Masons in Nairobi
Blockwork, plastering, screeds, paving, boundary walls and the repairs that follow a leak.
Masonry in Nairobi
What is different about masonry here
Perimeter walls, paving and cabro are the steady masonry work in Nairobi, driven by plots being developed and subdivided. Both are quoted by area, so measuring roughly before posting moves you straight to a real number.
Nairobi's black cotton soil is the local complication. It swells and shrinks with the seasons, and it cracks walls, slabs and paving laid without proper foundations or hardcore. Where a wall has cracked more than once in the same place, the ground is the problem, not the mason.
Coverage
Nairobi areas you can post to
Help24 places a job at the neighbourhood rather than the city, so the providers who see it are the ones who can actually reach you. These are the Nairobi areas the app carries.
- Nairobi CBD
- Westlands
- Kilimani
- Kileleshwa
- Lavington
- Karen
- Langata
- Parklands
- Highridge
- Ngara
- Pangani
- Eastleigh
- South B
- South C
- Nairobi West
- Madaraka
- Hurlingham
- Upper Hill
- Riverside
- Spring Valley
- Loresho
- Kitisuru
- Runda
- Muthaiga
- Gigiri
- Ridgeways
- Roysambu
- Kahawa West
- Kahawa Sukari
- Zimmerman
- Githurai
- Kasarani
- Mwiki
- Ruaraka
- Baba Dogo
- Umoja
- Buruburu
- Donholm
- Pipeline
- Embakasi
- Fedha
- Tassia
- Utawala
- Kayole
- Komarock
- Njiru
- Dandora
- Kariobangi
- Huruma
- Mathare
- Makadara
- Jericho
- Kaloleni
- Mukuru
- Imara Daima
- Nyayo Estate
- Industrial Area
- Gikomba
- Dagoretti
- Kawangware
- Riruta
- Waithaka
- Uthiru
- Kangemi
- Mountain View
- Adams Arcade
- Woodley
- Kibera
- Ngong Road
Nairobi is one of the three cities Help24's launch effort is going into. More about Help24 in Nairobi.
What people post
Masonry jobs posted in Nairobi
Every one of these can be posted as a one-off job to Nairobi providers.
- Boundary and perimeter walls, with or without a gate opening
- Plastering new blockwork, and re-plastering where it has blown or cracked
- Floor screeds and levelling before tiling
- Paving, cabro laying and driveway repairs
- Blocking up or opening a doorway or window
- Foundations and footings for an extension or an outbuilding
- Making good after plumbing or electrical chasing
- Repairing water-damaged plaster and rising damp
- Septic tanks, soak pits and manholes
Writing the request
What to include so the offers come back usable
- Rough measurements — wall length and height, or floor area
- Photos of the area, ideally from far enough back to show the whole wall
- Whether materials are on your account or theirs
- Whether there is water and power on site
- How the site is reached — a lorry-accessible plot and a hand-carry plot are different jobs
What moves the price
Why two quotes for the same job differ
- Area to be covered, and the height it has to be worked at
- Whether scaffolding is needed
- Who supplies cement, sand, ballast and blocks
- Whether old plaster or an old slab has to be broken out and carried away first
- Site access for delivering materials
Help24 does not publish price ranges for masonry. Quotes come from the masons themselves, and the number you agree is the number the payment is held against.
Before work starts
What to check with a mason
- Agree in writing who buys materials, and whether the price you see includes them
- For any structural work — removing a wall, cutting an opening in a load-bearing wall, adding a floor — get a qualified engineer's opinion, not a quote
- Contractors taking on building works in Kenya are required to be registered with the NCA; ask for the registration for anything at that scale
- A NITA trade test certificate (Grade III is the artisan entry level, Grade I the highest) is the standard Kenyan proof of a trade. Plenty of excellent fundis work without one, so treat it as a bonus rather than a bar.
How Help24 works
Posting a masonry job
Describe the job
Say what needs doing and where you are. Posting is free, and you are not committing to anything by posting.
Nearby masons send offers
Providers near you quote their own price. Nobody is assigned to you — you see the offers and you choose.
Agree the price first
Nothing starts until you have accepted an offer. The number you agree is the number that gets held.
Pay by M-Pesa, released when it's done
Help24 holds the payment while the work happens. The provider can see it is there; neither side can move it until you confirm the job is finished.
More detail on how posting and offers work, and on how payment protection works.
Other services in Nairobi
More Help24 services in Nairobi
- Plumbers in NairobiLeaks, blocked drains, taps, toilets, water tanks and pipework — the jobs that cannot wait until the weekend.
- Electricians in NairobiSockets, lights, wiring, consumer units and the faults that trip your whole house.
- Cleaners in NairobiDeep cleans, move-out cleans, regular visits, sofas, carpets and post-construction clean-ups.
- Carpenters in NairobiDoors, wardrobes, kitchen units, shelving, furniture repairs and fitted joinery.
- Painters in NairobiInterior and exterior painting, preparation, filling, and the repaint between tenancies.
- Movers in NairobiHouse and office moves, single items, packing, loading and pickup or lorry hire.
- Mechanics in NairobiDiagnostics, servicing, brakes, suspension, batteries and the car that will not start.
- Appliance technicians in NairobiFridges, washing machines, cookers, microwaves, water heaters and the appliance that just stopped.
- Welders in NairobiGates, grilles, railings, staircases, water tank stands and steel repairs.
- Gardeners in NairobiLawns, hedges, tree cutting, clearing an overgrown plot and regular garden upkeep.
- Contractors in NairobiExtensions, renovations, roofing, new builds and the trades that have to be run together.
Post a masonry job in Nairobi
Free to post. You see the offers, you agree the price, and the payment is held until the work is done.