This archive report was first published on 24 June 2021.
Building a house can be a daunting task, especially for first-time homebuilders. One of the biggest challenges they face is the high cost of transporting building materials to the construction site.
According to suppliers, the price of transport can double the total cost of building materials, making it difficult for homebuilders to stay within their budget.
For example, a bag of cement costs Sh550, and a piece of stone costs Sh20. However, when you factor in the cost of transport, the total cost can be as high as Sh65 per stone, making it difficult for homebuilders to afford.
Suppliers say that the cost of transport is determined by several factors, including the distance to the site, fuel prices, the type of lorry used, and the number of trips it makes.
County governments also charge different fees for materials such as sand and quarry stones, with Machakos being the most expensive, where you could pay up to Sh3,000 compared to Nairobi or Kiambu where one pays Sh400.
Thika and Juja towns are known for building stones, but if you want to buy the stones for a project in Kitale or Eldoret, you should be ready to pay almost Sh30,000 for transport.
However, the cost varies, and most people prefer to use trucks that are either going back upcountry after delivering goods to Nairobi or Mombasa, whose owners may charge less rather than the vehicle returning empty.
For 700 pieces from Thika to Eldoret, the lowest price is Sh26,000, which is transport alone.
A six-by-nine inch stone costs Sh20 at the quarry, and buyers should add Sh2 for every stone, making the total cost Sh22 per stone plus the Sh400 charged by the local authority at the quarry.
So, to get the stones from the quarry to the road, it will cost you Sh22 per stone plus the Sh400, making the total cost Sh15,400 for 700 stones.
However, the truck will use between Sh10,000 and Sh12,000 on fuel, leaving the owner with around Sh9,000, which is used to pay the driver and conductor, insurance for the truck, service, repair a puncture, and repay loans if the vehicle was bought on credit.
When you add the total cost of the 700 stones to the cost of transport, you get a total cost per trip of Sh41,400, which is more than double the cost of the stones.
According to suppliers, the price of transport more than doubles the cost of the stone, making it difficult for homebuilders to afford.
