Source: BIG BUILDER Magazine
Publication date: October 1, 2006
By Michael Hartnett
When is the last time you walked a job site and looked at the materials that don't end up in the house? If it's been a while, take the time to do it now. An average of 8,000 pounds of waste is produced in the construction of a 2,000-square-foot house, according to various studies and experts.
That's 8,000 pounds you are paying for twice: once when you buy it and then again when you throw it away. Waste disposal costs on average 600 or 0.05 percent of total construction, according to industry estimates. And remember, that doesn't include the original costs or the costs of excess materials “salvaged” by installation crews when there are materials overages.
Most of this excess is easily recycled if there are processors near the site. There have always been good markets for cardboard, aluminum, copper, and other metals. Obviously, hazardous waste needs to be handled carefully and its disposal documented to reduce your liability.
But it would be better to reduce the pile of waste in the first place. One way is to better value engineer the home to optimize materials use. Another is to make sure installers make maximum use of materials.
Just how much savings could be eked out of keeping a better eye on installers? During a study I did for a top 10 builder several years ago, the company executive and I noticed, as we walked through an upscale development, piles of scrap molding at every house under construction.
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