FOUR WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN PREVENT BUILDING MATERIALS FROM BEING STOLEN FROM THE SITE

I. HAVE A MATERIAL ESTIMATE OF YOUR PROJECT BEFORE HAND

Many clients wait until they get to a certain stage and start asking people for quotations.  For instance, they get close to roofing and start asking for roofing experts to give quotations, others use the referrals suggested by their friends. I have seen a scenario where by a client was referred a roofing expert by her own dad because that guy had been working for the dad in several sites. The guy quoted 600pcs of decra roofing tiles. What was left on site was 450pcs; a neighbor said he saw a lorry loading them what made them to count them. He had a very good strategy and was very trusted. It means he used to steal from the dad who never knew. He colluded with the guy who used to have the keys to the site house. Another scenario I heard it from fundis where they over-quoted iron-sheets but unfortunately the site had a gate man who inspected Lorries before leaving the gate. They ended up piling two sheets and have them as one, “Zilipigiliwa mbili mbili.” After all who will ever know that there are two sheets joined together? Don’t just do everything based on instincts and trust instead have a Qs to estimate all materials for you..just have an idea how many sheets you will need, how many tones of sand, how many stones of different sizes even before you ask for anyone’s quotation. Mind you, some may under quote and spoil quality. And do you know why using a Qs is better? Because they get nothing by hiking prices..they are paid for giving the quotations but not site work. Again I said material schedule not just BoQ. Layman can hardly understand the BoQ.

2.BE THERE WHEN LORRIES ARE OFFLOADED

Some suppliers are very unscrupulous; they will tell you they brought you 12 tonnes whereas it is 9 tonnes. Some have fishy reasons of having the depth of Lorries reduced by having a metal sheet after some level. Some do it for good reasons though…the lorry may not handle much weight and weighbridge issues. Before you learn to look at the sand or ballast and to know that is the right tonnage you asked for, do not let them offload from it anywhere but prepare a flat ground first. Just have it flattened a bit and form a simple cuboid and use the formula below.

Length in feet x Width in feet x Depth in feet (inches divided by 12). Take the total and divide by 21.6 (the amount of cubic feet in a ton). The final figure will be the estimated amount of tons required.

This is your hard earned money after all and if you act too soft you may be taken advantage of. You can also dip a stick before they offload. Refuse to pay for anything less than what you asked; it will cost you too much in the long run. Again avoid those guys who seem too low on prices…everyone else goes for 21k but him is 17k, most likely that guy is not honest and he will deliver less. Where does he get it that cheap unlike all the rest?

3.HAVE SOME SPYS AMONGST THE EMPLOYEES

Do not just add a guy to the site having not engaged him on a one on one basis. Get to learn them…there are those talkative guys who seem to give you more info than you ask…many times are talkative and like relating with bosses so much.  After sometime you can try to show them that you trust them more than the rest. Give some tips even a hundred or so and ensure each of them thinks he is alone. Let them feel favored and have them alert you when anything leaves the site and let everyone else think you have a cctv camera somewhere. Immediately do away with any thief and the rest will be well warned. Sometimes call them when there are no site works, buy some arrowroots and those farm foodstuff and give them for their families and let them think you got them from upcountry. They feel valued their boss could think of them even when he is far. You are taking care of your property sir stop being a staff, mingle with your employees. Again avoid employing all people from the same ethnic group or locality even your own..mix different ethnic groups and don’t  source them from one person.

4.DO 90% OF YOUR RESEARCH CONCERNING WHAT YOU WANT DURING AND BEFORE DESIGN STAGE.

Ensuring that you don’t implement a plan before all the necessary changes are done. Take time to do enough research of what you want during and before the design stage. Try to come up with subtopics like: wall- what material do you want for walling. What is the cost implication that comes with your choice?

Flooring: which tiles and what is the cost implication that comes with them, think on the flooring and all the possible ideas can be like terrazzo, red oxide etc

Nothing costs you much like building walls, demolishing and redoing. Just ensure that before you start construction that is what you want before starting the construction works. Let changes be very minimal on site.

A lady can do a PVC ceiling but wait until she is invited to a baby shower by a friend of the friend of her friend in Karen and she finds a well done gypsum ceiling. On Monday everything will have to pause. Gypsum has to land on site…these things happen…so kindly attend all baby showers, tea parties, funerals and weddings, sleepovers in Runda during the design stage. It does not harm to tell a designer to adjust somewhere. We are very patient by the way and all we need is just to give you the best, the house will also market us in return.

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IN NEED OF A HOUSE PLAN? Below are samples of my previous works.

This is Thangari Estate in Kenyatta road which is coming up in an interesting way. It all started with one house for one client who refers me to the neighbourhood after they like the idea of flat roof with a parapet wall. You can learn more about that from my article about cutting on costs of flat roofs.

This is 4-bedroom maisonette. Ground floor has an ensuite guest bedroom, lounge, dining, kitchen and a common toilet. The first floor 3bedrooms- master ensuite, and a study room that is shared by all.The lounge is double volume.

 Phone:   +254720918775

 Email:   dannwendo@gmail.com

This is a 4-bedroom maisonette. The ground floor has the Lounge,open kitchen, kitchen store, Dining, guest bedroom, and a common toilet.First floor has the study room, family room, three bedrooms-master ensuite with a walk-in closet and two others sharing a bathroom.

Phone:   +254720918775

Email:   dannwendo@gmail.com 

3 bedroom-master ensuite. Open kitchen, kitchen store, dining, separate common toilet.

Phone:   +254720918775

Email:   dannwendo@gmail.com

Bedrooms: 5(all ensuite-master with a jacuzzi)
Other rooms: Ground floor; sunroom, double volume lounge,kitchen, kitchen store, 2 ensuite bedrooms.
First floor: 3 ensuite bedrooms, study room, family room
Phone: +254720918775
Email: dannwendo@gmail.com

This is a 5 bedroom house standing on a 50by 70 plot size. The client did not want a big house so because he wanted the house to take a half of his plot. 3 bedrooms are ensuite.It also have a lounge, dining,kitchen, pantry, common toilet and a study room.
To know more about this plan call: 0720918775 or whatsaap 0720848528.

This is a 5 bedroom house standing on a 55 by 75 plot size. All bedrooms are ensuite. It has a spacious lounge, dinigng, kitchen, kitchen store, prayer room. The client wanted all bedrooms upstairs and the prayer room to access the balcony there the reason for front and back balconies. To know more about this plan call 0720918775 or whatsaap 0720848528