Tool Theft in 2025 – It’s Okay to Get Mad, but Get Insured

To succeed in life, you’ve got to accept an element of risk. Never leaving the house might be safer, but then you wouldn’t be able to do the greatest job on earth (tradesperson, obviously).

Risk is a funny old thing. People’s perception of risk is rarely proportionate to reality. Let’s say you’re on a beach holiday. What risks are lurking? While sipping a pina colada, sharks and tsunamis might seem like your biggest threats, but you’re actually much more likely to die by a falling coconut.

But what about something much closer to home? As a tradesperson, you will be used to assessing your environment for risk. But while you would never take a gamble on a customer’s safety, can you say the same when it comes to protecting your own interests?

Tool Theft – What’s the Real Risk?

At the end of 2024, Rhino asked 512 tradespeople whether they’d ever had their tools stolen and 155 said yes – they had. That’s a whopping 30% of tradespeople who have been impacted first-hand by tool theft. Take a moment to consider how likely that makes tool theft to happen to those in the trades.

Did you know that weather forecasts show a 30% chance of rain when it might drizzle? Be honest, are you going to book that outdoor tiling or electrical job on a day with 30% chance of rain, or would you rather leave it to a day with almost guaranteed sunshine? Exactly – 30% isn’t great odds, whichever way you look at it.

When it comes to Rhino’s survey, that’s not the end of the story. Out of the tradespeople we asked who had been lucky enough to have never experienced tool theft themselves, 83% said they knew someone who had. This shows the prevalence of tool theft in the industry and how likely it is that tool theft will happen to you, a friend, colleague or relative.

Tool theft is nothing new. As long as there have been tools, there have been thieves prepared to take what isn’t theirs. And it seems to be on the increase. Now this might make your blood boil, but hold on. Stress is bad for us, and why should you take a health hit because someone else has decided to lower themselves into the gutter?

That being said, there’s no two ways about it. Replacing stolen tools can cost an absolute fortune. Here at Rhino, we’ve heard too many stories from tradesmen and tradeswomen who have seen their entire kit nicked when their back was turned. Tools are stolen every 12 minutes in the UK, which means every 12 minutes a tradesperson takes a devastating hit to their business and livelihood. What follows is a stressful and expensive process of rebuilding it bit-by-bit, while entire job schedules need to be thrown out of the window.

But remember – take a deep breath. Stress won’t do anything but knock precious minutes off your life. Instead of raging, the best approach is to protect yourself.

How Rhino is Leading the Charge Against Tool Theft

Rhino are at the forefront of the battle against tool theft in the UK. We even went on the frontlines to fight for awareness of the issue – all the way to the Houses of Parliament. In March this year, CEO Troy Stevens put on a suit and spoke to Amanda Martin MP to raise awareness of how tool theft impacts those in the industry. Troy stood shoulder-to-shoulder with industry giants like Checkatrade and On the Tools, supporting a bill to help tackle the tool theft epidemic that has gripped the UK.

“We’re here to stand alongside UK tradespeople and help raise awareness of this tool theft debate. If we can get tradespeople’s voices heard, then hopefully we can end the epidemic that is UK tool theft.” – Rhino CEO Troy Stevens

There’s plenty more going on behind the scenes when it comes to tackling tool theft in the UK. A Trades United demonstration in early March led by Shoaib Awan aka The Gas Expert saw top tradies (including our very own customers Mark Tiff and Chirag Panchal) turn out in force in Parliament Square to raise awareness of this issue. The parade of vans from everyone from plumbers, carpenters to electricians temporarily caused a jam in Parliament Square and sent a clear message to the government – we’re not happy, and something has to be done.

Tradespeople are finding their voice in the fight against this devastating crime, with the spotlight being turned on things like tool marking, stricter checks on second-hand tool sales and pressure on the police to crack down on tool thieves.

It’s safe to say, the heat is on.

Protect Yourself – Before It’s Too Late

Tool theft may be reaching new lows in the UK, but it doesn’t mean that you should let it devastate you and your family if it happens to you. Rhino, though unable to stamp out tool theft, offers the very best antidote to this problem – in the form of our Tools Insurance.

“Tool theft is happening to hundreds of our customers every week. We can’t stop it happening, but at least we can help our customers get the best protection.” – Rhino CEO Troy

By protecting your tools with insurance, you’re putting in place the one safeguard that will cushion you from the devastating impact of tool theft. Instead of absorbing the cost of tool theft (tool theft costs tradespeople an average of £4,470 per theft according to On The Tools), tools insurance will see you compensated for your loss quickly and painlessly.

The bottom line is – tool theft is incredibly common in the UK. The prospect of a quick re-sale, no questions asked, seems to be too tempting for thieves who will shamelessly flog your tools to make a quick buck. And until we see tighter restrictions on the re-sale of stolen tools – the prospect of lifting your tools seems to be simply too attractive to criminals.

So, it’s okay to get mad, but don’t just get mad. Get insured. Rhino are right beside you, and although we can’t stop your tools being stolen, we can offer you and other hardworking tradespeople the financial safety net you deserve.