Rarely do you find anyone in the construction business who hasn't been victimized by "shrinkage" of tools, equipment and inventory. Most estimates peg construction theft to be a $1 billion "industry." Pilferage is estimated to add a percentage point or two to the cost of new homes and small commercial buildings.
Construction site thieves will steal anything and everything, from the lowliest hand tools to the largest mechanized equipment. The latter tends to be attractive to rings of sophisticated thieves who take advantage of jobsite security lapses. They know how to market hot equipment that honest contractors normally wouldn't want any part of-although they sometimes end up buying stolen goods inadvertently. Rogues who steal big-ticket items, such as drilling rigs or backhoes, are the construction industry's version of jewel thieves.