Thefts speed building

p>Stephen Beazley knows the price of not building his homes quick enough.

Like so many other business leaders in the area, Mr. Beazley, the director of construction for Bill Beazley Homes Inc., is aware his property is easy prey for thieves looking for quick cash from selling copper.

"It's a dead loss and it's hard to afford these days," Mr. Beazley said.

Thefts and damage to construction sites occur throughout the area. The rising price of copper has led burglars to strip appliances, pull out chandeliers and even rip the copper wiring from inside the walls.

The threat has prompted builders to adapt to the changes by working faster and smarter, Mr. Beazley said. Builders no longer install a home's appliances right away. Out of fear the appliances will be ripped apart for copper or stolen, they wait until the home is sold. And it's a mad dash to put wallboard on the home's walls after it's been wired for electricity.

"We have to get the wire in on Monday and Tuesday, the inspection Wednesday and the Sheetrock up by Friday so the wire's not stolen," Mr. Beazley said. "You cannot let a house that's not Sheetrocked go to the weekend."

Richmond County sheriff's Property Crimes Lt. Tony Walden said new neighborhoods can make easy targets because they are often located far away from busy roads and are typically empty until the homes have been sold.

"As quick as they can build, the people are going in and stripping the wire out of it before they can get someone living there," Lt. Walden said.

Last week, members of the Builders Association of Metro Augusta, a trade association for builders, donated $12,000 to law enforcement to purchase surveillance equipment and help cut down on the thefts. The Columbia and Richmond County sheriff's offices each received $5,000, while the Grovetown Department of Public Safety received $2,000.

Mr. Beazley, who is a member of the builders association, said builders will continue to work closely with law enforcement and hopefully put a dent in the thefts.

"It's a difficult business, but when this kind of stuff happens it makes it very costly," he said.

Reach Adam Folk at (706) 823-3339 or adam.folk@augustachronicle.com.