KENYA · GUIDE 0452 · EDITION 4.2
Picture frame making in Kenya: Registration and Activity Checks
Define the activity that authorities need to assess
Make made-to-measure frames for prints and photographs.
Measure the actual artwork and agree presentation, backing and glazing options, using appropriate specialist advice where valuable or sensitive material needs preservation beyond ordinary decorative framing.
Describe that exact operation when checking requirements. State where the work takes place, whether customers enter the premises, who performs technical tasks and whether you manufacture, resell, deliver or coordinate the service. Requirements can change with these facts; a broad business category is not a complete permit determination.
Sector questions to investigate
- Check workplace and machine-safety obligations with DOSHS for the proposed workshop.
- Ask the relevant authority about product-specific safety requirements, especially toys and food-contact boards.
- If installing fixed building work, verify the contractor classification and required approvals.
Keep registration separate from permission to operate
A registered business name does not itself establish approval of premises, products or professional work. Use the Business Registration Service to check the appropriate registration route. Ask the relevant county office which premises and trading checks apply to the actual activity. Confirm tax and invoicing obligations with KRA for your circumstances rather than copying another trader's treatment.
Prepare a written enquiry
| Information to provide | Business-specific starting point |
|---|---|
| Proposed output | Make made-to-measure frames for prints and photographs. |
| Scope and exclusions | Measure the actual artwork and agree presentation, backing and glazing options, using appropriate specialist advice where valuable or sensitive material needs preservation beyond ordinary decorative framing. |
| First operating step | Measure the artwork without damaging it and record frame, glazing, backing and hanging preferences on a client-approved order sheet. |
| Quality and acceptance | Fit the artwork with the client present where practical, checking visible margins, clean glazing and the approved hanging arrangement before closing the frame and completing the handover. |
Add the county, location, premises arrangement, scale, equipment and responsible person's qualifications. Ask which authority handles an issue if it falls outside the first office's remit. Record the answer, reference link, date checked and any renewal or inspection condition. A guide's reference list is a route to verification, not an approval document.
Decide what must wait
Do not offer a regulated service or make a safety, accreditation or certification claim that you cannot substantiate. Resolve an unanswered prerequisite before accepting work that depends on it. A demand interview can often precede trading; a paid or physical trial still needs the appropriate permissions and safe arrangements.
The frame is made from the advertised print size instead of the actual sheet, leading to awkward cropping or refabrication when the customer finally brings the artwork for fitting.
No universal licence package, current fee or exemption is asserted here. The official links below support only their stated scope.
Prepare a precise activity enquiry
Describe this actual operating scope to the relevant authority or competent adviser: Fictional sample order: Four wooden picture frames for A4 prints, with rebate, backing and glazing choice specified from the actual artwork. Ordinary decorative use only; valuable art/conservation and specialist glazing are separate. Frame dimensions account for actual print and glazing, not only external timber length.
Use these operating details to make the enquiry specific:
| Detail to disclose | Why it can affect the answer |
|---|---|
| Frame moulding - Actual profile/rebate supports selected artwork/glazing. | Explain the actual premises, scale, use and who will perform the task. Ask which current rule applies to these facts. |
| Backing/glazing - Specified material and competent safe handling. | Explain the actual premises, scale, use and who will perform the task. Ask which current rule applies to these facts. |
| Compatible joints/hangers - Matched to complete frame mass. | Explain the actual premises, scale, use and who will perform the task. Ask which current rule applies to these facts. |
Keep the reply date, official source, exact activity facts and any conditions together. This is an enquiry preparation method, not a determination that a licence, exemption or fee applies. The earlier source dates do not mean legal requirements were rechecked today. Resolve these outstanding checks before relying on a broad business description:
- Proposed job has not been field tested or independently reviewed by a practising operator.
- Obtain actual local rates and the exact product/material instructions before quoting or scheduling.