Job site theft and security issues have risen dramatically since the COVID pandemic. According to numbers released by The Chartered Institute of Building, 92% of construction projects in the United Kingdom are affected by theft and vandalism, costing the construction industry upwards of £400 million a year.
Construction site managers and owners in the United States report similar numbers, with construction consulting firm Neuroject estimating jobsite-crime-related losses ranging from $300 million to one billion dollars in 2024 alone.
To help deter and detect theft and vandalism, and catch the perpetrators when problems do arise, more and more project owners are implementing jobsite security webcams that make their projects safer and more secure.
But the world of security cameras is not always simple to navigate or understand. So we sat down with Brett Feemster, Multivista’s Director of National Accounts and Sr. Regional Partner in Savannah, Georgia.
“In my region, there are a lot of builder’s risk requirements that have only come out in the past two years,” says Brett, a company leader in setting up jobsite webcams. “Everyone is dealing with different builder’s risk carriers, so we sit down together and work out what is their best option to suit their specific requirements.”
Here’s what else Brett had to say about selecting and setting up construction webcams for security, and beyond:
Choosing a construction webcam solution
There are a lot of risk carriers in the construction space, Brett explains, and a lot of variety in what they require from project teams. Some carriers require two cameras, and others want 12. Some need full-time security monitoring, and others need additional strobe-and-speaker systems.
“The first step,” he says, “is just helping people clearly understand exactly what coverage they need.”
Often, Brett can provide more than just answers. Many project owners and general contractors don’t realize they can use security cameras that include the benefits of regular construction webcams as well.
“Live-monitored cameras can fulfill the security requirements,” he says. “But for the build teams, being able to compare progress photos side by side, verify work hours or equipment on site, or track hard-hat and high-vis vest usage just adds functional value to the entire system. A lot of times our webcam packages end up providing more benefits at a lower cost, especially compared to the prices security-only firms charge.”
The benefits of a local jobsite webcam provider
Brett also stresses to his clients the added value of working with local providers.
“If there is a team right in town who sets everything up correctly and can be there quickly if something goes wrong, that is huge.”
As an example, Brett cited a recent client who had all five of their cameras damaged during a break-in.
“Someone had come on site Friday evening, cut all the wires to their cameras, and stolen the batteries. With a local provider, all the equipment was replaced right away, and we got the cameras back up and running on Monday. Then we pulled the logged footage from right before the cameras went down and identified a sub-contractor who’d come on site, stolen some tools, and looked right into the camera before he disconnected them.”
Case closed. And this example is far from a one-off.
“I’ve been in construction reality capture here in Savannah for more than fifteen years,” Brett says, “In that time, law enforcement has reached out to use our webcam footage a dozen times. Ten of those instances have been in the last two years.”
Construction webcams: more than just security monitoring
As part of the Hexagon Building Solutions family, Brett works with partners at OxBlue to provide his clients with full-service, cutting-edge cameras and solutions that include:
- 24/7 real-time monitoring or customizable monitoring hours
- Live agent monitoring and alert verification
- Motion detection
- Emergency dispatch services
- Pan-Tilt-Zoom or static-cam capabilities
- Strobe light, sirens, and talk-down options
- On-demand access from any Wi-Fi or cellular-connected device
- Still-image progress archiving and time-lapse capture
- AI-powered project and site analysis reports
“There are a lot of options available,” Brett reiterates. “And obviously, you don’t want to be sending out 911 calls if it is just a deer or a rabbit on site. Or setting up a system that can be moved to the next project when a build is finished. My job is to help find the solution that works best for every individual client I work with. To me, that is the real common thread—local solutions for my community.”
To learn more about the webcam solutions—for security of general construction—available in your area today, reach out for a consultation or demo.
