631Security.com cares about your construction site and is proud to offer a solution in helping prevent vandalism and theft!
DID YOU KNOW:
**Construction site theft is a $1 billion a year business in the United States; surging along with the housing market, inflating the cost of a home by 1.5% or around $4000 according to the National Association of Home Builders. An average construction site will lose $5000 in supplies and equipment.**
A security system will deter construction site vandalism and theft while a security camera system will identify the perpetrators for prosecution.
Construction theft may be a cost of doing business, but you can take steps to keep the costs down. Be aware. Be proactive. Be defensive. Or be resigned to losing money to those who are more interested in construction theft than you are. You can't have it both ways. By building a security system into a new home construction site with our builders security program, a contactor is able to:
- add value to homes
- increase marketability
- decrease vandalism and theft
- reduce insurance costs
- increase profits
In a study by tool maker DEWALT of more than 200 end users on jobsites across the country and from an independent research company, which polled more than 1,500 construction end users and buyers, jobsite security and the resulting loss of productivity is the #1 concern. The study also identified the following key statistics, further illustrating today's jobsite security problem:
- 97% of construction industry professionals surveyed - end users, buyers, project managers, etc. - are concerned about jobsite security
- Tool theft, material theft, and truck/van protection are the top three types of jobsite losses
- More than 50% of those surveyed have had equipment stolen in the past 12 months
- More than 75% of jobsite theft occurs at night and on weekends
- 77% of jobsites have experienced theft up to five times each year over the past three years.
According to the American Insurance Services Group, "Security on construction sites should be a major concern for all contractors. The total losses due to theft and vandalism on sites have been increasing dramatically over the past decade." The Insurance Services Office shows an increase of up to 20% in the value of equipment thefts every year since 1996. In reality only 10-15% of this equipment is ever recovered. This loss doesn't take into account the added costs of rentals, replacements, production downtime, wasted management's time, and the dreaded overrun penalties.
Besides the monetary losses resulting from theft and vandalism, associated indirect costs should also be considered. Costly job delays, downtime for operators, higher insurance premiums, and the possible cancellation of an insurance policy, with the accompanying risk of jeopardizing bonding and borrowing power, make jobsite security practices crucial for commercial construction firms. Because of this, theft and vandalism can be major cost components of a construction project. The cost is potentially sufficient to make the difference between making a profit or incurring a loss on a project. An added factor that should be investigated is to identify the culprits involved in incidents of theft and vandalism. It is important for contractors to recognize that construction sites are a natural point of curiosity. Passers-by always want to see what is being built and if it will be something of interest to them. A typical construction site turns into a "ghost town" after 4 or 5 p.m. and this often makes it vulnerable to theft and vandalism. Research has shown that the majority of theft and vandalism incidents are not done by strangers, but rather by individuals familiar with the jobsite.
Vandalism is generally a nuisance crime on construction sites and does not present serious losses for most contractors. Nonetheless, any loss detracts from company profits and the threat of vandalism cannot be ignored. Results show that vandals are seldom caught.
The following are the most common types of vandalism:
- Broken glass
- Graffiti
- Destruction of in-place materials
- Damage to construction equipment
- Vehicle damage
- "EASY TO STEAL, HARD TO TRACK"
A host of factors make construction sites attractive targets for thieves, not the least of which is the ease of stealing unprotected equipment. Everything is being stolen: compressors, generators, skid loaders, forklifts, copper wires, heavy equipment. Since there is a market for this, it is just a matter of loading the equipment onto a truck and leaving the site with it. When people see the equipment being loaded onto trucks, it doesn't raise concern. No one thinks it's suspicious when someone loads up equipment and drives away. The theft problem is further compounded by the lack of a single source for identifying and tracking equipment.
One of the most troubling aspects of construction theft is the amount stolen by employees. Sixty percent of thefts are internal. The construction industry is seasonal and employees know they're going to get laid off. The consequence is that before the job is over, the trade is being hit. The bottom line for contractors is that the thefts are costing them big money, and in more ways than one. If you get hit enough, you're going to have very big insurance deductibles. One of the main problems in recovering your valuable construction equipment is often days and even months go by before the equipment owners realize it's been stolen. This is especially true in multi-site operations which have fleets of heavy construction vehicles, equipment and who don't yet have fleet management systems in place. The thief is long gone by the time any type of criminal investigation can begin. For police, investigations are often time-consuming and frustrating.
Let 631Security.com help you lower your insurance costs, increase profits by avoiding shut downs due to stolen equipment, and avoid costly maintenance problems. The low monthly fees are much easier to budget for and manage than the loss of even one piece of equipment.