How much does it cost to build the 14-bedsitter block on an eighth acre in Kenya?

About KES 12.6M in Kiambu to KES 13.3M in Kisumu, house and plot works, at a standard finish on JengaCost's 2026 rates. The house alone is KES 11.6M to KES 12.3M. A budget estimate, not a quotation.

How big a plot does it need?

It is drawn on a plot of 464 m², with a roofed footprint of 139 m². Check the ground coverage your county allows for your plot.

Can I change the design?

Yes. In the JengaCost explorer you can change the finish, the roof form, the style and the plot works, and see the price change line by line before you save a full bill of quantities.

14-bedsitter block on an eighth acre

Three storeys of bedsitters either side of a central corridor: four on the ground floor beside the entrance, five on each floor above, where the core is only a stair and a landing. Tanks on the roof. The commonest rental investment in the country.

Ground floor

First floor

Floor 2

The rooms

Bin & meter store (ground floor): 3.0 m²
Corridor (ground floor): 13.9 m²
Entrance lobby (ground floor): 10.2 m²
Inner lobby (ground floor): 5.1 m²
Stairwell (ground floor): 16.2 m²
Unit A bedsitter (ground floor): 16.4 m²
Unit A lobby (ground floor): 2.2 m²
Unit A shower (ground floor): 4.1 m²
Unit B bedsitter (ground floor): 16.4 m²
Unit B lobby (ground floor): 2.2 m²
Unit B shower (ground floor): 4.1 m²
Unit C bedsitter (ground floor): 16.4 m²
Unit C lobby (ground floor): 2.2 m²
Unit C shower (ground floor): 4.1 m²
Unit D bedsitter (ground floor): 16.4 m²
Unit D lobby (ground floor): 2.2 m²
Unit D shower (ground floor): 4.1 m²
Corridor (floor 1): 11.8 m²
Landing, floor 1 (floor 1): 4.2 m²
Stairwell (floor 1): 16.2 m²
Unit A bedsitter (floor 1): 16.4 m²
Unit A lobby (floor 1): 2.2 m²
Unit A shower (floor 1): 4.1 m²
Unit B bedsitter (floor 1): 16.4 m²
Unit B lobby (floor 1): 2.2 m²
Unit B shower (floor 1): 4.1 m²
Unit C bedsitter (floor 1): 16.4 m²
Unit C lobby (floor 1): 2.2 m²
Unit C shower (floor 1): 4.1 m²
Unit D bedsitter (floor 1): 16.4 m²
Unit D lobby (floor 1): 2.2 m²
Unit D shower (floor 1): 4.1 m²
Unit E bedsitter (floor 1): 10.2 m²
Unit E lobby (floor 1): 3.0 m²
Unit E shower (floor 1): 3.0 m²
Corridor (floor 2): 11.8 m²
Landing, floor 2 (floor 2): 4.2 m²
Stairwell (floor 2): 16.2 m²
Unit A bedsitter (floor 2): 16.4 m²
Unit A lobby (floor 2): 2.2 m²
Unit A shower (floor 2): 4.1 m²
Unit B bedsitter (floor 2): 16.4 m²
Unit B lobby (floor 2): 2.2 m²
Unit B shower (floor 2): 4.1 m²
Unit C bedsitter (floor 2): 16.4 m²
Unit C lobby (floor 2): 2.2 m²
Unit C shower (floor 2): 4.1 m²
Unit D bedsitter (floor 2): 16.4 m²
Unit D lobby (floor 2): 2.2 m²
Unit D shower (floor 2): 4.1 m²
Unit E bedsitter (floor 2): 10.2 m²
Unit E lobby (floor 2): 3.0 m²
Unit E shower (floor 2): 3.0 m²

To build, house and plot works

KES 12.6M–KES 13.3M

Standard finish, 2026 rates, across five counties

Open in 3D and price it for your county

Compare Cost to own

At a glance

Bedrooms: 14 in 14 homes
Bathrooms: 14
Storeys: 3
Floor area: 414 m²
Roofed footprint: 139 m²
Plot: 464 m²
Roof: flat

What it costs, by county

County	House	Plot works	Total
Nairobi	KES 11.7M	KES 1.0M	KES 12.7M
Kiambu	KES 11.6M	KES 1.0M	KES 12.6M
Nakuru	KES 11.9M	KES 1.0M	KES 12.9M
Mombasa	KES 12.1M	KES 1.0M	KES 13.1M
Kisumu	KES 12.3M	KES 1.0M	KES 13.3M

Standard finish. Plot works: boundary wall, gate, driveway, septic tank and the rest drawn on the plot. Budget estimates, not quotations.

Where the money goes (Nairobi)

Preliminaries & substructure	KES 735,155
Walling	KES 3,729,310
Roofing	KES 976,915
Doors & windows	KES 1,556,220
Finishes	KES 2,526,193
Services	KES 1,435,200
Attached elements	KES 19,000
Approvals, levies & transport	KES 728,180

Over 30 years

Repaints and replacements add about KES 1,746,797 in today's prices, on a build of KES 12,701,163. See what falls due when.

Questions about this house

Concept designs for budgeting. County approval needs drawings from a registered architect and structural engineer.