If you’re getting ready to custom build your home, you may be wondering what live monitoring is and if you really need it.
Live monitoring is the process of remotely protecting you from having valuable building materials stolen from your construction site.
By hiring a specialist to protect your construction site, you have the peace of mind of knowing that your construction site has dramatically reduced risk of theft or vandalism.
How Live Monitoring Works
When you hire a live monitoring company to watch your construction site, something interesting happens. The monitoring company:
- Arranges for internet (more on that in a minute)
- Installs state-of-the-art audio and video equipment and other equipment needed to protect your property
- Continuously monitors your site for would-be thieves, vandals, and trespassers
- Uses technology to “scare off” anyone who might be up to no good
- Contacts police directly to apprehend the suspect
- Contacts you to let you know the risk has been detected—and eliminated
The beauty of live monitoring is that you’re able to watch your video feed anytime you like on either your desktop computer or your smartphone. The video feed can used as evidence of a crime and as a way of ensuring the integrity of deliveries. I know of someone who ordered 6 A/C units. When he went to the site, there were only 5. Because he had live monitoring, it was easy to determine that only 5 units had been delivered. This person was able to prove how many units had actually been delivered.
The question you must answer is, do I really need Live Monitoring?
The short answer is an unqualified yes.
You absolutely need live monitoring of your home site (assuming you don’t want your materials stolen or have to deal with the possibility of your site being vandalized).
Here are a few common questions related to live monitoring, as well as my perspective on each.
Isn’t my building site covered by insurance?
Absolutely. Here’s the challenge: Even though your site is covered by insurance, processing an insurance claim takes time. In the days or weeks it takes your insurance company to evaluate your claim, review your documentation, and cut you a check, your building project will fall behind schedule. Live monitoring reduces this risk.
Here’s a secret about insurance: it will make you whole—eventually. Insurance makes you whole with money. You will still need to locate the building materials needed to replace what is stolen. During this time, your project will grind to a halt. A delay in replacing these materials can cause of domino effect, meaning all aspects of your project can be delayed, which could be significant.
Is live monitoring expensive?
It depends on how you look at it. Overall, the cost of live monitoring is a fraction of what you might expect to spend if you were to hire a full-time security guard to keep an eye on your construction site. Another aspect to consider is whether it is worth it to you to spend some money to prevent an expensive loss (in terms of helping keep your project on schedule).
Remember, insurance will replace your building materials if they’re stolen, though it could take months to accomplish this (especially if some materials are out of stock when you try to replace them). It is better to use technology to your advantage while protecting your building materials from theft and your building site from vandalism without the high cost of live security guards.
Can’t I just install my own equipment and monitor my own property?
In theory, you could install your own equipment and monitor your own property. In practice, this idea is flawed for 2 reasons: 1. There’s a strong likelihood you lack the technical skills necessary to source and install your own monitoring equipment, and 2. You’ll find it impossible to monitor your building site 24/7/365. You DO plan to sleep at some point, don’t you?
While it is technically possible for you to install your own equipment and monitor your property, it is easy to see how impractical it would be in the real world. Here’s another thought: Assuming you did all these things, what would you do if you saw someone on your site?
Most people can only watch what is taking place, powerless to do anything about it. Live monitoring services bring a cool bonus feature: the ability to scare people off with loud sounds and alarms, followed by contacting police because of a verified threat.
This is hands-down better than anything you might hope to accomplish if you try to do it yourself.
The Larch Construction Live Monitoring Advantage
Whether you choose to have Larch Construction build your custom home or you choose to go in a different direction, I wholeheartedly endorse live monitoring as a protective measure.
You’ll have an advantage if you work with Larch Construction: there’s a single home monitoring service we give our highest recommendation. They are fantastic, economical, and worthy of your business. We will be happy to make an introduction when we get started on your project.
A Final Thought
The thoughts above are just a few of the details that go into planning custom Vancouver homes that are built to last. There are many pieces of the custom home building puzzle – budgeting, design, planning, building, and many others – that can help you make your Vancouver custom home a reality for you and your family.
When you’re ready to begin a conversation about how Larch Custom Home Construction can be a valuable resource in building your custom Vancouver home, you can reach out to us to get started.
