So what can you do to store materials, and cut replacement costs?

Well, while it is not possible to get every supply to your location when you want it, a great place to start is by trying to coordinate the delivery of materials with when they are going to be used. If you can successfully do this, the materials won't be on site for very long before they are used, which means they have a far smaller chance of "being misplaced" or walking away, and a lesser chance of being damaged. Coordinating such deliveries is especially important for items such as drywall and windows, as they are easily breakable. You do not want to store these items for very long, or it will cost you greatly.

For the materials you can't have delivered on schedule, you need to find a safe place to keep materials. The next thing you can do is rent a lockable storage container or trailer. This is highly important. You don't want a container that is code lockable, as codes are easy to find out, you want one that uses a key, and you want to have the only copy. You can park the container or trailer on site, and if there are certain materials that you need to store for a while, you have them protected and locked up, then each morning you can go and unlock the trailer or container for your subs, and each evening you can lock it back up. This way you don't have to worry about subs being the perpetrators of theft.

Materials do get stolen, but this is not the only way you lose money by storing materials properly. They, meaning materials and supplies can also simply be ruined by neglect. In order to not replace lots of plywood and sheathing, place it horizontally on pallets of dimensional lumber to keep it from contacting soil. Stack your lumber flat, and don't worry about unbundling it until you need to use it. This makes it harder to steal, and keeps it together, and protected until it is going to be used. You should also put visqueen over it to protect it from the elements. It is not hard to keep supplies covered, and if you don't, it is your fault.

Next, when it comes to storing materials, it is important to have them near where they will be used. You are going to want to have the materials near where they are going to be used for ease. Who wants to haul a ton of bricks to the other side of the lot? No one, so avoid this problem by storing things such as bricks and blocks on pallets placed nearby the place of use. Just have the supply delivery men place them near where they will be used.