Copper Theft Is Surging at Seattle and Tacoma Construction Sites

Washington Leads the Nation in Copper Theft. That's Not an Exaggeration.

Lumen Technologies, one of the largest telecom providers in the country, reported 350 copper theft incidents in Washington state in 2025, up from 146 in 2024. That is a 140% year-over-year increase. And here's the part that should concern every contractor in the Puget Sound: Washington is the state where Lumen sees more copper theft than any other state in the U.S.

It's not just telecom networks getting hit. WSDOT recorded 30 copper theft incidents in the Seattle metro area through May 2025, spending $500,000 and 1,200 employee hours on repairs before the year was even halfway over. Seattle City Light dealt with more than 40 streetlight copper thefts in a single year, with damage exceeding $1 million. Seventy-one streetlights on the West Seattle Bridge alone went dark because thieves pried open curbside handholes and cut the underground wiring.

A Comcast security manager told Washington state senators the situation has "risen to a crisis level." Nationally, the FCC documented 9,770 incidents of network vandalism in just the first half of 2025, up from 5,700 the previous six months. One quarter of all line-cutting thefts in North America occur in Oregon and Washington, according to KIRO 7 reporting.

And construction sites are right in the middle of it. Unlike utility lines that take specialized knowledge to access, a construction site in the rough-in phase is an open buffet: thousands of feet of fresh copper wiring installed in walls that haven't been closed yet, copper plumbing staged for installation, HVAC coils sitting on rooftops. All accessible, all valuable, all difficult to secure with conventional methods.

Why Now: Tariffs, Scrap Prices, and a Perfect Storm

Copper theft isn't new to Washington. But the scale of what's happening in 2025-2026 is different, and three converging forces explain why.

The 50% Tariff Changed the Math

On August 1, 2025, a 50% tariff on semi-finished copper imports took effect under a Section 232 Presidential Proclamation. The tariff covers pipes, wires, rods, sheets, tubes, and derivative products like cables and electrical connectors. The producer price index for copper and brass mill shapes climbed 11.8% between December 2024 and December 2025, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

That price pressure flows in both directions. Contractors are paying more for copper materials. And thieves are getting more for stolen copper at scrap yards. COMEX copper futures hit $5.73 per pound in mid-February 2026, with intra-week prices climbing above $5.90. Bare bright copper scrap is trading at $3.50 to $3.70 per pound at Pacific Northwest recyclers. A thief who strips 200 pounds of wire from a construction site in 15 minutes walks away with $700-$740 in scrap value. The damage they leave behind costs the contractor $10,000 to $50,000 to fix.

Construction Spending Is at Record Levels

The Puget Sound is in the middle of a generational construction wave. The Revive I-5 project is bringing months of highway construction through 2026. The Sound Transit East Link Extension opens March 28 with ongoing construction. The FRED310 development near Tacoma is adding nearly 4 million square feet in Frederickson. Every one of these projects means copper sitting on jobsites overnight. For organized theft operations, the Tacoma-Seattle corridor is a target-rich environment. More on the broader theft picture in our construction theft data report.

Law Enforcement Is Outmatched

Property crime investigation resources at both Seattle PD and Tacoma PD are stretched thin. When a construction site reports copper theft on a Monday morning, the trail is typically 36-60 hours cold. Without surveillance footage, there is nothing actionable for detectives to work with. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has acknowledged the shift from catalytic converter theft to copper wire theft as the property crime of choice.

Real Incidents, Real Numbers: What's Happening Locally

These are documented incidents from the Tacoma-Seattle area in the past 18 months. None of this is hypothetical.

Ballard Construction Site: $40,000 in Copper, Zero Arrests

Between summer 2025 and New Year's Eve, thieves repeatedly hit a seven-story apartment building under construction in the 5600 block of 20th Ave NW in Ballard. They climbed over a wall during holidays when crews were absent and stripped approximately $40,000 worth of industrial power cables and copper wiring. On December 31, three suspects were observed climbing the wall and taking 10 power cables before fleeing on foot.

