Status of lean construction implementation among small and medium building contractors (SMBCs) in Ghana Emmanuel Nsiah Ankomah Department of Building Technology, Sunyani Technical University, Sunyani, Ghana, and Joshua Ayarkwa and Kofi Agyekum Department of Construction Technology and Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this study is to ascertain the extent to which the practices of small and medium building contractors (SMBCs) conform to lean construction (LC) principles. Ultimately, practical results encourage a discourse on the true potentials and challenges to the holistic uptake of LC principles in the Ghanaian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach – This research is based on a qualitative case study approach. The data was obtained through face-to-face structured interviews. Findings – Across the cases, it was realized thatthere is a low-level application of LC principles among SMBCs. There was no indication that lean concepts were used on a company-wide basis in the Ghanaian construction industry. Furthermore, the study revealed that the traditional wasteful approach to managing construction projects was still prevalent among the firms. Practical implications – This paper uses the 4P model as a foundation for assessing the extent to which the practices of SMBCs conform to LC principles. Practically, the study also created a certain level of awareness among the SMBCs about LC, LC principles and the benefits of the application of these principles within organizations. Originality/value – This study contributes to the body of knowledge as it uncovers the status of LC implementation among SMBCs in the Ghanaian construction industry. The findings that are presented in this paper can be used as a starting point to disseminate the research and practice of LC among SMBCs. Keywords Value, Process improvement, Lean construction, Small and medium building contractors Paper type Research paper Introduction A small and medium building contractor (SMBC) is a small or medium firm defined by the number of direct employees (Gledson and Phoenix, 2017). Consequently, Kheni et al. (2010) defined an SMBC as a domestic contractor with 199 employees as the upper threshold and 10 employees as the lower threshold. Globally, the construction industry is composed of huge numbers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and a small number of firms that belong to large enterprises (Tezel et al., 2019; Osei, 2013; Amoah et al., 2011; Gyadu-Asiedu, 2009). A study conducted by Loforte Ribeiro and Timo¨teo Fernandes (2010) in 36 European countries found that over 99 per cent of all construction companies belong to Status of lean construction Received 24 December 2019 Revised 23 January 2020 Accepted 23 January 2020 Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology © Emerald Publishing Limited 1726-0531 DOI 10.1108/JEDT-12-2019-0345 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1726-0531.htm