Material waste is always occurring on construction sites. A proportion of waste is inevitable, but there is a lot of scope for reduction and minimisation in the industry. The aim of this study is to examine the current practices in materials management and control techniques amongst medium sized building contractors engaged in speculative housing in the UK, with a view to enhancing an understanding of the factors which contribute to the occurrence of unacceptably high waste on building sites.

 The study is based upon case studies of four medium house building sites in the North West of England. The study found, inter alia, that sub-contractors are the main contributors to excessive wastage on sites, and that this is most acute amongst joiners and plasterers. To ameliorate this problem, an Elemental Materials Practice Model which essentially reinforces the Just-In-Time principle of materials management is developed.