Construction site thefts on the rise, impacting homebuyers

Police are sounding an alarm on thieves targeting new-build construction sites. One homebuilder is saying the activity has become normalized.

Construction site thefts are on the rise in Calgary, which is potentially leading to increased costs for those looking to purchase new-build homes.

“It’s adding anywhere from three to seven per cent in terms of the cost of the house,” said Michael Brown, Trico Homes President and CEO.

The Calgary Police Service is calling thefts at construction sites a concerning trend.

In 2023, there were 255 construction site thefts.

There were 308 in 2024.

And it spiked again in 2025 to 371.

“It is something we’re seeing that’s trending, and it’s fairly significant, obviously, to the homebuilders as well as to our community,” said Calgary Police Service Deputy Chief Cliff O’Brien.

Copper wire is a common housing supply thieves are targeting, but they are also going after lumber along with household appliances and other housing materials.

“We build throughout Calgary. If I sent out a note today and asked, ‘What was the most recent theft? I’m pretty confident we’d find out there was a theft over the weekend,” said Brown.

“When you’re looking at something like a set of appliances, you’re looking at almost $10,000 that is disappearing; you have to recover the cost. You look at the wiring; housing material is not that cheap.”

The Calgary Police Service said some victims might be reluctant to report stolen goods.

It’s a sentiment shared by Brown, who said theft incidents have become normalized in the industry, which is why he is speaking out.

“We’ve almost come to accept it,” said Brown.

“We’re actually not keeping track of it as well as we should, and this is part of the reason I wanted to start talking about it, because I think as builders, we have to start keeping track of it.

Commercial sites are also showing they’re on alert by enhancing security.

“They’re adding fences, they’re adding lighting, they’re adding cameras, maybe in some cases security patrols, and so they’re spending money to try and save lost money from thefts,” said Bill Black, Calgary Construction Association president and CEO.