Waste is contrary to sound business practices. Ask any manufacturing or personnel director what limits profits and exacerbates price increases, and they’ll likely point to waste: wasted time, wasted energy, wasted material.
Why, then, has the construction industry been somewhat cavalier about dealing – or, rather, not dealing – with waste?
Construction sites small and large are notorious for a sense of barely-constrained chaos. From the jumble of dusty contractor trucks, to the endless percussion of tools, to the maelstrom of dust and bodies and cacophonous conversations, they have a messy aspect. Mostly, however, they are messy because of the piles of waste material: lumber scraps, bits of plumbing, roofing material, packaging, etc. Next to the port-a-potty, the 40 cubic yard roll-off waste container is a ubiquitous part of the construction site scenery.
The consequences for the builder, the consumer, and the planet, are obvious. Higher material costs lead to greater production costs, which lead to eye-popping prices, and home prices are one of the great, unchecked marvels of the American economy.
To make a point, let’s examine a hypothetical, 1,500 square foot, $300,000 house, built in a typical, American city. If the builder’s profit is 10 percent, then the house cost approximately $273,000 to build. Of this, contractors’ margins (labor) account for about half (this figure varies, of course, depending on the type of work). The other half, or $136,000, is in material.
If waste material accounts for 20 percent of that cost, however, our hypothetical house throws away over $12,000 in materials! Quite simply, it winds up buried in the city landfill, and the cost is passed on to you, the home buyer.
And while this probably strikes at your sense of fiscal and environmental responsibility, it is a cost rarely examined in the building industry. While many builders have enthusiastically embraced the “green” building movement (often for less-than-noble reasons), the inevitability of waste is a given as a fixed cost.
At North Star Construction, we seek to limit waste, if not eliminate it altogether. This starts with the square house floor plans, which allow the greatest useable space for a given amount of material (see Why We Build Square). Because our homes are built around the materials, you will never see a 40-yard waste container on any of our jobsites; in fact, the framing waste from a recent, 1,400 square foot project could easily fit in the trunk of a car! All our steel beams are designed to be cut from readily available lengths, straight from the mill. Our plumbing is neatly contained in one wall. What isn’t used is either recycled or carried on to the next job site.
Why, then, has the construction industry been somewhat cavalier about dealing – or, rather, not dealing – with waste?
Construction sites small and large are notorious for a sense of barely-constrained chaos. From the jumble of dusty contractor trucks, to the endless percussion of tools, to the maelstrom of dust and bodies and cacophonous conversations, they have a messy aspect. Mostly, however, they are messy because of the piles of waste material: lumber scraps, bits of plumbing, roofing material, packaging, etc. Next to the port-a-potty, the 40 cubic yard roll-off waste container is a ubiquitous part of the construction site scenery.
Why is this? While most of corporate America has enthusiastically embraced waste-eliminating programs such as Six Sigma, the construction industry is mired in a mentality that – if anything – actually encourages waste. When purchasing sheetrock, for example, the rule of thumb is to allow for up to 20 percent waste. Think about that! In virtually every other manufacturing business, throwing away 20 percent of your stock material would be ludicrous, and a prescription for bankruptcy.
According to the National Association of Home Builders, new home construction generates, on average, four pounds of waste material for every square foot of building. For a 1,500 square foot house, that's three tons of garbage!
According to the National Association of Home Builders, new home construction generates, on average, four pounds of waste material for every square foot of building. For a 1,500 square foot house, that's three tons of garbage!
The consequences for the builder, the consumer, and the planet, are obvious. Higher material costs lead to greater production costs, which lead to eye-popping prices, and home prices are one of the great, unchecked marvels of the American economy.
To make a point, let’s examine a hypothetical, 1,500 square foot, $300,000 house, built in a typical, American city. If the builder’s profit is 10 percent, then the house cost approximately $273,000 to build. Of this, contractors’ margins (labor) account for about half (this figure varies, of course, depending on the type of work). The other half, or $136,000, is in material.
If waste material accounts for 20 percent of that cost, however, our hypothetical house throws away over $12,000 in materials! Quite simply, it winds up buried in the city landfill, and the cost is passed on to you, the home buyer.
And while this probably strikes at your sense of fiscal and environmental responsibility, it is a cost rarely examined in the building industry. While many builders have enthusiastically embraced the “green” building movement (often for less-than-noble reasons), the inevitability of waste is a given as a fixed cost.
At North Star Construction, we seek to limit waste, if not eliminate it altogether. This starts with the square house floor plans, which allow the greatest useable space for a given amount of material (see Why We Build Square). Because our homes are built around the materials, you will never see a 40-yard waste container on any of our jobsites; in fact, the framing waste from a recent, 1,400 square foot project could easily fit in the trunk of a car! All our steel beams are designed to be cut from readily available lengths, straight from the mill. Our plumbing is neatly contained in one wall. What isn’t used is either recycled or carried on to the next job site.
This ethic of conservation and efficiency extends to everything we do. Because all materials are accounted for, we can make one, comprehensive order, obviating numerous trips to the lumber yard to pick up one more board, one more ventilation duct, or one more box of screws. We encourage our employees to be mindful of this “economy of scale,” too, by promoting rideshare and fostering a sense of urgency in our work. We also pride ourselves on having the cleanest, most orderly job sites in town, which encourages material efficiency through mental efficiency.
The result of all this is not just a more affordable home, but a greener and cleaner home, too.
While we could go on here about other energy efficiencies of the square house design, suffice it to say: your savings shouldn’t start when you move in.
To learn more about how you can be a part of the square house revolution, please give us a call, at 505 577-0490, or visit our web site, at http://www.nscnm.com/.
