A construction site stays an open space, full of materials and machines, often deserted at night and at weekends. In the Hérault, this combination attracts a specific kind of crime: theft of copper and cables, the disappearance of power tools, the diversion of machinery, deliberate vandalism, and sometimes the unlawful occupation of buildings under construction.
The cost is not limited to the missing equipment. A cable theft sends an electrical package back to square one, pushes back delivery and triggers late penalties. This article details the real risks of a construction site in Montpellier and the Hérault, then the guarding measures that reduce exposure, from the simplest to the most complete.
What really gets stolen on a construction site
Copper comes first. Cables, conduits, coils, plumbing pipes: metal resells quickly and is easy to carry. A site in the fitting-out phase, with its electrical and HVAC packages delivered, concentrates significant value in a few square metres of storage.
Next come tools and small machinery. Hammer drills, generators, welding sets, compactors, mini-excavators: mobile, identifiable, sought-after equipment. Vandalism forms a third strand, less publicised but costly: graffiti, broken glazing, displaced formwork, sabotaged networks.
Unlawful occupation closes the list. A weathertight, accessible building can be taken over in a few days. The eviction procedure that follows ties up the site far longer than the intrusion itself.
- Metals: copper, electrical cables, copper and stainless steel pipes
- Power tools and mobile workstations
- Light machinery: generators, compactors, mini-excavators
- Fuel in machinery tanks
- High-value stored materials: taps and fittings, joinery, slabs
The most exposed periods and configurations
The risk is not constant. It rises at night, at weekends and over long weekends, when the site is empty and no one comes by for two or three days. Summer holidays and the end-of-year season stretch these windows, just as the teams across the department pack up.
The phase matters as much as the calendar. Structural work attracts less than fitting-out, where the technical packages are delivered and installed. A poorly fenced site, on the edge of a business zone or bordering a residential area, offers discreet entry points.
Location also plays a part. Between Montpellier, Béziers, Sète and the Hérault coastal strip, the density of projects and the proximity of fast roads make it easy to move stolen goods. Daytime scouting often precedes a night-time visit.
- Nights, weekends, long weekends and holiday periods
- Fitting-out phase, after delivery of the technical packages
- Sites at the edge of urban areas or poorly lit
- Multiple poorly controlled accesses or incomplete fencing
The security measures that work
The first barrier is physical. A solid, continuous fence, locked accesses and a single entry point already limit opportunistic intrusions. Storage matters: grouping metals and tools in a locked container, and draining fuel from tanks at the end of the week, shrinks the target.
Human presence adds the deterrence that equipment alone lacks. A security officer on site at night, patrols scheduled at varying times, access control of workers during the day: these measures deal with the intrusion as it happens, not the next morning over a theft report.
Technology complements people without replacing them. Perimeter detection, video and motion-triggered lighting reinforce surveillance, provided that an alarm is followed by a doubt-removal check. An alert with no response on the ground stops no one.
- Continuous fence, single locked access, container storage
- Security officer on a night post and during high-risk slots
- Patrols at unpredictable times, interior and perimeter
- Access control of companies and temporary workers during the day
- Video and detection coupled with a real doubt-removal check
Organising guarding according to the site phase
A useful arrangement adapts to progress. During structural work, lighter surveillance by patrols may be enough if the fence holds and the stored value stays low. The move to fitting-out justifies a stronger presence, often a continuous night guard, because the delivered packages change the scale of what is at stake.
Sensitive phases deserve particular attention: major deliveries, the weathertight period, the final weeks before handover. Setting the service level on these moments avoids paying for a permanent guard from the first day to the last.
Sharing information between the works manager and the provider improves the outcome. Delivery schedule, known weak points, past incidents: these elements guide the patrols and the officer's positioning. A detailed logbook records every visit and every anomaly.
TMG Sécurité Privée on Hérault construction sites
TMG Sécurité Privée operates in-house across the whole of the Hérault, in Montpellier, Béziers, Sète, Agde and the towns of the department. In the Bouches-du-Rhône, around Marseille and Aix-en-Provence, assignments are coordinated through a network of approved partners. The switchboard answers 24/7, with email replies within four hours.
The company holds a CNAPS operating authorisation (AUT-034-2124-12-03-20231012588) and a manager's approval. The officers deployed on sites hold a valid professional licence card. The arrangement is built with the client: night guard, patrols, access control and reporting, sized according to the phase and the site's exposure.
- In-house coverage in Montpellier and across the whole Hérault
- Bouches-du-Rhône through a network of approved partners
- Switchboard 24/7, email reply within four hours
- Quote tailored to the phase and configuration of the site
