ABSTRACT
Some degree of waste of materials is inevitable in the construction process. All estimators allow wastage factors in pricing a bill of quantities. Experience shows, however, that unless site management control is tight, wastage can frequently exceed, often by a large margin, the figure allowed in the tender. With most of the building trade's work sub-let, today, the control of materials is made much more difficult, except where bulk materials buying is still done by the main contractor. Nevertheless, main contractor or subcontractor, financial benefit can be obtained by establishing control procedures to avoid excessive waste. At a time of financial difficulty when competition is fierce, any savings that can be achieved must be desirable.
