Proving security on a construction site: what owners and insurers ask for

Construction sites are most exposed when the trades go home: weekday nights and weekends, when materials and equipment sit on an open site. Many sites pay for guards through those hours. Fewer can show, afterwards, exactly what those hours covered.

Why documentation matters

Security firms in the GTA note that many contractor insurance policies require documented security presence to keep theft or vandalism coverage. Owners and lenders ask similar questions after an incident. "A guard was on site" is a claim; a record of where and when is evidence. Ask your broker exactly what your policy requires.

What a useful record shows

A typical site contract splits the night into slots, for example 6 PM to 6 AM in 90-minute slots on weekdays, and around the clock on weekends. A record worth having answers, for every slot:

• Was it patrolled? Fully, partly, or not at all.
• Which areas were reached? Every checkpoint on the route, and which were missed.
• What was the longest unwatched stretch? The single number that tells you most about exposure.
• When was each round filed? A round is credited to the slot in which it was actually walked, not when the paperwork was submitted.

What changed on one site

On an 11-storey, 350-unit residential construction site in Ontario, the builder recorded 12 break-ins before ARMS. With ARMS in place, the record showed that contracted rounds were not being completed, and three more incidents followed. The builder changed security providers. The new team completed 100% of rounds every day, and there have been no break-ins since. The builder now uses ARMS whenever security is on site.

Where to start

Pick one site and run it for 90 days. The first month sets the baseline: slots covered, gaps and the longest unwatched stretch. After that, the record either confirms your coverage or shows exactly where it is missing.

This article is general information, not legal or insurance advice.

Break-ins from 12 to zero