Factors causing cost overrun in administrative construction projects of Egypt

Cost overrun is one of the most occurring risks and common problems in construction projects that cause multiple negative effects on all participating parties. the first step in the risk management process is risk identification. factors that cause cost overrun differ from project to another and from place to place. this study aims to identify factors that cause cost overrun in administrative buildings in egypt by using a questionnaire survey and delphi method by experts' separate interviews to evaluate sixty four factors collected from previous studies. one hundred engineers belong to the contracting companies and eighty belong to the consultants' offices participated in this study. the quantitative evaluation process in the questionnaire survey included the impact and the probability of occurrence for each factor. results show that price escalation of material components,delay in handing over,contractual claims,and design changes are the most common factors that cause cost overrun in constructing administrative buildings in egypt. the comparative analysis between the findings from the interviews with experts and the questionnaire survey show a high compliance.