What to do if your tools are stolen: The immediate steps (and how insurance can help)

What to do if my tools are stolen?

There are few things worse than walking up to your ute and finding the lock cut, the canopy forced, or the toolbox that was full yesterday sitting empty. For a tradie, this isn't just an inconvenience. It's your livelihood gone, and the fallout usually lasts a lot longer than the theft itself.

Tool theft is a serious, ongoing problem in Australia, costing tradies far more than the price of the gear taken. Thousands of incidents happen every year, with losses running into the tens of millions of dollars. On top of that, there's the work you can't get to tomorrow, the client left waiting, and the days spent chasing paperwork instead of earning. We talk to tradies every week who've had their ute broken into overnight, and the frustration is rarely just about the tools. It's about everything the theft puts on hold.

This article covers what to do straight after a theft, how insurance actually works when tools go missing, and how to protect yourself before it happens.

How often are tools stolen?

In Victoria alone, more than $40.8 million worth of hand and power tools were stolen from vehicles and properties in the year to June 2025, according to the Crime Statistics Agency, a 7.5 per cent rise on the year before. That's over 36,700 tools taken in twelve months, and the trend has been climbing for a while: back in 2023, losses sat at around $33 million, itself a 37 per cent jump on the previous year.

These crimes are so common mainly because tools are an easy target. They're valuable, portable, and easy to relocate. In our experience, theft spikes over long weekends and holiday periods, when sites sit unattended for longer, and utes are left parked without anyone keeping watch, making them prime targets.

Step 1: Don't touch anything, document the scene first

Before you start tidying up, take photos. This matters for both the police report and any insurance claim, and it's easy to overlook in the moment.

1. Photograph the forced entry point first, whether that's a cut padlock, a broken window, a damaged canopy, or a smashed toolbox.
2. Capture any other damage to the vehicle or site, including anything that looks out of place.
3. Take wide shots as well as close-ups, so the overall scene is documented, not just the point of entry.
4. Hold off on cleaning up or moving anything until you've got the photos you need.

We've seen claims delayed simply because there were no photos of the forced entry, and insurers need this evidence to know the theft wasn't down to an unlocked door.

Step 2: Report it to the police immediately

This isn't optional, no matter how much or how little was taken. Report online through your state police's stolen property system, by phone through Policelink on 131 444, or in person at a station. Call Triple Zero on 000 if a crime is in progress.

Make sure to get the crime report number as well as you generally can't lodge an insurance claim without it. When reporting, make sure to include as much detail as you can, including make, model, and serial numbers if possible.

Step 3: Contact your insurer and lodge your claim

Once you've got the police report, get onto your insurer or broker as soon as you can. You'll typically need:

• The police report number
• Photos of the forced entry and damage
• A list of what was taken, including names, makes, models, purchase dates, and serial numbers where you have them
• Proof of ownership, such as receipts, photos, manuals, or an asset register
• Replacement quotes from your usual supplier, or even a website pricelist

The more complete your paperwork, the faster the claim moves, sometimes being settled within days. A common sticking point is items over a certain value threshold, often around $2,500, that weren't specified on the policy. Check your policy, or give us a call, before this catches you out.

Does insurance actually cover tool theft?

Yes, but only under the right policy and the right conditions, and this is where a lot of tradies get caught out without realising it until they're mid-claim.

• Standard car insurance won't cut it: CTP and comprehensive car policies are built to cover the vehicle itself, not what's sitting inside it. Tools stored in your ute or van are generally outside the scope of that cover altogether.
• You need dedicated tools and equipment insurance: This is the only type of cover designed to respond when tools are stolen, damaged, or lost.
• Forced or violent entry usually needs to be evident: Most insurers will look for signs that someone broke in, such as a cut lock or a broken window. If a toolbox was left unlocked or tools were sitting out in the open, a claim can be knocked back on the basis that reasonable care wasn't taken.
• Per-item limits are common: Cheaper tools might fall under a general limit, but higher-value items, such as a decent drill set or a laser level, often need to be listed individually on the policy. Miss this step, and you may find yourself only partly covered when it matters.
• Cover levels vary more than people expect: Some policies include cover for tools left at a job site overnight; others don't. It's worth knowing the difference before you assume you're covered.

How to find your stolen tools

1. Check online marketplaces

Stolen tools often get sold quickly and locally, so keep an eye on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and eBay in the days and weeks after a theft.

2. Register with Property Vault

Property Vault is a free service where you can register stolen tools, so potential buyers can check before they purchase.

3. Pawn shops are a mixed bag

Reputable pawn shops record seller details and may cross-check databases, but this happens inconsistently across the industry, which is part of why registering with Property Vault is the best chance.

4. Smart tools have their limits

Some newer Milwaukee tools include connectivity with remote lock or disable functionality through their app, though this varies by model and isn't something you can rely on across the board.

If you spot your gear online, report it to the police rather than trying to get it back yourself.

How to security mark your tools

Marking your tools makes them harder to sell and easier to identify. A UV pen works well on plastic casings, being oil-based and waterproof, while a diamond-tipped engraver or custom engraving block suits larger volumes. Mark your name and driver's licence number, so police can trace ownership.

Register the details in Property Vault or your own asset register, photograph each tool with the markings visible, and keep the images somewhere accessible, such as Google Drive or Dropbox.

We recommend doing a tool audit once a year. Photograph everything, update your asset register and check that any high-value items are properly listed on your policy.

Prevent theft by securing your tools

Prevention beats the claims process every time, and most of it comes down to making your gear harder to grab quickly.

• Lock every toolbox, no exceptions, even for a quick stop. Most thefts happen in the few minutes a ute is left unattended.
• Fix toolboxes to the ute tray or van floor. A loose toolbox that can be lifted out is a much easier target.
• Park overnight in a locked garage or a well-lit area with CCTV. Thieves generally avoid sites where they might be seen or recorded.
• Consider alarm systems for toolboxes, trailers, and storage compartments. Noise draws attention fast, and most thieves won't stick around once one goes off.
• Fit GPS trackers to high-value items. A tracked tool is harder to recover and less appealing to sell on.
• Avoid leaving tools at an unattended job site overnight where you can help it. Sites are often predictable and easy to scope out in advance.

One of our customers fitted a motion-sensor alarm to his trailer after a first theft, and when someone tried again six months later, they fled empty-handed. Sometimes the deterrent is the whole point.

Tools insurance cover that works as hard as you do

Tradesure offers tools insurance for tradies of every size, whether you're a sole trader running your own show, a subbie working across multiple sites, or a small operation with a fleet of gear to protect. Cover extends to theft, loss, and damage to the tools you rely on every day, so a bad night doesn't mean weeks off the tools while you save up for replacements.

If you're transporting tools and equipment regularly, it's also worth looking at trailer insurance alongside your tools cover, since a stolen trailer often means stolen contents as well. And if you're carrying heavier gear such as generators or compressors, plant and machinery cover is worth considering.

Getting set up doesn't take long. Request a quote or give us a call on 1800 872 331, and we'll help you work out what level of cover actually suits how you work.