Ever stop to think that the added cost of security enhancements to your job site fence might actually REDUCE your project costs in the end? In the U.S., job site theft has skyrocketed in the last 10 years to more than $1 billion annually. From tools to materials to general vandalism, job site theft has been an increasing threat to maintaining a healthy profit margin for local contractors everywhere.
The Cost Is Not Just In Replacement
Consider this: with the rising price of copper, theft of not only bulk wire, but also appliance internals—even stripping wiring from walls adds to the total. It’s not uncommon for the vandalism damage expense to outweigh the cost of material replacement and tools more than 10-to-1. While much of this will be covered by your insurance company, there’s the risk of increased premiums and the very real cost of time loss and re-work on the project.
Job Site Theft: A Crime Of Opportunity
As with most burglaries, theft from construction sites is often merely a crime of opportunity, not a meticulously staged heist. As such, setting up simple deterrents such as appropriate lighting, concealing easily transportable tools and materials, and complicating property entry are often enough to mitigate much of the risk. As a temporary fencing company, we’ll focus on our area of expertise: preventing property entry.
As we’ve pointed out previously, every town or city will have their own construction fence ordinance—some require simply silt fence for erosion control, others orange fence, and still others, like the city of Chicago require panel fence with privacy windscreen. One thing to note is these are minimum requirements, not a recommended level of protection.
Theft Prevention Measures
With the understanding that the overwhelming majority of job site thefts occur due to opportunity, let’s look at a few deterrents that are both affordable and effective.
- Chain Link Panel Fence. This is the first layer of security fence. Adding a 6′ or 8′ tall chain link panel fence stops most casual thieves simply by eliminating convenience from the equation.
- Windscreen / Privacy Screen. By reducing the visibility of assets on property from passers-by, you greatly reduce the likelihood of a curious trespasser-turned-thief.
- Barbed Wire. A strong deterrent for the more motivated thief, barbed wire can be difficult to navigate without proper equipment and dexterity. Even the sight of barbed wire on top of a 6′ or 8′ chain link fence is enough to encourage would-be thieves to move along to seek out an easier target.
While there is an added expense to enhancing your construction fence beyond what town ordinance dictates, the trade-off might be too great of a cost both monetarily and in time lost. If you’re looking for a way to better protect your tools, material, project from trespassers and job site theft, give us a call to discuss our many options for security your project and put your mind at ease. (630) 543-7990.
