Determinant of Escalating Construction Material Costs in the Post-Pandemic Period: Contractor’s Perspective

Authors

  • Nuramira Farhana Azahar Centre for Postgraduate Studies, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Raja Rafidah Raja Muhammad Rooshdi School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Noor Akmal Adillah Ismail School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Mohd Arif Marhani School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Shaza Rina Sahamir School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Wan Nur Aifa Wan Azahar Department of Civil Engineering, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Gombak, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Rihana Mohd Yunus Cawangan Kejuruteraan Infrastruktur Pengangkutan, Ibu Pejabat JKR Malaysia, 50582 Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24191/bej.v22iSI.6484

Keywords:

Cost, Construction Material, Post-COVID-19, Contractor, Construction Project

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as the most talked-about topic of the year, damaging the economy, and upsetting the lives of many people and businesses across industries. Its effect, which varies by industry, was enormous in the construction industry, causing Malaysian construction projects to suffer the consequences of escalating material costs during the pandemic and post-pandemic period. This study aims to improve the effects of the escalating construction material costs by identifying the factors influencing the escalating construction material costs in construction projects from the contractor's perspective. This research was conducted using questionnaire surveys and distributed to Selangor Contractors Grade G6 and G7 registered with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). Descriptive statistics and ranking analysis were used in data analysis. The finding showed nine (9) factors influencing the escalating construction material costs, transportation costs & fuel price increases, supply chain disruptions & material shortages, labour shortages, higher labour costs, demand increases, economic factors, tariff increases & trade policy changes, health & safety costs increase and Government policies & regulations. Thus, this study must be put into consideration, as it ultimately helps to enhance the construction industry's performance. Finally, construction professionals, industry, and the government will benefit.

Author Biographies

Nuramira Farhana Azahar, Centre for Postgraduate Studies, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

Nuramira Farhana Azahar is Student of Master of Science Integrated Construction Project Management in the Centre for Postgraduate Studies, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. She can be reached through her email at 2023234104@student.uitm.edu.my.

Raja Rafidah Raja Muhammad Rooshdi, School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

Raja Rafidah Raja Muhammad Rooshdi is Senior Lecturer in School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. She can be reached through her email at raja_rafidah@uitm.edu.my.

Noor Akmal Adillah Ismail, School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

Noor Akmal Adillah Ismail is Senior Lecturer in School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. She can be reached through her email at noorakmal@uitm.edu.my.

Mohd Arif Marhani, School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

Mohd Arif Marhani is Senior Lecturer in School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. He can be reached through his email at arif2713@uitm.edu.my.

Shaza Rina Sahamir, School of Construction and Quantity Surveying, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

Shaza Rina Sahamir is Lecturer in the Centre of Studies for Construction, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. She can be reached through her email at shaza_rina@uitm.edu.my.

Wan Nur Aifa Wan Azahar, Department of Civil Engineering, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Gombak, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Wan Nur Aifa Wan Azahar is Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Gombak, 53100 Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She can be reached through her email at aifa@iium.edu.my.

Rihana Mohd Yunus, Cawangan Kejuruteraan Infrastruktur Pengangkutan, Ibu Pejabat JKR Malaysia, 50582 Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Rihana Mohd Yunus is from Cawangan Kejuruteraan Infrastruktur Pengangkutan, Ibu Pejabat JKR Malaysia, 50582 Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She can be reached through her email at rihana@jkr.gov.my.

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Published

22-06-2025

How to Cite

Azahar, N. F. ., Raja Muhammad Rooshdi, R. R. ., Ismail, N. A. A. ., Marhani, M. A. ., Sahamir, S. R. ., Wan Azahar, W. N. A. ., & Yunus, R. M. . (2025). Determinant of Escalating Construction Material Costs in the Post-Pandemic Period: Contractor’s Perspective. Built Environment Journal, 22(SI). https://doi.org/10.24191/bej.v22iSI.6484

Issue

Vol. 22 No. SI (2025): Built Environment Journal

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Nuramira Farhana Azahar, Raja Rafidah Raja Muhammad Rooshdi, Noor Akmal Adillah Ismail, Mohd Arif Marhani, Shaza Rina Sahamir, Wan Nur Aifa Wan Azahar, Rihana Mohd Yunus

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