Paper Contents
Abstract
The construction sectors in Rivers State is essential to infrastructure development but continues to struggle with recurring issues in cost management, such as budget overruns, inaccurate cost estimate, and dependence on outdated manual methods. This study investigate the impact of building information modeling (BIM) on construction cost management practices in Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, it assess the level of awareness and extent of BIM usage among construction professionals in Rivers State, identifies the benefits of BIM in construction cost management, examines the challenges hindering its effective implementation, and compares cost control outcomes between BIM based and traditional methods. A descriptive survey research design was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire based on five points likert scale. The survey targeted professionals from both public and private construction sectors, including quantity surveyors, contractors, engineers, architects, project managers, and builders. Data were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Out of one hundred and twenty five (125) distributed questionnaires, ninety five (95) were returned and deemed valid for analysis. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were computed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS, version 25.0). The findings indicated that awareness and adoption of BIM in Rivers State remain low to moderate; however, notable benefits were observed, including more accurate cost estimation, improved budget control, and better management of design changes. Key challenges identified include the high cost of BIM software, limited technical expertise, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of regulatory frameworks. The study recommends that professional organizations such as the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, the Nigerian Institute of Architects, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers should conduct ongoing training, workshops, and certification programs on BIM adoption. Additionally, government agencies and private clients are encouraged to promote BIM adoption by mandating its use in major projects, thereby institutionalizing its role in modern cost management practices.Keywords: Building information modeling, cost management, construction industry, Rivers State, cost overruns.
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 Godson Kelechi. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
