Reducing the Cost of Upgrading Dublin City’s Local Authority Housing Built Prior to the Introduction of the 1991 Building Regulations, through Lean Thinking/Lean Construction

Local authorities in the Republic of Ireland are being required to upgrade their housing stocks. Due to the current economic recession local authorities, while receiving grants from central government, are struggling financially to upgrade their housing stocks. More cost efficiency is required when undertaking works. The research examines how the cost of upgrading Dublin City’s local authority housing built prior to the introduction of the 1991 building regulations can be reduced through applying lean thinking. This paper proposes a lean model for the upgrading of local authority housing in Dublin City. The paper concludes with an outline of where monies are being wasted, and how this waste can be eliminated to leave a lean financial model for upgrading local authority housing.