length of a typical project. Aluminium composite (ACP) gives a flatter, cleaner finish for long projects or show sites.
• Frame and legs: a welded steel tube frame on legs set in concrete, or bolted to the hoarding. The bottom of the board should sit at least 1 m above ground so mud and grass don't cover the text.

Keep it current

If the contractor or a consultant changes, or the completion date moves, update the board. A replacement printed panel can be fitted to the existing frame, so you don't need a new board.

Checklist for inspection day

• Board visible from the main entrance.
• Every name and number matches the current approvals.
• Text readable from the road.
• Separate safety signs in place around the site.

Order a board

Our construction site project signboards are made in Nairobi with your project details, and can be delivered and installed on site. Send your details for a proof, or request a quote for several sites at once.