The construction company had installed GPS tracking devices inside the wiring. On January 8, 2026, police executed a search warrant on two suspect vehicles and recovered hundreds of pounds of stolen wire, digital scales, cash, and drugs including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. Despite the recovery, no arrests were made. The investigation remains open.

I-5 Express Ramp Shutdown: A Week of Chaos

On May 25, 2025, copper wire theft disabled ramp meters on I-5 northbound from I-90 in Seattle. Without the meters, congestion worsened for more than a week. Along SR-167, SR-18, and SR-518, Washington State Patrol detectives sought public help after copper theft from WSDOT junction boxes in King County exceeded $100,000 in combined wire, tools, and damage.

Comcast Network Down: Thousands Without Service in Pierce County

In April 2024, intentional vandalism to Comcast's overhead cable lines in Tacoma and Pierce County knocked out internet, video, and phone services for thousands of homes and businesses. Thieves were cutting coaxial and fiber optic cables to harvest the copper inside.

Granite Falls Fish Ladder: $250,000 in Environmental Damage

In October 2024, copper wire thieves put the Granite Falls Fish Ladder out of service, disabling the automated gate system. Repair costs exceeded $250,000. The facility enables Chinook salmon and steelhead to access 57 miles of critical spawning habitat. The theft jeopardized fish runs that serve as key prey for endangered southern resident killer whales.

King County Crackdown: The $2,776 Score That Cost Tens of Thousands

In a case that illustrates the absurd economics of copper theft, a Renton man was charged with felony theft after selling 766 pounds of stolen copper wire across five transactions to a Tacoma scrap business for $2,776. The damage he caused to Comcast and Lumen networks ran into the tens of thousands of dollars. That is the multiplier effect in action: for every dollar of copper stolen, victims face 10 to 50 times that amount in repair, downtime, and insurance costs.

The Legislature Tried to Act. Both Bills Failed.

Two bills introduced during the 2025-2026 Washington legislative session attempted to address the copper theft crisis. Neither made it out of committee.

House Bill 2213

Sponsored by Representatives Ryu, Leavitt, Bronoske, Goodman, and Reeves, HB 2213 would have required scrap metal recyclers to photograph nonferrous metal and upload images to a database approved by Washington State Patrol. It proposed a 10-day holding period before recyclers could sell scrap, eliminated cash payments in favor of checks or electronic transfers, and created a "critical infrastructure crime reduction unit" to investigate metal theft. The bill failed to advance out of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Business.

Senate Bill 6190

Sponsored by Sen. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines), SB 6190 would have created a new felony for "destruction of critical communications infrastructure" and allowed civil lawsuits against copper thieves to recover damages and legal fees. It also failed to advance. Senator Orwall has indicated she plans to reintroduce the bill next session.

That means the current legal framework remains what it's been: RCW 19.290 requires scrap metal dealers to collect photo ID and maintain records, and copper theft over $5,000 in damage is a Class B felony under Theft in the First Degree (RCW 9A.56.030), carrying up to 10 years and a $20,000 fine. But without stronger scrapyard regulations or dedicated enforcement units, the practical reality hasn't changed. Copper theft remains a low-risk, high-reward crime in Washington state.

How Thieves Are Hitting Construction Sites

Understanding the patterns helps explain why some prevention methods work and others don't. Based on law enforcement reporting and documented incidents across the Tacoma-Seattle corridor:

The critical distinction: this is both organized and opportunistic. The FBI reports that copper theft networks operate across state lines using technology, insider knowledge, and corrupt contacts. But it's also heavily linked to substance abuse. The Ballard case recovery included methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and psilocybin alongside the stolen copper. Both types of thieves share one trait: they pick the easiest target available. A visible security presence changes that calculation. For a deeper look at how organized construction theft operates in this corridor, see our construction theft data report.

What Actually Works to Prevent Copper Theft

Not every prevention method is created equal. Here's what the data shows, based on industry research and local case outcomes.

