Construction duration of residential building projects in Germany

Purpose Planning the construction duration is an important consideration in any construction project. Indicators that permit an early forecast of the duration provide the basis for such planning. To date, such a basis has been lacking in the German‐speaking area. This paper aims to discuss this matter. Design/methodology/approach Indicators are identified that enable a forecast of the construction duration. In addition, a simple regression model is provided to assist in selecting construction speed indicators. This empirical analysis relies on the data, collected on a uniform basis, from 115 German residential buildings. Findings Project size (measured in m2 gross external floor area) and project standard (measured in € building construction cost/m2 gross external floor area) are found to be significant drivers of construction speed. It appears that project size, in contrast to the project standard, is positively correlated with construction speed. Originality/value An expansion of the data pool is required for more extensive study. On the one hand, this means including relevant drivers that have only been insufficiently considered to date, such as project complexity, project environment, management‐related attributes. On the other hand, the data pool must also be expanded to include other types of use.