Materials guide
Materials needed to build a 3-bedroom house in Kenya
The short answer: for a standard 120 m² 3-bedroom bungalow, the published planning quantities are 800–1,000 bags of cement including finishes, 55–80 tonnes of sand, 3,000–4,500 hollow blocks, 2.5–4 tonnes of reinforcement steel, and 80–120 gauge-30 mabati sheets.
Those figures are for that one house. They are not a bill of quantities for your drawings, and they are not scaled here to a 2-bedroom or a 4-bedroom house.
What materials does a 3-bedroom house need?
The cost of building a 3-bedroom house in Kenya guide gives this list for a standard 120 m² bungalow. Its materials table is captioned as 2025 estimates. The quantities below are copied from that guide. The cost of the whole house, by finish and by location, stays on that page.
| Material | Published quantity | What the guide says it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Cement, 50 kg bags | 800–1,000 bags including finishes | The prose also splits this as 600–900 bags before finishes, plus 150–250 bags for plaster, screed and tiling mortar, and says to plan for at least 800 |
| Sand | 55–80 tonnes | 35–50 tonnes sharp sand and 20–30 tonnes plaster sand |
| Ballast / hardcore | 20–35 tonnes | Listed together in the materials table |
| Hollow blocks, 6 inch and 9 inch | 3,000–4,500 | 9-inch external walls, 6-inch partitions, about 3 m floor to ceiling |
| Burnt clay bricks, if used instead of blocks | 12,000–16,000 | An alternative, not an addition |
| Reinforcement steel | 2.5–4 tonnes | A bungalow without an upper floor. The guide names Y12, Y16 and R6 ties |
| Mabati, gauge 30 | 80–120 sheets, 3 m long | A simple gable or hip roof. Pitch and overhang change the count |
| Concrete roof tiles, if used instead | 1,100–1,500 tiles | An alternative for the same roof, not added on top of the sheets |
| Timber for roof trusses | 2–4 m³ | Cypress or eucalyptus, treated, in the guide’s cheapest-materials note |
| Doors, frame and leaf | 5–7 | The table’s count for this bungalow |
| Aluminium windows | 8–12 | The table’s count. Steel windows are described as the cheaper alternative |
| Floor tiles | 130–160 m² | Ceramic or porcelain, which is more than the 120 m² floor because of waste and wet areas |
| Electrical, plumbing and sanitary fittings | The whole house, plumbing for 3 bathrooms | Priced as packages in the table, not as a count of cables or pipes |
How many bags of cement?
Read the cement line as the guide writes it, in two steps.
- Before finishes: 600–900 bags of 50 kg, from foundation to roof. Foundation type, blocks versus bricks, and the floor slab change this.
- Finishes: plaster, screed and tiling mortar can add 150–250 bags.
- The number to plan for: a minimum of 800 bags, and 800–1,000 bags including finishes in the table.
The construction cost per square metre guide gives the March 2026 Nairobi price as KSh 700–850 per 50 kg bag, average about KSh 750. Brands named there are Bamburi, Mombasa Cement, Savannah and Rai. Coastal and remote prices are 5–15% higher, and a bulk buy of 100 bags or more is described as typically 5–10% off.
A check, not a quotation: 800 bags at KSh 750 is KSh 600,000. The full March 2026 band on 800–1,000 bags is KSh 560,000 (800 × 700) to KSh 850,000 (1,000 × 850). The 2025 table had priced the same 800–1,000 bags at KSh 650–750, and printed a line of KSh 520,000–750,000. Buy at the price on the day.
How many mabati sheets?
For a simple gable or hip roof on that 120 m² bungalow, the guide says 80–120 gauge-30 sheets, 3 metres long. A steeper pitch uses more sheets and sheds water faster. Overhangs change the count as well. Mabati is described as usable on any pitch above 15 degrees, in gauges 28–32. It is the cheaper roof at the start. The trade-off written on that page is noise in rain and more heat, which a ceiling can reduce.
If the same roof is concrete tiles instead of sheets, the guide says 1,100–1,500 tiles. Tiles are heavier, so the trusses have to be designed for them. Roof shape is a separate decision from the sheet count. The roofing designs guide covers gable, hip, pyramid, mono-pitch and flat roofs. A flat concrete roof is not a mabati count.
March 2026 Nairobi prices on the per-square-metre guide: a gauge-30 corrugated sheet at KSh 800–1,200. Box profile is KSh 600–1,200 per metre. Concrete tiles are KSh 500–800 each. The 2025 materials table had priced a mabati sheet at KSh 1,800–2,500 and printed a line of KSh 144,000–300,000 for 80–120 sheets. Those two sheet prices do not match. At the March 2026 corrugated price, 80 sheets at KSh 800 is KSh 64,000 and 120 sheets at KSh 1,200 is KSh 144,000. Price the sheet you are actually buying, in the gauge and length on the drawing.
