Appraisal of Cost Planning Practices at the Design Stage of Commercial Projects in Rivers State

Cost planning at the design stage is essential for aligning client expectations with project budgets and preventing costly redesigns during construction. This study appraises cost planning practices adopted at the design stage of commercial construction projects in Rivers State, focusing on office buildings and retail developments in Port Harcourt. A descriptive research design was employed, with 88 quantity surveyors, architects, and client representatives forming the respondent pool. Structured questionnaires were administered and data analysed using mean scores, standard deviations, and frequency analysis. Findings indicate that elemental cost planning is the most commonly used cost planning method, though its application is often inconsistent and incompletely aligned with design development stages. The study reveals that cost plans are frequently prepared too late in the design process to influence major cost-generating decisions, reducing their effectiveness in cost control. Incomplete client briefs and the absence of formal cost management frameworks in many commercial project teams contribute to this problem. Recommendations include adoption of formal cost planning schedules tied to RIBA or NIA design stages, mandatory cost plan review checkpoints at each design stage gate, and the establishment of a South South Nigeria commercial building cost database to improve benchmark accuracy. This research addresses a significant gap in literature on commercial project cost management in the South South geopolitical zone. Keywords: cost planning, design stage, commercial projects, Rivers State, quantity surveying