Cost Evolution Throughout the Construction Value Chain

Abstract

This study is based on the following observation: there is a significant difference between the initial budget forecast and the final budget of construction project. Cost differences in construction projects between the first estimate made by the engagement committee and the actual construction cost at the end of the project are highlighted. Our study therefore focuses on indicators that track the overall cost of a construction project from the client's perspective, in this case the real estate development company. The objectives are as follow: Highlight cost variances in construction projects and analyze the gaps between the initial cost design by customer and final construction. The waste between the "design", “marketing” and "construction" phases is discussed. The paper also quantifies waste in terms of cost between the phases. The analysis reveal that the overall cost evolution is 2.59%, with 0.89% coming from the Construction phase and 1.72% from the Marketing phase, and 0.09% from the Design phase. The results could be of interest to a wide range of researchers working on the interface between the design and construction phases.