Abstract
Building quality failures have become rampant in Nigeria, with the worst cases resulting in collapse of buildings and loss of lives. Several studies have attributed quality failures to a myriad of factors some of which are traceable to insufficient/lack of quality inspection during construction. Stage inspections are a common feature of most developed countries, which ensure that building works comply with consent documents issued by approving authorities. The more the checks and inspection on building performance, the more probable the final build will meet the required quality standards. Thus the primary objective of this paper is to suggest stage inspection during construction by approving authorities, as a feasible solution to building failures in Nigeria. Literature review methodology is used to discuss building inspection regimes operable in different developed countries. This is with a view for the Nigerian building construction industry to consider stage inspection as a mandatory process during building production. It is hoped that the findings of this paper will benefit property owners, building occupants and the overall construction industry through improved quality achievement levels. Stage inspections may guarantee peace of mind and confidence that buildings will eventually attain desired levels of performance because the culture of building it right first time would have been imbibed.