Mobile Surveillance Trailers

Construction sites with visible, monitored surveillance report up to 85% fewer theft incidents compared to unprotected sites, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The deterrent effect accounts for most of that reduction. Prominent security measures prevent 9 out of 10 opportunistic thefts before they start. When a theft is attempted, real-time alerts enable police dispatch while the crime is in progress, not 48 hours later.

The insurance industry has taken notice. Some insurers now require mobile surveillance deployment before they'll cover certain construction projects. Others offer 5-20% premium discounts for sites with professionally monitored systems. Video evidence reduces insurance claim processing time by 60% and improves recovery rates from under 20% to over 50% when suspects are identifiable on camera. For surveillance cost details, visit our pricing page.

GPS Tracking on Copper Materials

The Ballard construction site case provides a real-world proof point. After repeated thefts, the construction company embedded GPS trackers inside their wiring. When the wire moved, police were able to trace it to the suspects' vehicles and recover hundreds of pounds of stolen material. GPS tracking doesn't prevent the theft, but it dramatically increases recovery odds and provides the evidence chain law enforcement needs. Dedicated devices like the DS600 MOBILELOCK are designed specifically for copper spool tracking with geofencing alerts.

Material Scheduling and Inventory Control

A straightforward principle that too many contractors ignore: don't receive copper materials before you need them. The longer copper sits on-site unused, the longer it's at risk. Schedule deliveries so that copper wiring and plumbing arrive just before installation begins, and ensure someone is present at delivery to immediately secure materials. Maintain detailed inventories with photos and identifiers. This doesn't just reduce theft exposure; it dramatically speeds up insurance claims if a loss does occur.

Layered Physical Security

No single measure is enough. Effective copper theft prevention combines:

• Perimeter fencing with barbed wire at the top and locked gates (6-foot minimum)
• Motion-activated lighting that covers the entire site, especially back areas and rooftops where HVAC units sit
• Elevated surveillance cameras at 18-22 feet, providing clear sightlines over construction materials
• Warning signage indicating the site is under surveillance. Sites with visible warning signs are 42% less likely to be targeted
• Removal of access aids: ladders, scaffolding, dumpsters, and material piles positioned near the perimeter

The Seattle Police Department maintains a CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) program with specific guidance on designing environments that naturally deter crime. The principles, including natural surveillance, access control, and territorial reinforcement, apply directly to construction site layouts.

The Cost Comparison Contractors Need to See

The numbers are not close. Here's what copper theft actually costs versus what prevention costs:

A single copper theft during the rough-in phase of a mid-rise building can cost more than a full year of mobile surveillance. The math gets even worse when you factor in the insurance aftermath. A theft claim over $50,000 typically triggers a 15-25% premium increase at renewal. A second claim within three years can push that to 30-50%, or cause your carrier to non-renew entirely. Run the specific numbers for your project size with our ROI calculator.

What WSDOT Is Doing (and What It Means for Contractors)

WSDOT has started replacing copper wires with aluminum as a deterrent strategy. The logic: thieves cut the wire, discover it's low-value aluminum, and abandon it. This approach works for highway infrastructure where aluminum conductivity is acceptable. It doesn't work for most building construction, where copper's superior conductivity and code requirements make it irreplaceable.

Lumen Technologies has deployed covert video surveillance and GPS tracking alarms in high-risk areas of their network. Sound Transit has added more cameras and alarms, though thefts continue. The federal government is getting involved too. Two individuals were federally charged for copper wire theft at Sea-Tac Airport under the Western District of Washington, facing up to 20 years. Federal prosecution is a signal that this is being taken more seriously, but it's focused on critical infrastructure, not individual construction sites.

The bottom line for contractors: the cavalry isn't coming. Legislative efforts stalled. Law enforcement is prioritizing violent crime. Utility companies are protecting their own infrastructure with surveillance. If your construction site isn't protected, you're relying on the hope that thieves pick someone else's jobsite instead of yours. In a corridor with this much active construction and this much exposed copper, that's not a bet worth making.

Copper Theft Protection Checklist for Puget Sound Contractors

Based on law enforcement recommendations, insurance best practices, and what's actually working on active jobsites across the Tacoma-Seattle corridor: