When the client and the contractor are different parties, the contractor controls the day-to-day. The client controls payment. The gap between the two is where a clerk-of-works lives. The clerk's job is to walk the site daily, check that what is being built matches the drawings and specifications, certify interim payments, and price variations before they happen. Done well, a clerk-of-works saves the client 3–8% of project cost. Done badly, the role is theatre.

What a clerk-of-works actually does

  • Daily site visit — usually morning, sometimes returning in the afternoon for important pours.
  • Photograph progress and store with date-stamps.
  • Witness concrete pours; take cube samples; record them.
  • Verify reinforcement against the schedule before any concrete is poured.
  • Sign off interim payment certificates against actual completed work, not against the contractor's claim.
  • Price variations within 48 hours of receiving them, before the work is done.
  • Keep a daily site diary: weather, labour count, materials delivered, work done.
  • Attend weekly progress meetings; produce the agenda and minutes.

What a clerk-of-works should not be asked to do

A clerk-of-works is not the contractor's site manager. They do not direct the labour, they do not chase suppliers, they do not handle wages. If you ask them to do that, you are paying for two jobs and getting confusion. Keep the roles separate.

What to look for when hiring

  • A registered engineer or a diploma-holder with at least 5 years of site experience.
  • References from at least three previous clients (not contractor references — client references).
  • A clear daily-rate, not a percentage-of-project. A clerk paid as a percentage of project cost has perverse incentives — they benefit when the project gets bigger.
  • Personal vehicle and willingness to be on site by 08:00.
  • Demonstrable familiarity with the building type — apartments need someone different from someone who has only done single-storey houses.

Independence is the whole point

The clerk works for the client. Not for the contractor, and not for the contractor's preferred sub-contractors. If the contractor recommends a clerk, that clerk has a conflict of interest before they walk on site. Hire independently.

When it pays for itself

A clerk-of-works typically costs 1–3% of project cost. On a 1.2 billion shilling apartment block, that is 12–36 million shillings over the build period. The saving from catching wrong concrete grades, ungraded reinforcement, padded variations, and double-claimed interim payments usually exceeds the fee by a factor of three to ten. The math works when projects are above about 400 million shillings; below that, the percentage gets uneconomic and a fortnightly visit is usually enough.