How to prevent the theft of building mixes and paintwork materials from an object: 2 simple ways to control

During the renovation or construction of a new facility, two unpleasant surprises can be expected from builders.

• First: a larger amount of material will be included in the estimate, and unused remains will be taken out.
• Second: the purchased mixtures, and especially the expensive ones, will be replaced with cheaper ones from other objects.

All this is called theft and no one is immune from such a development of events. What can be done in such cases, our interlocutor Oleg will tell.

Problem

During my life, I have come across repair and construction more than once. These events are always accompanied by the purchase of a large number of building materials. And where there is a lot of material values ​​and there is no proper control, there is a temptation to steal.

Here's a final example. Reconstructed an apartment with an area of ​​68 sq. meters. The work involved a large amount of screed, plaster, putty, self-leveling floor, tile laying. In total, over 350 bags of various mixtures were used for this facility. But the builders cheated and took out more than 30 bags of different building mixtures, and instead of them they brought empty bags from the mixtures of the same brands. Reported! But it turned out.

After all, if an unfamiliar team is working, you do not know what to expect from it. Builders can swap mixtures or take out the surplus and sell them a little cheaper at another facility. In my practice, this has happened more than once. There was even a case when an expensive mixture was repacked right at the facility and a cheap one was poured instead. The bags were neatly sealed. The dear one, of course, was taken out. But this was also revealed.

Unscrupulous builders can be sophisticated in different ways, but the result of these actions is always the same - losses. And it is very difficult to deal with this, especially if you do not understand anything about construction. You can, of course, put a camera on the site, but this is not always a way out - either there is no Internet, then there is electricity. Still, a method of control was found. It was recommended to me by a builder I know.

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Two ways to solve the problem

• First. To prevent builders from counting too much in order to warm their hands on your materials, invite two different teams to draw up an estimate. Let's say you need a kitchen renovation. The builders you invited made up an estimate and indicated in it, for example, 15 bags of building mixtures, 20 liters of primer and 10 kg of paint. The next day, invite another construction company or crew and ask them for a quote. If the amount of materials specified in both estimates is approximately the same, then you are not being deceived. If it differs greatly - ask the question "Why so?" and draw conclusions who is trying to deceive you. All this pleasure is free, since no money is charged for drawing up a preliminary estimate.
• But the second method of control requires the purchase of a marker. When you import materials (cement, dry building mixtures, paintwork materials, grout - in general, everything is in packaging), be sure to number and sign the bags / cans / cans and demand delivery after work empty containers. For example, 20 bags of cement were brought to the object and you marked them with a number and signature. Further, after completing the required amount of work, ask the builders to report for this cement, namely, hand over the bags you marked. Believe me, the surplus, if any, will remain with you!

These two simple ways will save you from overspending and possible theft of building materials from the site.

How do you control builders? Write in the comments!

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