The UK’s construction sector is among our most well-established and respected. Whether that’s in the new-build houses that seemingly spring up overnight, or the essential works to our public infrastructure, building projects up and down the country are a big deal.
That’s further reflected in the sector’s employment statistics, with an estimated 2.1 million people working in construction as of 2024. However, despite that undeniable popularity and its importance in the UK’s economy, crime is rampant in the construction industry. It’s fast becoming disruptive, and construction firms are scrambling for solutions.
With our latest article as the UK’s #1 security company, we’re laying bare the startling state of crime in the construction industry. It’s an area we’re comprehensively familiar with – our article on crime in retail is concrete proof of that.
This piece seeks to lift the lid on why our construction sector grapples with soaring criminality and offers practical solutions on what businesses, staff members and those associated with the sector can do to combat it.
While the construction industry has proven resilient, especially in the face of the pandemic, crime can and does derail projects without warning. Here are just a select few of the key statistics on crime on building sites and how they could spell disaster for your next project.
Tools are so often the lifeblood of construction. Without the right kit – always in the right hands – we run the risk of cutting corners, unsafe construction and a poor job at the end of it all. Construction professionals understand that, and invest hundreds – if not thousands – in the tools they use across the site.
Sadly, thieves also understand that substantial investment and the theft of tools has quickly become a huge problem. The recent whitepaper from On The Tools (along with its associated appendices) estimates that, of the 2,078 tradespeople surveyed, 78.5% had experienced tool theft in their working life.
That’s a shocking enough statistic alone, but it’s only when we look at costs and the financial impact that the truth is hammered home. Of the respondents to On The Tools’ outreach, more than 52% placed the monetary value of their tool theft between £1,000 and £4,999 – an eye-watering amount when you consider that 686 tradespeople reported a figure in that region.
It only becomes worse when we look at the proportion of those tradespeople who managed to recover their money or the goods themselves. That same whitepaper found that just 1% of those surveyed managed to fully recover, with just 4% able to make a partial recovery. 94% of all tools are never recovered and are either sold on or used by opportunistic criminals.
Of course, financial impact is far from the only consequence. Mental health issues so often stem from the monetary cost of the theft, but they can also be a direct result of the act of theft itself. That only leads to missing work, and perpetuating that cycle that the thieves unknowingly start.
An estimated 68% of respondents said that they find themselves worrying about the imminent threat of tool theft daily, with a further 18% feeling it every week. It’s all a vicious circle and one that criminals can exploit for financial gain.
Closely linked to our previous point, and a major consideration when it comes to crime in the construction industry, tool theft doesn’t yet have its own categorisation among nationwide and localised crime reporting. The report from OnTheTools only managed to source data for a handful of local police forces, with many unable to provide properly segmented information.
It’s much the same case for retail worker abuse, which simply falls under violent crime – tool theft across all industries is only categorised as “theft” or – in the case of theft that occurs from an on-site vehicle – “vehicle theft”. This complicates matters across the board.
Without proper classification, punishments cannot be as stringently applied, and criminals who target construction sites or tradespeople are well aware of that. It also means that the police are unable to do as much as they would if it were categorised separately, like domestic or commercial burglary – again, something that criminals know and exploit.
There is a campaign for that to change. As recently as 2024, the Equipment Theft Prevention Bill was introduced to the House of Commons and was widely supported by those who debated it. 6 months after that debate, the bill was written into law, but many tradespeople still lament its lack of coverage for their day-to-day kit.
While it’s a step in the right direction, it also leaves many in the lurch, unsure of whether or not thieves and those who sell the equipment on will face proper punishment.
We’re all no doubt familiar with the spikes in fuel prices over recent years. While they’ve largely calmed down now, they’re still far beyond the prices many tradespeople will have enjoyed in previous years.
Data from the RAC Foundation illustrates the extent of that rise, with petrol prices 58% higher than lows in 2009, and 26% higher than prices we saw as recently as the pandemic. Diesel has seen similar price fluctuations, which is usually a bigger concern for plant machinery or larger-scale equipment.
Now while we’ve analysed these statistics here, it’s information that’s freely available, and thieves are taking advantage of the rising price at the pump. Construction sites are huge targets for those opportunists, and we’re starting to see the spiralling effects of fuel theft on our hard-working tradespeople and builders.