How much sand, ballast and how many blocks?
Sand
Sharp sand for concrete: 35–50 tonnes. Plaster sand: 20–30 tonnes. Together, 55–80 tonnes. The guide says sandy soil or loose hardcore on the site can reduce the sharp-sand figure slightly, and that structural concrete should use washed, silt-free sand from a certified quarry.
March 2026 river sand is priced per 18-tonne lorry at KSh 36,000–45,000, not per tonne. Fifty-five tonnes is a little over three of those lorries (3 × 18 = 54). Eighty tonnes is a little over four (4 × 18 = 72, so the last 8 tonnes need part of a fifth). The 2025 table had priced sand at KSh 2,000–3,500 per tonne, which is a different unit from the lorry price.
Ballast and hardcore
The 2025 table lists ballast and hardcore together at 20–35 tonnes, then priced at KSh 2,000–3,000 per tonne. The March 2026 list separates them: ballast at KSh 2,100–2,400 per tonne, and hardcore fill at KSh 1,400–1,800 per cubic metre. This page does not convert tonnes of hardcore into cubic metres.
Blocks, bricks and stone
In that guide, “stones” in ordinary speech means concrete hollow blocks. For this bungalow: 3,000–4,500 blocks, mixing 9-inch external walls and 6-inch internal walls, at about 3 m from floor to ceiling. Each door and window opening reduces the count. Burnt clay bricks, used instead of blocks, are 12,000–16,000.
The guide does not give a piece-count for quarried building stone. It says stone is common around Nyeri, Meru and Nakuru, where it is quarried nearby, and that the cheaper wall is often the one that does not have to travel. March 2026 prices that are published: 6-inch concrete blocks at KSh 25–40 each, and machine-cut stones (6×9) at KSh 20–25 each. The 2025 table priced mixed 6-inch and 9-inch blocks at KSh 55–80. Do not apply the 6-inch price to a count that includes 9-inch blocks.
How much reinforcement steel?
For a 120 m² bungalow without an upper floor, the guide says 2.5–4 tonnes, in the foundation, columns, ring beam and slab. It names Y12, Y16 and R6 ties. The exact bars have to come from the structural drawings. The same paragraph says over-specifying wastes money and under-specifying is a structural risk.
March 2026 Nairobi bar prices, per 12-metre bar: D8 at KSh 565–650, D10 at KSh 845–920, D12 at KSh 1,240–1,335, and D16 at KSh 2,000–2,500. Bulk rebar is KSh 140,000–160,000 per tonne, and that guide says to negotiate the bulk price on orders over 5 tonnes. This bungalow is published at 2.5–4 tonnes, which is under that 5-tonne note, so the bulk tonne price may not be the price for this house. The 2025 table had used KSh 110,000–130,000 per tonne. Western Kenya and the coast are described as typically 10–15% higher on steel because of transport.
What about doors, windows, tiles and services?
Still from the 120 m² table:
- Doors: 5–7, frame and leaf. The 2025 line was KSh 18,000–45,000 a unit. March 2026 prices a different thing: an interior flush door at KSh 3,500–8,000, and an exterior steel security door at KSh 15,000–60,000. A frame-and-leaf unit is not the same as a flush leaf.
- Windows: 8–12 aluminium units in the table, then priced at KSh 12,000–28,000. March 2026 standard aluminium is KSh 8,000–15,000 an opening, and double-glazed is KSh 25,000–60,000. Steel windows are described as the cheaper option, typically 40–60% less than aluminium, and they need repainting every 3–5 years.
- Floor tiles: 130–160 m². Local ceramic is described at KSh 900–1,400 per m² in the cheapest-materials note, and at KSh 800–2,100 in the March 2026 list. Porcelain 60×60 is KSh 1,500–2,500 per m². The 2025 table’s tile line ran from KSh 900 to 2,800 per m².
- Electrical: a whole-house package in the 2025 table at KSh 200,000–450,000. March 2026 also gives KSh 1,500–3,000 per m² of floor area for first and second fix. This page does not multiply that rate by 120, because the guide already printed a package figure and the two should not be stacked.
- Plumbing: a whole house with 3 bathrooms, KSh 250,000–550,000 in the 2025 table. March 2026 prices a standard bathroom set (toilet, basin, shower) at KSh 30,000–80,000, and says premium European brands can be far above that. Three sets are not the whole plumbing package. Pipes are still extra.
