Client-Architect behaviours Towards Cost Advice in Nigeria: Quantity Surveyors' perspective

Abstract

Cost advice (CA) during early stage of building projects is an imperative to achieving value for money, but receives little consideration in the Nigerian Construction Industry (NCI). Construction clients and architects are foremost beneficiaries of this function and contributor majorly to its success or failure. Problems related to the „cost advice‟ function significantly contribute to some of the inefficiencies and nonperformances crippling NCI. This paper investigates „behaviours‟ of clients and architects as they relate to the „cost advice‟ function of quantity surveying (QS) practice. Data were gathered from 248 projects sought from quantity surveying firms. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and test of significance were carried out. Based on these outcomes regression analysis was employed to establish the impact of the behaviours to the outcome of „cost advice‟ function. Behaviours relative to engaging QS and provision of design information were found to be „slightly less than normal‟ while services required from the QS comes with some challenges. Based on the strength of the impact of these behaviours on CA outcomes, it is suggested that certain behaviours must be tightly monitored and improved upon to ensure success of the CA services offered by the QS during early stage of building projects.