Assessment of Client Briefing Adequacy and Cost Certainty in Residential Projects in Enugu State

Inadequate client briefing at project inception is widely recognised as a leading contributor to design changes, cost uncertainty, and project disputes in construction. This study assesses the adequacy of client briefing processes and their relationship with cost certainty in residential construction projects in Enugu State. A descriptive survey design was employed, with 80 quantity surveyors, architects, and residential clients forming the study sample across projects in Enugu, Nsukka, and Agbani. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and analysed using correlation analysis and mean item scores. Findings indicate that most residential project clients in Enugu State do not provide comprehensive written briefs, relying instead on verbal instructions that are incomplete, inconsistent, and prone to misinterpretation. The study establishes a significant positive correlation (r = 0.76) between the comprehensiveness of the client brief and final account cost certainty. Projects with documented and formally agreed briefs experienced fewer variations and were more likely to be completed within 10% of the original contract sum. Recommendations include the development of a standardised residential client briefing guide for use by Nigerian quantity surveyors, and the introduction of brief verification checkpoints as part of pre-contract services. Universities are encouraged to integrate client briefing management into undergraduate quantity surveying curricula. This study adds to the literature on pre-project cost management in South East Nigeria. Keywords: client briefing, cost certainty, residential projects, Enugu State, quantity surveying