Northern Utah contractors struggle with rising lumber thefts

WEBER COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — During a time where house prices are sky rocketing, Utah based general contractor Nilson Homes says they are seeing a spike in thefts at its construction sites.

Security video from March 30 shows a suspect stealing lumber and metal scraps from an area between Farr West and Plain city in Weber county.

This video has been watched over 100,000 times on social media.

“People can think that, ‘Oh, it’s just some lumber. It can’t cost that much money.’ Then they fill their truck with lumber and it’s $5,000 or $10,000 and they’re facing a felony,” Jed Nilson of Nilson Homes told ABC4.com. He says watching these videos makes him angry.

Plain city is also the place where the first completed starter homes were built under Gov. Spencer Cox’s starter home initiative. But Nilson says over the last year while they were under construction, this site has seen a lot of theft.

“It’s gotten to be slightly comical but a little bit sad. You’re thinking, ‘Okay, why did this person just think that they could just help themselves to somebody else’s stuff, but also why did they not realize that in 2025 there is a camera everywhere you turn,” Nilson added.

Nilson tells us one of his contractors has a one hundred percent success rate at finding the people he catches on camera.