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) – one of the foremost bodies in the construction industry – first uncovered the extent of that, with 51% of construction sites experiencing fuel theft, siphoning or similar offences in the last year alone.
Plant machinery hire firm Ardent Hire also forecasted the possible financial losses from fuel theft, placing the loss of earnings and fuel itself at the £1 million mark. It’s a massive loss, and as petrol and diesel prices continue to fluctuate, it’s only likely to rise.
Building sites and construction projects can often cover large areas. Whether that’s a new-build estate, a large office block, or even a demolition project, the demands of effective construction mean that space is crucial. That in itself presents an issue and a major target for trespassers and vandals.
Vandalism is thought to be one of the largest issues facing construction projects, especially those in city or town centres, or that are likely to see a steadier stream of foot traffic. Indeed, research from the CIOB confirms that, with over 91% of building sites surveyed experiencing vandalism in the last year.
It’s when we look more closely that we see why. With thieves often vandalising sites to get to materials like cables or copper piping, the waters become muddied, and while theft is one concern, the damage caused can present an entirely new one.
That’s particularly true when it comes to health and safety concerns. Construction sites are inherently dangerous places, and careless damage caused by vandals, arsonists or thieves only serves to exacerbate that danger.
This was a statistic that shocked us at first glance. While Bauwatch’s report still finds that criminals of opportunity (i.e., those who make a snap decision to steal) account for the lion’s share of crime across construction sites in the UK, that still leaves a substantial amount that’s accounted for by other sources.
The biggest surprise is that, according to that same study, an estimated 27% of all thefts on building sites are carried out by an “insider”, or someone who’s worked on your site for a prolonged period. Under the guise of a legitimate member of staff, thieves can slip in and out without detection.
That’s believed to have been the cause of one of the largest metal thefts in recent history, from German metal magnate Aurubis. It cannot be understated – with tradespeople, subcontractors and specialists all grouped for large-scale projects, it becomes difficult to track who is where, and when they’re leaving the site.
A further 15% of thefts are thought to be the result of organised crime groups (OCG). While we never think they’re active in our area, that’s a common misconception – they’re across the country, and data from police forces show they travel a fair distance to make the next theft, especially if they know of an improperly secured construction site.
That being said, they more often target rural enterprises, especially building projects or those where equipment is likely to be stored. The NFU reports as much, finding that organised crime in rural areas has spiked by around 22% in recent years.
In truth, the construction sector has always grappled with the ebbing tides of criminality. Even older architecture attracts its fair share of ill intent, with lead and other, now-outdated materials fetching a decent price on the black market. However, it’s only with the advent of more robust reporting and surveying that we realise the true extent of the problem.
Effective reporting is one step in all of this. We touched earlier on the Equipment Theft Prevention Bill, and that’s hopefully set to have its scope expanded to include some of the more commonly stolen items from construction sites, like power tools and building materials. We’re also starting to see the first police force statistics on equipment theft.
All of this paints a positive picture, but there’s much more lurking below the surface. As we’ve outlined time and again in our nationwide crime report, crime is on the rise, and while that’s most clearly manifested in a 50% spike in shoplifting, it’s also translating to greater levels of theft across the board.
It’s also having a protracted effect on the mental health of those working in the construction industry. According to the On The Tools whitepaper we discussed earlier, 39% of those who’ve had their tools stolen said it “Strongly Affected” their mental well-being.
Ultimately, it’s difficult to say with certainty what will happen with crime in the construction sector, but one thing that won’t change is the preventative measures that work. Let’s break those down.
As the UK’s #1 security provider, and a renowned provider of robust solutions for the construction sector, we’re perfectly positioned to offer expert guidance against the very real threats your business faces. It’s all part of what we do, and how we provide a bespoke package for building projects.
We’ll start with a few pointers of practical advice you can implement today:
Of course, while these methods are effective in their own right, there’s no substitute for the effective security measures that exist for construction sites. These do represent an outlay – a daunting prospect if you’re concerned about losses – but they more than recoup those with effective, robust protection. Here are the measures we’d recommend for construction sites:
Interested in upgrading your site to the next level of protection, and stemming the tide of crime on your construction site? Get in touch with our in-house experts today to discuss your options in much more detail, and to receive your free, no-obligation quotation.
