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Property, construction and vacant site security

Construction sites, storage yards and empty buildings get targeted for specific, predictable reasons: high-value plant that can be driven away, copper and cable that can be weighed in, and long stretches of the week when nobody is watching. Property security is about controlling what leaves as much as who arrives.

Property security

Most site losses go out through the gate in daylight

It is tempting to picture site theft as a night-time break-in over a fence. A great deal of it is not. Plant, tools, cable and materials leave through the gate during working hours, in a vehicle nobody stopped, because on a busy site with dozens of subcontractors moving in and out, an unchallenged van looks exactly like every other van.

So the emphasis is on control rather than presence alone: who is signed in, what vehicles are on site, what is on the vehicle when it leaves, and whether that matches a delivery note or an authorisation. Combine that with irregular patrol timings out of hours and the two windows that actually matter are both covered.

What you receive

Written down, not assumed

Everything below is part of the service rather than an upgrade, and each item is something you can hold us to from the first shift.

  • Vehicle and personnel movement records
  • Recorded plant, tool and materials checks
  • An irregular out-of-hours patrol schedule
  • Perimeter, gate and lighting inspection logs
  • Incident reports suitable for insurers and the police
  • A named contact and written escalation order

Why it matters

Most site losses go out through the gate in daylight

It is tempting to picture site theft as a night-time break-in over a fence. A great deal of it is not. Plant, tools, cable and materials leave through the gate during working hours, in a vehicle nobody stopped, because on a busy site with dozens of subcontractors moving in and out, an unchallenged van looks exactly like every other van.

So the emphasis is on control rather than presence alone: who is signed in, what vehicles are on site, what is on the vehicle when it leaves, and whether that matches a delivery note or an authorisation. Combine that with irregular patrol timings out of hours and the two windows that actually matter are both covered.

What's included

What property security covers

Gatehouse and vehicle control

Booking vehicles and personnel in and out, checking loads against paperwork, and keeping a record that stands up when something is queried.

Plant, tool and materials checks

Recorded checks on high-value plant and stock at agreed intervals, so a loss is discovered in hours rather than at the next stock count.

Out-of-hours patrols

Irregular patrol timings across nights, weekends and shutdowns — the periods when a site stands empty and losses are largest.

Vacant and void property

Attendance at empty buildings to deter squatting, fly-tipping, metal theft and the arson risk that follows unsecured vacant premises.

Perimeter and fence-line checks

Regular inspection of fencing, hoarding, gates and lighting, because a breach found the same day is a repair and a week later is a loss.

Site induction compliance

Making sure nobody gets past the gate without the induction, PPE and paperwork your principal contractor requires.

How it runs

Four stages, agreed as we go

  1. Site and perimeter survey

    We assess the perimeter, access points, lighting, plant storage and the hours the site stands empty, and identify what is actually worth taking.

  2. Control procedures agreed

    Vehicle checks, authorisation for removals, sign-in requirements and patrol timings are agreed in writing with your site management.

  3. Deployment

    Officers are briefed on the site, the programme and the principal contractor's own rules before their first shift.

  4. Reporting through the programme

    Logs and incident reports come to your site manager on an agreed schedule, and cover is adjusted as the programme and the risk change.

Deliverables

What you actually receive

Set out here so there is no ambiguity later about what was included in the price.

  • Vehicle and personnel movement records
  • Recorded plant, tool and materials checks
  • An irregular out-of-hours patrol schedule
  • Perimeter, gate and lighting inspection logs
  • Incident reports suitable for insurers and the police
  • A named contact and written escalation order

Questions

Property Security: common questions

Can you cover a site only at nights and weekends?

Yes, and for many sites that is the sensible arrangement. Be aware that it leaves the working-day gate uncontrolled, which is where a significant share of site losses actually occur — we will say so when we survey, rather than after a loss.

Do you provide the gatehouse, lighting or CCTV towers?

Our service is the officers and the procedures around them. Temporary accommodation, towers, lighting and camera systems come from specialist hire firms, and we are happy to work alongside whoever you appoint or to tell you what the site actually needs.

What about vacant property with no power or water?

It can be attended, but the conditions change what is reasonable and what welfare provision the officer requires. We will tell you what the site needs before quoting rather than discover it on the first shift.

How quickly can cover start?

Short-notice cover is often possible. The survey is the part that cannot be skipped without lowering the standard of the service, so we will always be honest about what can be in place tomorrow versus what needs a few days.

Thinking about property security?

Tell us what you are working with and what you need it to do. You will get a straight answer and a fixed written price.