The clocks go back on 25 October. For most builders, that means shorter days on site and longer nights with materials left behind.
Thieves know this too. In BauWatch research, 69% of workers said construction crime rises once the clocks go back and the nights draw in.
Theft is already one of the most common losses on UK sites. BauWatch’s 2025 Crime Report found 67% of construction professionals had seen site crime rise over the past year, close to double the European average.
The short answer is that builder contract works insurance usually does cover stolen materials. But theft cover almost always comes with conditions, and those conditions decide whether a claim is paid or turned down.
This guide explains what is covered, the security rules insurers apply, why theft claims fail, and the practical steps that keep your cover working when you need it.
What Builder Contract Works Insurance Covers When Materials Go Missing
Contract works cover, sometimes called contractors’ all risks, protects the build while it is in progress. That includes the work already done and the materials bought for the job. Our page on contract works insurance explains the full scope of cover.
Unfixed materials on site
Unfixed materials are items delivered but not yet built in. Think timber, plasterboard, bricks, copper pipe, cable, or kitchen units waiting to be fitted.
Standard contractors’ all risks wordings, such as AXA’s, include unfixed materials while they are on or next to the contract site. Once fitted, they become part of the works and stay covered as such.
Materials stored off site or in transit
This is where policies differ most. Some wordings extend to materials kept away from site and to items travelling to or from it. Others exclude materials stored off site unless they are in transit.
If you keep stock in a yard, a storage unit or at a supplier’s, tell your broker. Do not assume it is covered just because it was bought for the job.
Where tools fit in
Tools stolen from site are normally not covered under contract works. Your own tools need separate tools or plant cover.
The Security Conditions That Decide Whether a Claim Pays
Most declined theft claims under builder contract works insurance are not about whether theft is covered. They are about whether the builder met the policy’s security conditions at the time.
If those conditions are not met, an insurer can refuse the claim even though theft is a listed risk.
Evidence of forced entry
Many theft sections only pay where there has been forcible and violent entry. In plain terms, the insurer wants signs that someone broke in: a cut padlock, a forced door, a smashed window or a damaged fence panel.
If materials are taken from an open site, or a thief uses a key, there may be no evidence of forced entry at all. That alone can be enough for a claim to fail.
Locked buildings, containers and compounds
Insurers expect valuable materials to be locked away when the site is empty. The AXA wording, for example, requires moveable materials and plant to be adequately secured whenever the contract site is unattended.
In practice, that usually means one of these:
- a lockable steel container
- a secure building that can be locked
- a fenced compound with locked gates
“Unattended” means any time nobody is on site. That includes evenings, weekends, bank holidays and time spent off site during the day.
Tighter rules for copper, lead and cable
Metals carry extra restrictions because they are easy to sell on. One QBE site policy excludes theft of unfixed non-ferrous metals unless someone is on site or the metal is inside a secure locked building.
This matters because these are the items thieves go for first. BauWatch found power tools, copper and cable were among the most commonly stolen items.
Vehicles and time restrictions
Some policies limit cover for kit left in vans overnight. AXA’s wording puts the burden on the policyholder to prove a theft took place before 9pm.
This catches plenty of builders out. NFU Mutual research found 78% of tradespeople and contractors had left machinery and tools in a vehicle overnight.
Why Theft Claims Get Turned Down
The same problems come up again and again:
- Materials left in the open, even on a fenced site
- No proof that anyone broke in
- No delivery notes or inventory to show what was there and its value
- A theft excess higher than the standard one, which wipes out smaller claims
- An assumption that the client’s insurance will pick up the loss
Records matter more than most builders realise. NFU Mutual found 43% of tradespeople had no full list of what they own or what it is worth. Without that, any theft is harder to prove.
A Financial Ombudsman case shows how much rests on the wording. A business had lead stolen from a roof, and Allianz refused the claim because its theft cover required forced entry and there was none. The ombudsman decided the condition removed a large part of the cover and should have been highlighted when the policy was sold, and the broker ended up settling the claim in full.
The lesson is simple. Knowing your conditions before a loss is part of your protection.
When a broken condition should not sink your claim
The Insurance Act 2015 gives policyholders some protection. Under section 11, an insurer cannot use a breached condition to refuse a claim if the breach could not have increased the risk of the loss that actually happened.
So a faulty site alarm should not defeat a storm damage claim. It can defeat a theft claim, though, because the alarm was there to stop theft.
Whose Policy Pays Under Your Building Contract
Before any claim, you need to know whose insurance covers the works. On JCT contracts, the chosen insurance option sets this out.
- Option A: the contractor insures the works
- Option B: the client insures the works, used on new builds
- Option C: the client insures both the existing building and the works, used for extensions and refurbishments
On smaller domestic jobs without a JCT contract, agree in writing who is responsible for materials once they are delivered. This avoids an argument after a theft.
Contract works is only one part of the picture. Our guide to builders insurance sets out the other covers a builder typically needs.
Practical Steps to Protect Your Materials and Your Claim
Before a theft
- Order high-value materials close to when they are needed
- Store them in locked containers away from the site boundary
- Keep delivery notes and a running list of what is on site and its value
- Photograph locked storage at the end of each day
- Remove keys and immobilise plant
- Read your policy’s security conditions before the job starts
After a theft
- Report it to the police straight away and get a crime reference number
- Photograph signs of entry and damage before anything is moved
- Tell your broker or insurer as soon as possible
- Do not replace materials until your insurer confirms you can
Acting quickly also protects your programme. BauWatch found 31% of projects had been delayed by crime, with a quarter of those held up by as much as four weeks.
Before your next project, work through our contract works checklist to make sure your cover matches the job.
Security Is What Makes Theft Cover Work
Builder contract works insurance does cover stolen materials in most cases. What decides the outcome is whether you met the policy conditions on the night of the theft.
Three things settle most claims: locked storage, clear signs of a break-in, and good records. Get those right and a theft becomes a setback rather than a loss you carry yourself.
Construction Insure has over 30 years of experience in construction insurance. We check your policy’s security conditions against how you actually work on site, so there are no surprises when you need to claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does contract works insurance cover stolen materials?
Usually, yes. Most policies cover unfixed materials on site, as long as you have met the security conditions in your wording.
Are materials covered if there was no break-in?
Often not. Many policies require evidence of forced entry, such as a cut lock or a broken door.
Does contract works insurance cover my tools?
Generally no. Tools need separate tools or plant cover.
Are materials stored off site covered?
It depends on the policy. Some cover off-site storage and transit, while others exclude it, so check your schedule.
Who pays if materials are stolen from a client’s property?
It depends on the contract. Under JCT Option A the contractor insures the works, while under Options B and C the client does.