The short answer
Theft of roof lead is often covered under the theft or malicious damage section of a building insurance policy, but cover depends on the policy wording, the excess, any exclusions for unoccupied or poorly secured buildings and your evidence. Report the theft to the police, photograph the damage, tell your insurer promptly and make the roof safe. No claim is certain to succeed.
What a policy usually says about stolen lead
Roof lead is part of the fabric of a building, so it normally falls under buildings insurance rather than contents. The relevant section is usually theft or malicious damage, sometimes with a separate heading for damage caused during a theft. Many policies cover it. Some set conditions or limits, and a few exclude it outright.
Wording to look for includes the following.
- Theft cover for the building. Check whether theft of fixtures and parts of the structure is covered, not just break-ins.
- Excess. A policy may carry a higher excess for theft of metal or for claims on empty buildings.
- Unoccupied property conditions. Insurers often restrict cover when a building has been empty for a set period, or ask for inspections to be kept up. If the property is a holiday let, a house between tenants or a commercial unit that is temporarily vacant, read this section closely.
- Wear and tear and maintenance. Which? notes that policies commonly exclude general wear, so lead that was already failing can complicate a claim. If the lead was already poor, the insurer may argue that part of the loss was not caused by the theft.
- Security conditions. A few policies ask for particular locks, alarms or other measures to be in place.
Policies are worded differently, so the safest approach is to read your own schedule and call the insurer. Only your insurer can say what your policy covers, and no claim is certain to be paid.
Your first steps after discovering the theft
When you discover the theft, work through the steps below.
- Keep people safe. Do not go up on the roof to look. Lead theft often leaves loose sheets, open gutters and displaced slates.
- Report it to the police. Ask for a crime reference number. Insurers nearly always ask for one.
- Photograph what you can from the ground or from windows. Take pictures of the exposed area, any damage to the building and any water coming in. Keep the dates.
- Contact your insurer. Tell them promptly, and ask what they need and whether they have a preferred process.
- Protect the building. Insurers normally expect reasonable action to stop the damage getting worse. A temporary cover over the exposed area is part of that.
- Get a roofer's report. Written evidence of what was taken and what the repair will involve helps the claim.
Photographs and a roofer's written report support a claim, though neither makes success certain. We can provide a clear written description of the damage and the work needed.
Where the roof is open and rain is getting in, stopping that comes first for us, with a temporary make-safe that also shows the insurer you limited the loss.
What the claim covers and what it may not
Insurers generally pay to put the building back as it was, which on a leadwork theft means replacing the stolen sheet and repairing resulting damage. That can include the lead itself, the labour, the boards or timbers under it if they were damaged, access equipment such as scaffolding, and water damage inside.
There are areas where a claim can be disputed or reduced.
- Pre-existing condition. Lead that was already split, thin or leaking can lead to an argument about what part of the loss came from the theft.
- Betterment. If the replacement is better than what was there, the insurer may want a contribution from you.
- Leaks and rot that follow. If the roof was left open for weeks, the insurer may query whether you acted promptly.
- Policy limits. Some policies cap what they pay for theft of metal.
The Financial Ombudsman Service handles complaints about insurers where a claim is turned down and you think the decision is wrong. In a published case on storm damage, it looked at the evidence on cause rather than relying on a single rule. The same approach applies to other claims: what caused the damage, and what the policy actually says. If you reach that stage, the Financial Ombudsman Service explains how to complain.
Replacement rules: like for like, or an alternative
After a theft many owners wonder whether to put lead back at all. That turns on the building.
On a listed building, replacement is usually expected to match the original. For a listed building there is a separate consent route alongside planning permission, and B&NES points out that going ahead unauthorised is a criminal offence. Talk to the local planning authority, and in Bath that means B&NES, before work that goes beyond like-for-like replacement. Insurers dealing with a listed property will also normally expect the repair to follow what the building needs.
On an unlisted building, alternatives to lead exist, and some owners choose them on cost or to reduce the risk of repeat theft. Our guide to lead flat roofs covers how lead compares as a covering, and the page on lead roofing sets out where each material suits. If you swap lead for something else, tell the insurer first, because it may affect the settlement and the cover that follows.
Any replacement has to be fixed properly. Lead of the right code, laid in lengths that can move, will last far longer than a hasty re-cover, as our answer on leadwork in winter explains for conditions when a job cannot wait.
Reducing the risk of a second theft
Lead that has been taken once is more likely to be targeted again, particularly on a roof with easy access or a building that is empty for long periods. We cover the broader subject in our guide to lead theft. For now, the practical steps are simple.
- Keep ladders, bins and skips away from walls that give access to the roof.
- Ask neighbours to tell you if they see anyone on the roof.
- Think about lighting, alarms or cameras covering the roof edge, and tell your insurer about any you fit.
- Have the roof checked after a theft attempt, even if nothing has gone, because disturbed lead may leak later.
Some owners also choose a different metal or a mechanically fixed alternative at vulnerable points. Whatever is chosen, it should be fitted so it can move and shed water. You pay nothing for the survey, and we take pictures of your own roof. A fixed price in writing follows, and our workmanship guarantee of 10 years covers the work. For typical costs of replacing a gutter lining, see box gutter relining cost.
