The 9 Wastes Bleeding Your Building Business (I SWORE OUT)
Every building business has nine types of waste bleeding money. Most builders can name two or three. Here's all nine — with real examples from the construction industry.
I SWORE OUT
The acronym that captures all nine wastes:
I — Inventory
Ordering three heat pumps because bulk was cheaper. Now stored on site at risk of damage, warranty ticking away.
S — Space
Needing a bigger shed to store stuff you "might use." Space costs money — and clutter hides waste.
W — Waiting
Pre-construction that should take 12 weeks but takes 12 months. Trades waiting for materials, approvals, or the previous trade to finish.
O — Over-processing
Checking the checker who's checking the checker. Doing more work than the specification requires.
R — Rework
Wrong door colour on a $4M house. $20K+ to fix because a supplier changed their website. Same name, different colour.
E — Excessive Motion
Walking to the trailer six times a day. Every walk = $2–3/min of zero value added.
O — Over-producing
Starting work before you have all the information. Building ahead of quality checks.
U — Unused Creativity
Your team has ideas. You're not listening. This is the most powerful waste — free money you're leaving on the table.
T — Transport
Moving materials twice. Driving to Bunnings when delivery would save hours.
Start With One
You can't eliminate all waste on a building site. But you can learn to see it. Pick the one waste that frustrates you most — and start there.
About the Author
Luke Davies
Luke is the founder of Davies Design & Construction and author of Dream Home. He writes about home design philosophy, lean construction, and building businesses that put people first.
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