If construction tools have been stolen, get people to safety first, report the theft through the proper local police channel, make an item-by-item record, and contact your insurer or broker promptly. Keep copies of the report and everything you submit. Whether insurance covers the loss depends on your policy, the tools’ ownership and location, and the circumstances of the theft.
1. Get to safety and avoid disturbing the scene
If a theft is in progress, a suspected thief is nearby, or anyone is in immediate danger, move to a safe place and call your local emergency number. Do not confront the suspected thief. If the theft has already occurred and no one is in danger, avoid touching or moving items that could be evidence and follow police instructions. Victoria Police specifically advises people not to touch anything at a burgled worksite: Victoria Police burglary guidance.
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2. Report the theft to local police
When there is no immediate danger, use your local police non-emergency channel or official online stolen-property reporting service. Reporting procedures and phone numbers vary by location, so use the instructions for the place where the theft occurred. Ask for and save the incident or reference number, along with any confirmation or copy of the report.
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For example, New Zealand Police’s online reporting process accepts identifying details about stolen property and provides a reference that can be used for an insurance claim: New Zealand Police 105 reporting service. In Victoria, Australia, 000 is the emergency number and 131 444 is the police assistance line; those numbers are specific to Victoria and are not general instructions for other regions (Victoria Police assistance and online reporting).
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Reporting is useful even when you do not yet have every detail. New Zealand Police said in a 16 October 2017 release, “Every theft of a tool should be reported to Police, so we can follow any lines of inquiry and put the criminals before the courts.” The statement is specific to New Zealand and does not mean a police report guarantees insurance payment: New Zealand Police release.
3. Build an itemized tool list
List each stolen item separately whenever possible. The more precisely you can identify a tool, the more useful the information is for a police report and an insurance claim. Include:
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- Tool type, make, exact model and colour
- Serial number, if known
- Distinctive marks, damage, stickers or other identifying features
- Approximate value or purchase price, clearly identified as an estimate if you do not know the exact amount
- Batteries, chargers, cases and accessories only if those items were also taken
Do not guess a serial number or present an estimate as an exact purchase price. Mark unavailable details as unknown, and explain how you arrived at any estimated value. Queensland Police recommends keeping tool inventories with serial, make and model details, and retaining original receipts; its tool-theft guidance also encourages photos and identifying details (Queensland Police tool-theft prevention guidance; Queensland Police property inventory guidance).
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4. Gather ownership and loss evidence
Collect what you have for each item, such as purchase invoices or receipts, relevant payment records, and pre-loss photos showing the tools or their identifying features. Keep any available inventory or maintenance records. A spreadsheet, digital folder or log book can help organize these materials, but no particular format or notebook is a required claims document.
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Photograph damage or a possible point of entry only when police say it is appropriate to do so. Keep the photos, item list and supporting records with the police reference number. These materials help document what you say was stolen and its ownership or value; no single document guarantees that an insurer will accept a claim.
5. Notify your insurer or broker promptly
Contact your insurer or insurance professional as soon as practical and ask how to open a claim. The Insurance Information Institute gives general guidance to contact the insurer or insurance professional promptly and obtain a police report when the loss is due to crime; this is not a universal contractual deadline (Insurance Information Institute: What to do if property is stolen).
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Ask the insurer or broker:
- Which claim form or reporting channel to use, and how it wants the itemized list submitted
- Whether it needs the police report or reference number
- What proof of ownership, value or loss location it requires
- Whether an adjuster or other representative needs to inspect anything
- What to do before repairing damage, replacing property or disposing of damaged items
Save the claim reference, copies of documents sent, and notes or correspondence about instructions and deadlines. Follow the deadline in your policy or the insurer’s claim instructions; there is no single deadline that applies to every policy.
6. Check which coverage may apply
Do not assume that every tool used for work is covered, or that a police report establishes coverage. Ask the insurer or broker to identify the policy wording, coverage form and limits it is using to assess the loss. The answer can depend on where the tools were, who owned them, and how they were being used.
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Existing business or property coverage
Business or property coverage may apply to tools at an insured fixed location or a nearby jobsite, subject to the policy’s terms. Check whether the location is covered and whether limits, deductibles, exclusions or security requirements affect the loss.
Contractors’ equipment or inland marine coverage
Contractors’ equipment or inland marine coverage is intended for movable property used away from a fixed location or carried between locations. An insurer’s general description of this coverage does not decide an individual claim; the written policy and loss facts do. These broad coverage categories are not interchangeable, and the relevant form and limits should be confirmed with the insurer or broker (Insurance Information Institute theft guidance; Progressive Commercial tools and equipment coverage information; Travelers inland marine coverage information).
Questions to resolve under your policy
- Were the tools at a worksite, in a vehicle, in transit or at another location when they were stolen?
- Were they owned by you or your business, rented, leased, borrowed or owned by an employee?
- Does the policy require tools to be listed or scheduled individually?
- What limits, deductibles, valuation method, exclusions and security conditions apply?
- Does the policy set a deadline for reporting the loss or submitting claim documents?
Coverage and reimbursement cannot be determined without the applicable policy and details of the loss.
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Maintain a dated file containing the police report or reference, itemized list, available receipts and payment records, pre-loss photos, permitted photos of damage, insurer correspondence and claim number. If a tool is recovered or you discover that the list needs correcting, tell the insurer and update the police report if the local process allows or requires it. Before repairing damage or disposing of property, check the insurer’s instructions unless immediate action is needed for safety or to prevent further loss.
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