As you’re always looking for ways to improve your construction company’s profits, one key area to be diligent is preventing waste. Waste comes in many forms. Of course, there’s material waste, but there’s also waste that comes from inefficiencies and lost productivity. And all of it eats into your profits. Plus, it can jeopardize your project schedule, negatively affect perception of your work and brand, and—in cases of material waste—be bad for the environment. So, there are plenty of reasons to be proactive about reducing waste at the construction site.
Below are some tips for reducing waste at the construction site that cover various types of waste. They might not all touch on areas where you have room for improvement, but there are certainly some that can benefit any construction company.
Preventing Waste During Construction Work
- Involve the people who will be performing the work—including subcontractors—when creating project plans.
- Always be on the lookout for ways to boost productivity at the job site.
- Have highly trained supervisors and managers keeping on eye on all aspects of the work.
- Be diligent about ordering correct quantities of materials. Double check all the measurements, math, and orders.
- Be careful to get the right size materials, too. When you have to cut down the lumber, drywall, pipes, etc., the excess is likely to go to waste.
- Encourage excess materials to be used rather than tossed out.
- Recycle and reuse anything you safely and effectively can.
- Store all materials and equipment properly, taking care to protect it from the elements it needs protecting from.
- Seek out products that come with minimal packaging.
- Be proactive about preventing workers from getting stuck waiting around at the construction site.
- Reduce fuel consumption on the job and have a smart strategy for heavy equipment fluid management.
- Watch out for unnecessary transport of heavy equipment.
- Take steps to prevent rework on construction jobs that can seriously cut productivity, waste considerable money on labor and materials, and hold up the project.
- Be deliberate about implementing lean construction practices at your company.
