Construction Site Theft: How to Prevent It

Did you know that maintaining construction site security using smart business practices and high quality perimeter protection can help save your business money?

Construction theft hurts contractors and their customers, delaying jobs and sometimes causing financial hardship. Thousands of pieces of equipment are stolen from construction job sites on an annual basis. In 2021, almost 12,000 thefts occurred at construction sites.

According to a recent study, contractors lose an average of approximately $6,000 every time a theft occurs, and an average of approximately $42,000 every time a truck is stolen. Trucks tend to be the most expensive items that contractors lose, but anything can be stolen - including equipment, tools and building materials.

The recovery rate on stolen items is very low. Just 7% of stolen items are returned to contractors - possibly because thieves often target older pieces of equipment without registration numbers. Total losses for the industry is an estimated $1 billion annually.

If you're a contractor, there are steps you can take to help secure your job site and prevent theft. Stopping theft before it happens can help save your business money. Knowing what security flaws are common to most sites and what you can do to protect your job site can help you avoid becoming a victim.

Construction Site Security Flaws

Thieves target construction job sites for many reasons. Job sites are often packed with high-value items and materials. Some of the most common items stolen from construction job sites include:

• Tools
• Generators
• Loaders
• Bobcats
• Backhoes
• Plumbing supplies and fixtures
• Windows
• Doors

Thieves often steal scrap metal as well, because scrap metal can be sold to recycling centers.

Below are some conditions that could make your construction job site a more attractive target for thieves:

• The jobsite is unsecured. Many contractors operate without a secure fence around their perimeter. This makes theft easy and tempting for potential burglars.
• No registration numbers on equipment. Older equipment may not have a serial number or vehicle registration number, so it's easier to steal and sell online. New equipment with proper registration numbers is easier to track and recover.
• Construction sites are open to subcontractors and vendors. Many construction sites are active areas where people enter and exit all day long. This level of activity can increase the likelihood of casual theft.  

Tips on How to Improve the Security on Your Job site

As an owner, supervisor, manager, or foreman of a construction company, there are many things you can do to protect your construction jobsite. Taking steps to secure your equipment can help reduce the chances of theft and may even increase the chances that your items will be recovered if they are stolen. Here's what you need to know.

1. Vet Employees and Subcontractors

Vet employees thoroughly, performing background checks as well as reference checks for everyone you hire. Establish a process for hiring employees to help ensure you're hiring quality workers. Go through a similar process to vet the subcontractors' work history and background. Check references.

2. Track and Inventory Everything on the Jobsite

Keep an updated list of vehicles and equipment on each job site. Maintain an inventory of equipment including serial numbers or vehicle numbers, date of purchase, and date it was brought to the job site. If an item is removed from the job site, record that as well.

3. Store Equipment in Locked Storage Sheds

Use storage sheds to keep your equipment locked up when not in use. You may need one storage shed for equipment and tools and another storage shed for materials.

Limit access to storage sheds to those who need it. Train workers who have access to tool sheds to keep them locked. Double check at the end of the day that all tools and equipment are properly locked up.

4. Store Vehicles in Well-Lit, Secure Areas

Lock vehicles and keep them parked in a secure, well-lit area on the job site. Assign one location for vehicle parking, and train employees and managers to use this area only for vehicle storage. Double check at the end of the day that all vehicles are properly parked.  

5. Assign Supervisory Security Duties

Put someone in charge of security on your construction job site. This doesn't have to be a dedicated security professional but can be a manager or foreman. Schedule your workers so that there is always someone responsible for security onsite while construction is taking place.

6. Train Employees

Train your employees to look out for suspicious activity and behavior. Make your construction workers your eyes and ears, and train them to report strange activity immediately. Take steps to ensure that your employees know who to report to when calling attention to suspicious behavior.

7. Invest in Good Perimeter Fencing

Well-chosen and properly installed perimeter fencing can stop intruders and make theft impractical. When installing a temp fence around your construction job site, use clamps to hold panels together. Install bolts, so the threaded end is facing inward, to stop people from deconstructing your fence.

If you're storing valuable equipment on your job site, or if your job site is in an especially vulnerable location, consider anti-scale fencing to provide extra protection. Anti-scale fencing is specifically designed to prevent climbing, so it's an exellent deterrent to casual theft.

Make sure your fence is properly anchored to the ground: if using fence panels, use weighted bases; if using post-driven fences, dig the post holes deep enough to keep the fence stable, preventing thieves from toppling the panels or ripping them out of the ground.

Consider adding a privacy screen to your fence. A privacy screen can conceal equipment and materials inside the job site, preventing potential robbers from determining what items of value it contains.

Even though it might seem like a big investment to get the right products to protect construction sites, improving security can help reduce costs by preventing the loss of equipment and vehicles.

Learn more about cutting construction costs on the job site through our recent article, without compromising on security!