The usual permanent house in the guide is reinforced concrete at the foundation, columns and ring beam; hollow blocks, burnt bricks or quarried stone for walls; timber trusses with mabati or concrete tiles; sand-cement plaster; ceramic or porcelain floors; aluminium or steel windows; and PVC pipes with copper or armoured cable. Materials are typically 50–60% of construction cost. Locally made products are described as 15–25% less than imported equivalents on that page.
Which price should I use?
Use the quantity from the 3-bedroom guide, then price it with a current supplier quote. Where this site has two unit prices, both are printed above and neither has been averaged.
- Quantities: the 3-bedroom cost guide, for a 120 m² bungalow. Its table is marked 2025.
- March 2026 Nairobi unit prices: the per-square-metre guide. Remote and coastal delivery can cost more, as that page sets out.
- The build cost around those materials: the same 3-bedroom guide, and the cost of building a house in Kenya.
A 2-bedroom house uses less of the same materials. This page does not divide these quantities by bedroom count. The 2-bedroom cost guide explains why.
Where is the free Excel bill of quantities?
There isn’t one on this site. A search for a free 3-bedroom bill of quantities in Excel is looking for a measured list. The ranges above are planning figures for one published house size. A bill has to be taken off drawings: wall lengths, openings, slab thickness, roof pitch and the specification.
The BOQ generator can draft a bill from areas you enter. Treat the draft as a start, and have it checked against the drawings before you buy. If you already hold a contractor’s bill, the architect consultation page is where a second look is booked: a free 10-minute fit call, or a Project Exploration Session from KES 20,000 for one hour. The session fee is credited against design fees if you proceed within 90 days. VAT is excluded.
Questions
What materials are needed to build a 3 bedroom house in Kenya?
For a standard 120 square metre 3-bedroom bungalow, the 3-bedroom cost guide lists cement, sand, ballast, hollow blocks, reinforcement steel, mabati roofing sheets, roof timber, doors, windows, floor tiles, electrical work and plumbing. The same guide describes the usual build as reinforced concrete for the foundation, columns and ring beam, hollow blocks or bricks or stone for the walls, and timber trusses with mabati or tiles for the roof. These are planning quantities for that one house size, not a bill for your drawings.
How many bags of cement for a 3 bedroom house in Kenya?
The 3-bedroom cost guide says a standard 120 square metre bungalow needs 600 to 900 bags of 50 kg cement from foundation to roof, before finishes. Plaster, screed and tiling mortar can add 150 to 250 bags. The same guide says to plan for a minimum of 800 bags, and its materials table lists 800 to 1,000 bags including finishes. In March 2026 the Nairobi price was KSh 700 to 850 a bag, with an average around KSh 750.
How many mabati sheets for a 3 bedroom house?
The 3-bedroom cost guide says a simple gable or hip roof on a 120 square metre bungalow typically needs 80 to 120 gauge-30 mabati sheets of 3 metre length, depending on pitch and overhang. The same guide says mabati is usable on a pitch above 15 degrees and is commonly sold in gauges 28 to 32. A concrete-tile alternative for the same roof is listed as 1,100 to 1,500 tiles. In March 2026 a gauge-30 corrugated sheet in Nairobi was KSh 800 to 1,200.
How many tonnes of sand for a 3 bedroom house?
The 3-bedroom cost guide says a standard 120 square metre bungalow needs about 35 to 50 tonnes of sharp sand and 20 to 30 tonnes of plaster sand, together 55 to 80 tonnes. The March 2026 Nairobi price for river sand is given per 18-tonne lorry, at KSh 36,000 to 45,000. Fifty-five tonnes is a little over three such lorries, and 80 tonnes is a little over four.
How many blocks or stones for a 3 bedroom house in Kenya?
The 3-bedroom cost guide says a 120 square metre bungalow with 9-inch external walls and 6-inch internal walls needs about 3,000 to 4,500 concrete hollow blocks, at a wall height of about 3 metres. If burnt clay bricks are used instead, it lists 12,000 to 16,000 bricks. It does not publish a piece-count for quarried building stone. Openings for doors and windows reduce the block count.
Is there a free bill of quantities Excel for a 3 bedroom house?
Aalis Studios does not publish a free Excel bill of quantities for a 3-bedroom house. The quantities on this page are the planning ranges from the 3-bedroom cost guide for a 120 square metre bungalow. A measured bill has to come from drawings. The BOQ generator on this site can draft a bill from areas you enter, and that draft still needs checking against the drawings.