This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
Building a Three-Bedroom Mabati House: A Cost Breakdown ¶
On a budget of Sh. 2.4 million, one homeowner shared their experience of building a three-bedroom mabati house with a master ensuite in Kenya. The breakdown, provided by Nabii Mutungu, is not necessarily the position of Nyakundi Report, but rather a personal account of the costs involved.
According to the homeowner, the total cost of building the house was Sh. 2.4 million, with a tentative material list and cost breakdown provided below.
House Description:
- Very light foundation
- 100mm floor slab
- Ordinary screed with red oxide
- Walls made using 2.5m 30-gauge mabatis
- Plywood used inside for insulation
- Steel casement windows
- Timber door frames 4by2
- Wall framework done using 4by2 and 2by2
- Roof trusses using timber 4by2 and 2by2
- Branding timber 2by2
- PVC ceiling light gauge
- No electrical work
- No plumbing work
- No labor costs (estimated by the homeowner)
Tentative Material List:
- Cement
- Sand
- Ballast
- Hardcore 1 lorry
- Natural stones 1 lorry
- Hoop iron roll
- Red oxide
- Black polythene
- Square tube RHS (2x2) 2 pieces
- Anti-termite 1 ltr
- Timber 4x2 1430 ft
- Timber 2x2 2582 ft
- Wood preservative
- Dumuzas 2.5m 30-gauge 161 pieces
- Plywood 92 pieces
- Masking tape 4” pieces
- Undercoat
- Emulsion paint
- Roof nails
- Ordinary nails
- Timber shutter 8 pieces
- Door frames 4by2 8 pieces
- Steel casement security door 2 pieces
- Hinges 24 pieces
- Interior pad-bolt 8 pieces
- Lockable pad-bolt 8 pieces
- Steel casement window 11 pieces
- Fascia board 8x1 180 ft
- Pedestal wash hand basin 2 pieces
- Cross couple toilet 2 pieces
- PVC ceiling 12 bundles
- Tack nails
- Gutters system
- Rectangular water tank 1000L
- Brush 6”
- Valleys
- Ridges
Tentative Cost: KES 638,700.00 (Six Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand and Seven Hundred Shillings Only)
