Builders complete new homes every day in the United States, and construction companies work hard to keep up with demand. Security is vital on these sites because the last thing a business needs is items going missing or getting broken, either purposefully or accidentally.
You’ll find many different options when trying to secure your construction site, and the option you select is mainly dependent on your location and how much security you require. This guide will dig into key aspects of this issue, including some of the best ways to maintain secure home construction sites.
Reasons to Secure Home Construction Sites
Whenever contractors build a new home, the process takes weeks. Throughout the build, the construction company might leave tools, lumber, and other equipment on-site for days at a time, which can become a target for theft. Someone working on site might feel as though everything is safe without an additional layer of security — maybe there are other neighbors around to act as a deterrent, for example — but securing the construction site is beneficial. This is because doing so allows you to:
Protect Tools and Materials
The most apparent reason to secure a construction site is the protection it provides for items left behind at the end of the day. When dealing with heavy materials or tools, your crews won’t want to take everything back to the yard, only to return with it in the morning. By securing the site, your employees can leave these large items without worry.
Safeguard Items Inside the Home
In situations where the construction company is doing a major renovation rather than a new build, additional security could be necessary to protect items left in the home. This issue is particularly significant when the family cannot stay in the house during renovations, and the work creates access to the house through a missing window or hole in a wall.
Deter Vandals
Unfortunately, home construction sites are targets for vandals because they’re often in dark areas with very little security. When building in a new subdivision, there might not be any other residents around either, creating a quiet spot for vandals to do significant amounts of damage to the home and your equipment.
Monitor Accidents
An under-the-radar reason to have additional security on a home construction site is to monitor potential accidents that can damage the property or injure workers. When you have surveillance cameras installed, you can not only see any crimes occurring, you can also see exactly how an accident occurred and potentially identify any culprit.
All these issues can cause challenges on a construction site that can be painful and costly if not addressed. Security includes any means a contractor uses to deter theft and vandalism from becoming an issue. Since it’s impossible to always have employees on-site, alternative methods of watching the property often become necessary. Selecting the right type of security goes a long way toward easing your worries, however.
7 Methods of Keeping a Home Construction Site Secure
Home construction sites have different challenges than commercial or industrial properties because they’re smaller projects and often in more isolated locations. Therefore, building permanent security fixtures isn’t always an option, but there are still some steps you can take to keep these properties safe.
1. Install a Fence
One of the most common ways to secure a home construction site is to put up a fence. This fence won’t be a permanent structure but rather a temporary metal barrier that can deter people from entering the property. You can either rent or buy these fences, depending on how often you handle residential jobs.
2. Put Up Signs
In some cases, placing some “No Trespassing” signs around the property provides a deterrent. You might also consider posters depicting a surveillance camera, so potential thieves or vandals believe someone is watching the house.
3. Mark the Tools and Equipment
You should be doing this anyway, but marking all of your construction tools and equipment with bar codes or etchings makes it more difficult for thieves to sell them. However, this act won’t make resale impossible, as less than 25% of stolen construction equipment is recovered each year. Therefore, it’s best to take other precautions as well.
4. Hire a Security Guard
Bringing a security guard to monitor the residential construction site around the clock provides a deterrent. It also ensures someone is there to chase thieves or vandals off. While this security method can be costly, it also provides some of the best results.
5. Keep the Property Well-Lit
Lighting is one of the best ways to deter theft and vandalism, especially if neighbors live near the construction site. The easier it is to see thieves and vandals on the property, the less likely they are to risk entering. Good lighting also makes it easier for security personnel or cameras to see people who have entered the property.
6. Have a Lock-Down Area
It’s often easiest to leave some tools on-site overnight during construction, but you’ll want to secure those items as well as possible. Bringing a mobile storage unit to the house gives you a lock-down area where you can safely store your tools and equipment, ensuring they’re there the next day. Leaving these items sitting in the yard or a vehicle can invite theft and isn’t recommended.
7. Go With Monitored Security Cameras
Perhaps the most efficient way to secure a home construction site is to install surveillance cameras and have an expert protection-services company monitor them. This method works well because the security firm will provide custom camera installations in strategic locations and then keep an eye on the cameras throughout the night. The firm will then alert the police if someone enters the construction site.
All these home construction site security measures work to some degree. Combining a few of them can give you decent coverage, although monitored surveillance cameras provide outstanding value.
Get Professional Security Assistance
You won’t want to leave anything to chance when securing a home construction site. After all, theft or vandalism can put you behind schedule, hurting your bottom line and leaving you with unhappy clients.
Mobile Video Guard offers professional video surveillance services in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. For help with your security needs, contact us today.
