Who does what
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| You (the client) | Brief, budget, decisions on design and finishes, releasing stage payments. |
| Design team | Architectural and structural drawings, approvals. |
| Contractor / project manager | Builds to the drawings and BOQ, manages trades and materials, reports progress. |
| Inspector | Checks each stage against the drawings before payment is released. Ideally independent of the contractor; at minimum named and qualified. |
| Lawyer | Land title, contract review, power of attorney if needed. |
| Quantity surveyor | Prepares or checks the BOQ and values variations. |
Building from abroad
Build in Nigeria from anywhere, in six steps
You make the decisions from where you live. We do the work on the ground and show you the proof at every step.
Step 1
Free call
Tell us your plot, budget and timeline, on video or WhatsApp at a time that suits your time zone.
Step 2
Land and site check
Send the documents. We check the plot, access and soil, and work with your lawyer on the title.
Step 3
Design and approvals
Approve the design and 3D visuals on video calls. We prepare the drawings and permit application.
Step 4
BOQ and contract
Review every line of the open-book BOQ, then sign a contract with stages and inspections built in.
Step 5
Build, watched live
Follow the live camera and weekly reports. Pay each stage only after it has been inspected.
Step 6
Handover
Receive the keys, as-built drawings, certificates and a 6–12 month defects period.
Pay in stages, never ahead of work
Split the budget into stages (foundation, frame and blockwork, roof, services, finishing) and release each payment only when the previous stage has been inspected. Our cost guide shows what each stage typically costs.
Reporting you can check yourself
- A live site camera you can open on your phone at any time.
- Weekly reports with dated photos and what’s next.
- Monthly video walk-rounds or drone footage of the whole site.
- Inspection reports at every stage, before payments.
- A shared folder with the contract, BOQ, drawings and receipts. Our clients get a private client portal for this.
Reporting you can check yourself
What you see while we build
Not a relative’s phone photos: dated, regular evidence you can check from anywhere.
Control changes and costs
- Agree changes in writing with a price and time impact before the work is done.
- Keep a 5–10% contingency and decide in advance who can approve spending it.
- Compare material lines in the BOQ with current market prices.
When to visit
If you can only travel once or twice, time the visits for setting out and foundation (the building’s position and size are fixed) and before finishing (you choose tiles, fittings and colours in person). Otherwise send an independent professional rather than a relative.
Time zones and communication
Lagos is on West Africa Time (UTC+1, no daylight saving): the same as London in summer and an hour ahead in winter; 5–6 hours ahead of New York and Toronto. Fix a weekly call at a time that suits you, and keep decisions in writing on email or WhatsApp.