EVALUATION OF FACTORS CAUSING DELAY IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study seeks to broaden our understanding about the factors causing delay in building construction project in Ondo State. Delay in building construction project can be defined as the late completion of works as compared to the planned schedule or contract schedule. Previous relevant studies were reviewed and eighty related factors causing delay in building construction projects in Ondo State were identified. Questionnaire was used as a means of collecting data. One hundred questionnaire were distributed to selected respondents (fifteen to Clients/Owners, fifteen to Architects, fifteen to Engineers, fifteen to Builders, twenty to Quantity Surveyors and twenty to Contractors) across Ondo State. Convenience sampling was adopted for selected respondents. Their responses were ranked using the like scale analyzed using the relative index method (R.I.I). Statistical software package for the Social Science (SPSS, version 17) and Microsoft Excel 2010 were used to interpret the data to determine the most important factors causing delay in building construction projects in Ondo State. The study showed that the top fifteen most ranked factors were most responsible factors causing delay in building construction projects in Ondo State. These include delay in progress payment, inadequate fund allocation, change orders by clients during construction, incompetent project team, complexity of the project, poor site management and supervision, inadequate contractor experience, ineffective project planning and scheduling, delay in approving major changes in the scope of work by consultant, suspension /stop work by owner etc. The findings suggest that ensuring adequate source of finance, engaging contractors with sufficient experience and technical know how, design documents reviewed and approved at the anticipated time and making all necessary resources available among others are the means of minimizing delay in building construction projects in Ondo State