The short answer
Buildings insurance often covers theft of lead from a roof and the damage it leaves behind, but terms vary. Look at the excess, any security conditions, the limit on the claim and whether your policy covers water damage after the theft. Report the crime to the police, tell your insurer promptly and have the roof made safe. No claim is guaranteed to succeed.
First steps after a theft
Lead is usually taken from places that are hard to see: a chimney flashing, a valley, a flat roof behind a parapet. You may only notice when water comes through the ceiling. If it has gone, keep everyone off the roof, ring the police and write down the crime reference number they give you.
Photograph the damage from the garden or a bedroom window, and ring your insurer promptly. The Association of British Insurers' advice issued for Storm Eunice in 2022, reproduced on an MP's website, tells householders to tell the insurer early, take their view before ordering emergency work, and file every receipt. The same order makes sense after a theft.
We prioritise leaks, and the first visit aims to stop water coming in. Temporary cover is a stopgap, not the repair, and it belongs within the wider field of lead roofing.
What a buildings policy tends to include
Buildings insurance usually covers the fabric of the house, roof included, against listed risks, and theft is normally among them. Cover often extends to the damage the theft causes, such as water coming in through the gap. Whether it does in your case depends on the wording.
Points to check in the schedule and the policy document:
- The excess, which may be higher for theft or for unoccupied properties.
- Any condition about locks, alarms or the building being occupied.
- A limit on how much the policy pays for stolen metal.
- Whether the cost of temporary protection is covered.
- What a claim does to your no-claims discount.
A policy that excludes wear and tear will not pay to replace lead that failed through age. It is the theft that has to be shown, not just the absence of lead, so keep any photographs taken before it happened.
Limits, excess and what a claim may not cover
The Financial Ombudsman Service explains that an insurer can rely on an exclusion in the policy provided it shows the exclusion applies. A claim can be cut or turned down where the roof was already in poor shape or the loss would have happened regardless. Which? has reported that insurers can decline claims built on gradual damage. Neither body offers any guarantee of payment, and we cannot either.
Skyline does not deal with insurance claims. We can supply survey photographs and a written quote for the repair, which you are free to hand on to your insurer. The insurer, or its loss adjuster, decides what is paid. If you disagree with the outcome, complain to the insurer first and then, if needed, take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Choices when you replace the lead
After a theft you are not forced to put back exactly what was taken. Many owners look again at the detail, because thieves target lead for its scrap value, and an identical replacement will attract the same attention. Lead remains the best material for many details, and a listed building may leave no other acceptable option.
Alternatives such as zinc, copper or lead-free flashing systems are covered on our lead alternatives page, and white staining on lead describes the finish on new sheet. Your insurer may prefer like for like, or may accept an alternative of equivalent cost. Check with them first, since a different material can alter the payout.
Fixing methods, bay lengths and a sensible code matter as much as the metal. See lead sheet lengths for why.
Reducing the chance of a repeat
Good access control makes theft harder. Remove or secure ladders, cut back anything that provides a climbing route, and consider lighting or an alarm on the vulnerable side. Some owners photograph or mark the lead so that stolen sheet can be identified. A roof overlooked from neighbouring windows is less attractive to thieves than one hidden at the back.
A repair after theft is also a good moment to review the whole roof. Sometimes the lead that remains is thin or past its best, and replacing it once costs less than patching twice. Our lead flat roof repair page shows how a limited repair can work, and the background to the whole subject is on lead theft.
Evidence worth keeping
Insurers ask for proof, and the more you hold the smoother the conversation. Keep the crime reference number, dated photographs of the gap and of any water damage inside, and any earlier pictures that show the lead in place. Even an old holiday photograph with the house in the background can help to show what the roof looked like before the theft.
Jot down names and dates for every call. If temporary protection is fitted, keep the invoice, because many policies reimburse sensible emergency costs. Hold on to damaged plaster or insulation until the insurer says it can go.
What we send you
Following the survey, pictures of your actual roof arrive with a quote on paper, priced as one total. We propose only what the fault needs, so a few missing flashings do not become a full re-lay unless the survey shows the rest is failing too. Our workmanship is guaranteed for 10 years on paper, and we take our rubbish away.
Ring 01793 626096, or use the WhatsApp number or the form on this site to begin. Include the crime reference number and a photograph of the gap if you have one.