Compliance with Residential building standards is crucial to sustainable orderly physical development and urban environmental management. Despite efforts by relevant authorities in enforcing building standards, observations reveal that large proportions of buildings seem to be constructed in Makurdi Town without compliance with extant residential building standards. This study assessed compliance of home owners with residential building standards in Makurdi Town, Benue State, Nigeria. The study used survey approach, a sample size of 399 respondents were used. Stratified and random sampling techniques were applied to select respondents in nine residential neighbourhoods. Questionnaires, guided interviews, field measurements and observations were used to collect data. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed low level of compliance (Field Measurements > minimum standards) with extant building standards in high density residential neighbourhoods. However, there is high level of compliance (Field Measurements ≤ minimum standards) in low density residential neighbourhoods. Factors inhibiting home owners compliance with residential building standards most were; complex bureaucracy, level of educational qualification (`X = 3.4), low income status (`X = 3.3). The study concluded that high density residential areas have the proneness to undermine planning intentions of residential building standards. The study recommends that concerned government agencies cut down bureaucratic barriers and other encumbrances for the approval of building plans.
Kwaghsende et al. (Tue,) studied this question.