Construction Site Theft Costs German Firms Millions in Delays
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Föhren – September 11, 2026 -- Machinery, tools, cabling and building materials worth millions of euros disappear from German construction sites every year, with unsecured storage areas, containers and sites staffed by rotating crews among the most frequent targets.
Stolen equipment triggers costs that exceed the theft itself
"A stolen excavator costs money, but a halted construction project often costs many times more. That is exactly what many companies underestimate," said Carsten Simons, managing director of LivEye GmbH. Missing machinery halts planned work, while stolen cabling or components force crews to redo completed tasks, pushing back subsequent trades and delivery deadlines.