- Home
- Emergency boarding up
Emergency boarding up for windows, doors and shopfronts
A smashed window or forced door needs covering before anything else. We clear the glass, cut boards to fit and fix them so the building is locked and dry.
- Open 24 hours, every day
- Homes and businesses
- Fully insured
- Photos for your insurer
What emergency boarding up is and when you need it
Emergency boarding up closes a building that has been left open by broken glass or a forced door. We cut timber boards to the size of the opening and fix them over it, so nobody can climb in and the rain stays out.
Most calls follow a break-in, an accident, vandalism, a fire or a storm. The opening might be a single pane, a patio door or a whole shop window. We cover each of these, with more detail on our window boarding, door boarding and shopfront boarding pages.
Boarding is a temporary fix, and the next step is new glass. Our emergency glazing service measures the opening while we are there, so made to size glass can be ordered straight away. When it arrives, the boards are taken off and the glass goes in.
If the damage came from a burglary, tell us when you call. Our burglary repairs cover the door, frame and lock as well as the glass, so one visit can deal with all of it. Not sure what you need? A photo is enough for us to tell you.
What happens on the first visit
- The opening is checked and loose glass removed
- Boards are cut on site to fit
- Boards are fixed so the building can be locked
- The opening is measured for new glass
Ask for a boarding up quote
Tell us what is broken and where, and we will come back with a price.
Prefer to talk? Call 0808 135 0137.
What emergency boarding up includes
Making the opening secure
- Jagged glass taken out of the frame
- Timber boards cut to the exact size on site
- Boards fixed into the frame or the surrounding wall
- Fixings set so the board cannot be levered off from outside
- Large openings braced with timber battens
- Ground floor and upper floor windows
- Front, back and patio doors
- Shopfronts and glazed entrances
Leaving the property safe
- Broken glass swept up inside and outside
- Glass and debris taken away with us
- Gaps sealed against wind and rain
- Sharp edges covered or removed
- Photos of the damage before we start
- Photos of the finished boarding
- An itemised invoice for your insurer
- The opening measured for replacement glass
What emergency boarding up costs
There is no fixed price list, because every opening is different. Your quote is based on four things.
-
Size of the opening
A small pane needs one board. A shopfront can need several sheets and bracing. -
Number of openings
One broken window, or several windows and a door after a break-in. -
Height and access
Ground floor work is quickest. Upper floors take longer to reach safely. -
When you need us
Say if it has to be tonight or can wait until the morning.
Send a photo of the damage for a boarding up quote
How emergency boarding up works
-
Send a photo and postcode
WhatsApp or call us with a picture of the damage and where the property is. -
Get a price and a time
We reply with a quote and say when we can be there. You decide whether to go ahead. -
We board the opening
Glass is cleared, boards are cut and fixed, and the area is swept. -
Glass is measured
Before we leave we measure up, so replacement glass can be ordered if you want it.
Why use us for boarding up
-
Any hour, any day
Phones are answered through the night, at weekends and on bank holidays. -
Boards cut on site
We bring sheet timber and cut it to your opening, so odd sizes are not a problem. -
Glass from the same firm
The team that boards the opening can also supply and fit the new glass. -
Paperwork for your claim
Photos and an itemised invoice are sent to you once the job is done.
Before and after: what our emergency boarding up looks like
How long boarding can stay up
Boards are meant to hold until the glass is replaced. For a standard pane the wait is usually short. Toughened glass, laminated glass and double glazed units are made to order, so they take longer.
The boarding stays secure for as long as that takes. If the building is going to sit empty for a while, ask about vacant property boarding, which is fitted with a long stay in mind.
Tell your insurer about the damage as soon as you can, and keep the photos and invoice we send you.
Related boarding and glazing services
-
Window boarding
Timber boards fixed over any size of window. -
Door boarding
Damaged doors and frames boarded and locked up. -
Shopfront boarding
Large shop windows covered so you can lock up. -
Emergency glazing
Broken glass measured and replaced by a glazier. -
Burglary repairs
Forced doors, frames and windows put right. -
Vacant property boarding
Empty buildings boarded against break-ins.
We also work for landlords and letting agents, facilities managers, schools and pubs and restaurants. Useful guides: what to do when a window is smashed and what boarding up involves and how long it can stay, or see all guides.
Emergency boarding up questions
What is emergency boarding up?
It is a temporary cover for a broken window, door or shopfront. Timber boards are cut to size and fixed over the opening so the building is secure and weatherproof until the glass is replaced.
Can you board up at night or at the weekend?
Yes. We take calls and messages at any hour, including weekends and bank holidays. Give us the postcode and we will say when we can be there.
What are the boards made of?
We use sheet timber boards, cut on site to fit the opening. Larger openings are braced with timber battens behind the boards.
Will boarding up damage my window frame?
We use as few fixings as the job allows and place them where they do least harm. If the frame is new or delicate, say so and we will talk through the options before we start.
Do I need to be at the property?
Someone needs to give us access and agree the price. If you cannot be there, a keyholder, neighbour or letting agent can meet us instead.
How much does emergency boarding up cost?
It depends on the size and number of openings, how high they are and when you need us. With a photo and a postcode we can quote before anyone travels.
Need a property boarded up now
Message a photo and the postcode. We will come back with a price and a time.