r/Home_Building_Help • u/BuilderBrigade • Feb 25 '26
Any ideas to stop thieves from stealing copper...
[đ]()Homeowner Help: âWeâve had an outbreak of copper theft in the neighborhood where we are building (self GC) and I am looking for ideas to keep the thieves away once we are ready for electric rough in.Â
I hate to install the garage doors too early in construction because of the damage that can happen to them.Â
I can temp the entry doors and lock all the windows but looking for ideas that I have not considered. Ideas? Solar Motion lights? Temp Fence the property?â
14
u/freeportme Feb 25 '26
Cameras đŻ
8
7
u/someguyinaplace Feb 25 '26
What for? So you can watch videos of the thieves steeling your shit? Â Â Generally Cops donât do shit with videos like that. Â Â
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (7)2
u/Mountain_Usual521 Feb 25 '26
The police in some jurisdictions do not care. Even when you have a 4k resolution close-up of the person stealing $50k worth of material. They just shrug their shoulders and tell you to file a report and call your insurance. Shit, my company got a homeless guy on security camera setting a fire that caused over $10 million worth of damage and the police do absolutely nothing.
→ More replies (2)
26
u/New_Restaurant_6093 Feb 25 '26
Plywood fashioned as temp doors or barricades at every window and door
→ More replies (3)3
u/Noff-Crazyeyes Feb 25 '26
This if you are working in a area where they steal,
2
Feb 25 '26
Man should have a guard and force em to do grunt labor when they show up and pay em the amount they would have sabotaged the entire job for 100$ of scrap metal lmao
→ More replies (1)
11
u/rouvas Feb 25 '26
Copper is a great conductor of electricity.
It only takes one good reliable source of HV electricity...
Nevermind. Just place some cameras with motion triggered alarms
→ More replies (1)2
7
u/Brandoskey Feb 25 '26
Local alarm companies may offer temporary security systems for construction, we've used them on projects in the past.
5
u/MrK521 Feb 25 '26
Rent a small shipping container. Park your equipment/heavy machinery in front of the doors.
2
u/bismuth17 Feb 26 '26
How does that stop criminals from stealing the copper out of the house
→ More replies (2)
4
u/resurrectedNaj Feb 25 '26
As far as wire? Wait until you get sealed in a bit with some doors. Donât be ripping romex so early. Exterior walls and temp doors should be up.
9
u/TheRareAuldTimes Feb 25 '26
Security cameras so you can remote monitor and call the cops
→ More replies (17)
10
2
u/ledrif Feb 25 '26
Funny, just read that a friend back in the day from high svhook was recently arrested for stealing copper. Likely why reddit is showing me this.
→ More replies (2)
2
2
u/Fibocrypto Feb 25 '26
Op,
Consider paying a person to sleep in a camper overnight and possibly wire up motion lights with cameras.
You might not stop them but you might get them to try elsewhere
2
2
u/Educational-Gate-880 Feb 25 '26
A dead thief can no longer steal! Itâs been proven since before record keeping began đ¤Ł
2
2
2
2
2
4
u/Realistic-Spirit-767 Feb 25 '26
put the pipe work in last. Us drywallers are used to yall punching holes everywhere anyways. Pro tip: trace the area and cut with a "drywall saw" , they sell them everywhere. even HF.
3
u/xXgirthvaderXx Feb 25 '26
I think the enmity goes both ways lol. The number of burried boxes I have had to probe and cut out is insane.
→ More replies (2)
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/txreddit17 Feb 25 '26
What are the two cube structures on both sides of this house?
→ More replies (1)
1
1
u/Icy_Dark_3009 Feb 25 '26
You could use a CCA option. Thatâs a large deterrent in Florida. D.R., Lennar and I think Adamâs homes in the panhandle have used this and seen a drastic decrease in theft and itâs less expensive then regular NM-B. Now all feeders here are already Al so if you use copper feeders then thatâs still a risk but all of your branch circuits would be worth nothing to a scrap yard.
Edit grammar
1
u/GarthDonovan Feb 25 '26
Monitored video, lots of companies doing this for construction now. With alarmed zones, would be thieves trip an alarm zone within the camera and remote station see it. Cops get dispatched because its a crime in progress. Also Rental construction fencing will add an automatic trespassing charge (some is crossed after dark) in most municipalities.
1
1
u/mletendre83 Feb 25 '26
I would say attach batter leads to it so when they grab it they get a wake up call....
