International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 2020, 9(5): 135-141 DOI: 10.5923/j.ijcem.20200905.01 Differential Pricing of Concrete Products within the Ghanaian Construction Industry E. K. Nyantakyi 1,* , N. K. Obeng-Ahenkora 1 , A. Obiri-Yeboah 2 , G. A. Mohammed 2 , M. K. Domfeh 1 , R. K. Osei 3 1 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana 2 Department of Civil Engineering, Kumasi Technical University, Ghana 3 Department of Construction and Wood Technology, University of Education Winneba, Kumasi, Ghana Abstract Concrete is an essential widely used material in the construction industry worldwide. Notable concrete products used in Ghana’s construction industry are precast septic tanks, box and pipe culverts, fence posts, concrete poles, roof tiles, precast beams and columns, pavement blocks and slabs etc. Though the variety is large, there exists significant price disparities for the same materials across markets in Ghana. This study assessed differential pricing of concrete products on the Ghanaian construction market with the objective of ascertaining the determinants and causes of differential pricings, and the effects of these differentials on the construction industry in three major cities (Accra, Kumasi and Sunyani) in Ghana. Price data was collected, collated and analyzed from the three cities and the determinants, causes and effects of differential pricings were assessed and ranked based on existing literature. An overall assessment indicated that the main determinant of differential pricings was material input, whereas cost of production was the highest ranked cause of differential pricing. Uncertainties during project estimation which include taxes was also seen to be the highest ranked effect of differential pricing. It is recommended that drastic steps be taken by Government to reduce the uncertainties such as subsidizing some taxes on the importation of raw materials and the use of other inputs in producing concrete products. Keywords Ghanaian construction industry, Concrete, Accra Metropolis, Kumasi Metropolis, Sunyani Municipality, Differential pricings 1. Introduction Concrete plays a vital part in our daily lives in any functioning society. It’s benefits to society are immense; they are used to build schools, hospitals, apartment blocks, bridges, tunnels, dams, sewerage systems, pavements, runways, roads and many more (Baikerikar, 2018). Twice as much concrete is used around the world than the total of all other building materials, including wood, steel, plastic and aluminum (Petkar, 2014). Few people realize that concrete is in fact the most widely used fabricated material in the world, with nearly three tons used annually for each man, woman and child (Morsali, 2019). No other material can replace concrete in terms of its effectiveness, price and performance. To put it simply, Banthia et al, (2014) wrote “concrete is the material mostly used in the construction industry and is one of the foremost strong building materials”. It gives predominant fire resistance compared with wooden structures and picks up quality over time. * Corresponding author: emmanuel.nyantakyi@uenr.edu.gh (E. K. Nyantakyi) Received: Sep. 10, 2020; Accepted: Oct. 2, 2020; Published: Oct. 26, 2020 Published online at http://journal.sapub.org/ijcem Concrete is a blend of smashed stone, sand, cement and water that solidifies as a result of chemical responses between the cement and water (Kumar, 2009). Additionally, it is the basis of an expansive commercial industry, with all its positive and negative properties. Within the United States alone, concrete generation may be a $30 billion per year industry, considering, as it were, the esteem of the ready-mixed concrete sold each year (Syverson, 2008). Designers from around the globe incorporate concrete products in construction projects ranging from commercial and educational through to residential. Concrete products used in the construction industry could be precast concrete beams, pavement slabs, wall copings, precast columns, concrete curbs, concrete pavement blocks, prestressed concrete pressure pipes (PCCP) and concrete hollow and solid blocks (Lopez-Mesa et al. 2009). Given the measure of the concrete industry, and the basic way concrete is utilized to shape the foundations of the construction world, it is troubling to underrate the part this fabric plays nowadays. Most developing countries including Ghana, face acute housing problems, especially in the larger cities (Atiemo, 2013). The degree of housing shortage varies from location to location and has indirectly contributed to the varying