Are tools in my van insured?

Only if you hold tools cover that specifically includes tools in a vehicle. Van insurance covers the vehicle, not the contents, and public liability does not cover your own property at all.

Are tools covered if stolen overnight?

Many policies restrict or exclude overnight theft from a vehicle, or apply conditions such as the van being locked, alarmed, and parked off-street or in a locked compound between set hours. Read the overnight condition before you rely on it.

Do I need to list my tools individually?

Usually only higher-value items above a specified single-article limit. Everything else is covered within a total sum insured, so the total needs to reflect what it would cost to replace the lot.

Is hired-in plant covered?

Not automatically. Hire agreements normally make you responsible for the equipment and sometimes for continuing hire charges after a loss, so hired-in plant cover is usually added deliberately.

BUSINESS GUIDE

Tools and van cover for trades

Tool theft is one of the most common claims a trade makes, and one of the most commonly declined. The cover usually exists. The overnight conditions attached to it are what catch people out.

Last reviewed August 2026

Three separate policies, not one

Van insurance covers the vehicle: third-party liability, fire, theft and damage to the van itself. It does not cover what is inside it.

Tools cover, sometimes called tools in transit or business equipment cover, covers your own kit. Public liability covers other people's property, never yours. Trades who assume the van policy handles the tools find out at the worst possible moment.

The overnight condition

This is the clause that decides most claims. Insurers commonly require some combination of the following, and failing any one of them can be enough for a claim to be refused.

The van locked with all security devices in operation
An alarm or immobiliser fitted and set, where specified
Parked off-street, on a driveway, in a garage or a locked compound
A time restriction, such as no cover for theft between certain night-time hours
Tools removed from the vehicle overnight where the policy requires it
Visible evidence of forced entry to support the claim

Sums insured and single-article limits

The total sum insured should be what it would cost to replace everything you carry, at today's prices, not what you paid over the years. It adds up faster than most people expect once you count power tools, testing equipment, ladders and consumables.

Then check the single-article limit. Expensive items such as thermal cameras, laser levels, diagnostic kit or larger plant can exceed it and need specifying individually to be fully covered.

New for old, or wear and tear?

Some policies replace tools new for old, others deduct for age and wear. Older kit under a wear-and-tear basis can settle for much less than the cost of getting back to work, so this basis is worth confirming rather than assuming.

Reducing the risk and the premium

Insurers respond to practical security. Deadlocks and slam locks, an alarm, a marked and photographed inventory, tools registered with a property database, and off-street parking all help both the underwriting and the claim if it happens.

Keeping a simple inventory with serial numbers and receipts is the single most useful thing you can do before a loss.

What to have ready

This is what a specialist will ask when arranging tools and plant cover.

Total replacement value of tools and equipment
Any single items worth more than a few hundred pounds
Where the van is parked overnight, and its security
Whether tools are also kept at home or in a lockup
Any hired-in plant you use regularly
Theft claims in the last five years

Check your overnight conditions

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Common questions

Are tools in my van insured?: Only if you hold tools cover that specifically includes tools in a vehicle. Van insurance covers the vehicle, not the contents, and public liability does not cover your own property at all.
Are tools covered if stolen overnight?: Many policies restrict or exclude overnight theft from a vehicle, or apply conditions such as the van being locked, alarmed, and parked off-street or in a locked compound between set hours. Read the overnight condition before you rely on it.
Do I need to list my tools individually?: Usually only higher-value items above a specified single-article limit. Everything else is covered within a total sum insured, so the total needs to reflect what it would cost to replace the lot.
Is hired-in plant covered?: Not automatically. Hire agreements normally make you responsible for the equipment and sometimes for continuing hire charges after a loss, so hired-in plant cover is usually added deliberately.

Keep reading

General information only, written for UK readers. It is not insurance advice and does not take account of your circumstances. Cover Sorted collects your enquiry and passes it to an FCA-authorised insurance specialist. Cover Sorted does not provide quotations, comparisons or recommendations.