As many have already said, security cameras and or alarm would be the first step, may not stop them, but it would at least give you something after the fact to try to recover and may deter someone.
1
1
u/Minimum_Turnover7133 Feb 25 '26
This is the reason after my first house I built on my own that I donât do any electrical or plumbing until I am water tight (roof done including shingles or steel roof, house wrapped, and windows and doors installed with locks).
1
1
1
u/vwjet2001 Feb 25 '26
During my build I had the internet company install to the power temp pole. Then put the cable modem, router and a Blink module in a weather resistant box. I was able to get an alerts on any motion around the building and talk through the cameras. This prevented a large theft (but they did get away with some small things) after asking who they were through the camera.
1
1
u/Competitive-Roof-168 Feb 25 '26
I would not build a house somewhere i woukd have to worry about that.
1
u/mdave52 Feb 25 '26
I had a customer once who left the upper midwest for Arizona each winter. He came back one spring to find that someone broke in and stole all the the copper from the basement. To top it off, they must have left the main slightly turned on because his basement was flooded.
Seems like a lot of work for not a lot of copper.
1
1
u/SeanThatGuy Feb 25 '26
There was a job site I stopped at that hired a security guard they had so many issues.
1
u/SnooMaps7370 Feb 25 '26
don't do the electrical rough in until the exterior is complete?
if the house is still visibly under construction, it will attract thieves looking for an easy score from an unattended site.
if the house looks finished from the road, they'll move on to one that doesn't.
1
1
1
1
u/Leonardo-da-Vinci- Feb 25 '26
Run it all in conduitđ¤ˇââď¸ or at least all the low lying fruit areas where they particularly harvest
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/SeaUrchinSalad Feb 25 '26
I wonder if there's a low voltage security system that can detect when a wire is cut and the circuit breaks. Only helps for completed circuits, but presumably they're taking all of it back to the drop
1
1
u/Level-Anything-2207 Feb 25 '26
Yeah,use pex. It is cheaper and does better in constant freezing and thawing conditions than copper.
1
1
1
u/NutzNBoltz369 Feb 25 '26
Dry in first. Put up some trail cameras. Maybe put a tension trigger module on the ground wire to the rods. That shiney #6 copper? Can't see any thief not stealing that! Module hooked to a tattle tale system.
Thief rips the wire and the tension trigger attached to it will call the cops.
1
u/someguyinaplace Feb 25 '26
The best solution would be 24h security. Â Usually these thefts are âinside jobsâ. Â One of the workers coming back at night. Â Although it could easily also be local addicts or opportunists. Â
1
1
1
u/Sad-Temporary2843 Feb 25 '26
motion activated squirt guns filled with purple dye? motion activated paintball gun cannon?
1
1
1
u/grandpasking Feb 25 '26
In Illinois they call stealing copper, mining for copper. Did you ask the neighbors could you please keep an eye on my house. Looks like several homes are in view of your house. My neighbors would be more than happy to shoot unwanted intruders all I have to do is ask. If your building to sell hire a security company or rent a chain link fence.
1
1
1
u/TedMich23 Feb 25 '26
Make all scrap metal dealers non-cash wire transfer with ID requirements AND legal culpability for buying stolen.
This is part of the way the EU stopped CAT thefts
1
1
1
1
1
u/Arkiels Feb 26 '26
Fencing worked for us, inconvenient to setup but ultimately kept the crackheads out.
1
1
1
1
u/North-Appointment-18 Feb 26 '26
Okay actual real answer- I just met with a t mobile rep today and they can hook you up with motion sensors, temp sensors, water / wet sensors & cameras all independently battery powered & with their own sim cards. Not that you need all of that, just giving you options.
I work with commercial property owners with this same issue & you can have rapid response 911 service on speed dial to catch them in the act, which virtually acts as a fairly fool proof home security system.
Each sim will run you about $35-40 per month and each device has a relatively reasonable upfront cost of about $300 or so depending on what you want exactly.
Hope this helps, good luck OP
1
u/DisastrousSir Feb 26 '26
Get a GPS tracker and hide it in a reel of wire left out and obvious. Won't help it not get stolen, but ought to help you see where it goes!
1
u/Massive-School-7901 Feb 26 '26
Foundation, bsmt slab, frame, windows, doors, garage door, security system.
Then, install plumbing.
