How does material waste on construction site affect the cost of a project?

Waste is always a factor. The Design Engineers need to consider how materials are made, what sizes are available to order, what dimensions to use, etc. so that contractors are not having to order too much of something just for the pleasure of hacking off pieces and hucking them in the dumpster. Typically 2% to 5% of all the materials cost of a project is waste that goes to a landfill. On a big job that can add up to a lot of dough.