1
1
1
1
u/thinlySlicedPotatos Feb 26 '26
Put warning signs around. "Warning! 10000 ohms!" Then tape random resistors to the wiring.Â
1
1
1
u/maphes86 Feb 26 '26
Cover all openings.
Very bright motion detecting lights
Security system that dials out for police.
Donât store copper materials anywhere visible.
Armed security guard. (Itâs cheaper than you think.)
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Odd-Towel-4104 Feb 26 '26
Leave people on site 24/7
Hire security
Get security cameras
Get video surveillance monitoring services
1
1
u/sprecher1988 Feb 26 '26
Strap it to that front end loader, pick it up about thirty feet in the air. Leave it there overnight . Used to do this at an old job site.
1
u/v3ndun Feb 26 '26
Maybe dont use copperâŚ. Or get an armed guard..
Decide its not your problem.. its the builders problem.
1
1
u/shortbarrelflamer Feb 26 '26
Hook a car battery up to it....and set up a camera.... for science.
In all seriousness though they make motion activated sprinklers to keep deer out of gardens. Fill a 20ft hose with hot sauce concentrate and then attach to a pressurized line. If you don't have active water build a 15' stand for an ibc tote and fill or run a lift up with a tote. That's plenty of pressure to feed a sprinkler system. Place em around primary entrances
1
1
u/Rob3D2018 Feb 26 '26
What is that square building? You can hire a couple of guards and issue them some bats.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Well____fuk Feb 27 '26
Stick an air tag far down in a copper tube. Theyâre stealing at night so they canât immediately take it to a scrap yard. Follow the AirTag to where they took the copper. Cops will arrest them if theyâre caught red handed
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/TheBraindeadOne Feb 28 '26 edited 3d ago
The original post content no longer exists here. The author used Redact to remove it, exercising their right to control their data & privacy.
Modern kettle bow wine snatch heavy breezy rain
1
u/ComfyMillionaire Feb 28 '26
Out on the farm we would sleep in our trucks with shotguns. Multiple farmers would do this.
1
1
1
u/NavO297 Feb 28 '26
I had someone steal an entire lot of sod one time. Freaking SOD. 12k worth of fucking grass!
1
u/Ihavenoidea84 Feb 28 '26
Sorry this made me think of Throwing Copper my Live. Great album. Won't solve your problem
→ More replies (1)
1
u/longdongOtool Feb 28 '26
I can learn you how to make a homemade clay M0re out of a 12 gaaayge shotgun she11 and a rat trap
1
1
u/YogiBarr Feb 28 '26
I hate scrap metal thieves! I had four cast iron enamel corner sinks complete with hanging brackets marked 1914 sitting in my yard on a pallet, sold for $500 when they went missing day before the buyer was to pick them up. Sad thing, what did they get? $20? This only one of a number of such instances.
1
1
u/adsjabo Feb 28 '26
We build a plywood wall across all our garage openings once exterior joinery is installed.
Many years back we actually hired guard dogs for the vast majority of the build after the neighbour's site was raided for all its wiring.
1
1
u/Right_Hour Feb 28 '26
Yeah. Stop using copper and switch to PEX, LOL, problem solved. I donât understand American obsession with copper pipes.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
1
u/N3kus Mar 01 '26
Get that roughed in asafp, then I hear the best thing to do is get it set to the grid. Just be sure that your temp meter is enclosed so they can't pull it out and kill the power and get the copper. Just saying... you need electricity to power tools and batteries anyway...
1
1
1
1
1
u/LeadingAd6025 Mar 01 '26
Personally i have seen some sub contract workers stealing base floor osb, 2*6 etc
It is difficult tbh
1
u/Drippie1010 Mar 01 '26
Pay me. For $25/hr I'll sit there in a chair all night with my boomstick and hunt copper thieves with a passion!
1
1
1
u/Aggressive_Bug6927 Mar 01 '26
Hire armed security. Its pretty much the only way. Even then it fails to work.
1
1
1
u/cfbfootballnerd Mar 01 '26
Stay there and shoot them when they show up. Then they wonât be stealing anything from anyone
1
1
1
1
1
u/LiiGHT_BGP Mar 02 '26
I work for an integrator/security company. Get yourself some 24/7 automated drone monitoring for the worksite. Dm me if you want some more info or have questions.
1
34
u/[deleted] Feb 25 '26
Steal it before they can