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Emergency glazing for broken windows, doors and shopfronts
Broken glass is dangerous and leaves the building open. A glazier makes it safe, measures the opening and gets the new glass ordered and fitted.
- Open 24 hours, every day
- Homes and businesses
- Fully insured
- Photos for your insurer
What emergency glazing is and what it covers
Emergency glazing is the urgent replacement of broken glass by a glazier. It covers any glass in a home or business, from one cracked pane to a full shop window.
The first job is always to make the opening secure. Glass that has to be made to size is measured there and then, and fitted on a return visit. Until it arrives, the opening is covered by our emergency boarding up service.
What we fit depends on what broke. A single pane in an older frame is a broken window repair. A sealed unit in a modern frame is a double glazed unit replacement. Glass in a front, back or patio door is covered on our door glass replacement page.
Businesses use the same call-out for shop windows and glazed entrances, which you can read about under shopfront glass replacement. You do not need to know the name of the glass before you ring. Describe what you can see, or send a picture, and we will work out the rest.
What the glazier does on the first visit
- Broken glass is taken out of the frame
- The opening is boarded if glass must be ordered
- Glass type and thickness are checked
- Exact sizes are taken for the new glass
Ask for an emergency glazing quote
Tell us which glass has broken and send a picture if you can. We will reply with a price before any work starts.
Prefer to talk? Call 0808 135 0137.
What emergency glazing includes
Making safe and measuring up
- Cracked and loose glass removed from the frame
- Broken glass cleared from floors and sills
- Glass and debris taken away
- The opening boarded if glass must be ordered
- Glass type identified before ordering
- Height, width and thickness measured
- Frame, beads and seals checked for damage
- Photos of the damage for your insurer
Fitting the new glass
- Single panes in timber and metal frames
- Sealed double glazed units
- Toughened and laminated safety glass
- Glass panels in doors and side panels
- Shop windows and glazed entrances
- Boards taken down when the glass arrives
- New glass sealed or beaded into the frame
- Photos of the finished job and an itemised invoice
What emergency glazing costs
We do not work from a fixed price list, because no two panes are the same. Four things decide the figure on your quote.
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Type of glass
Plain glass, toughened glass, laminated glass and sealed units are all priced differently. -
Size of the pane
Bigger panes cost more to make and take more work to carry and fit. -
Where the glass is
Glass at ground level is simple to reach. Upper floors and awkward spots take longer. -
How urgent it is
Tell us whether you need someone tonight or whether a daytime visit will do.
Send a photo of the broken glass for a glazing quote
How emergency glazing works
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Tell us what has broken
Call or message with a picture of the glass and the postcode of the property. -
Agree the quote
You get a price before anyone sets off, and nothing starts until you say yes. -
The opening is made safe
The glazier removes the broken glass, secures the opening and takes the sizes. -
New glass is fitted
Made to size glass goes in on a return visit, and any boards come off at the same time.
Why use us for emergency glazing
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Phones answered day and night
You can reach us 24 hours a day, every day of the year. -
Boarding and glass together
The people who secure the opening are the same people who fit the new glass. -
A quote before work starts
You know the cost before we begin, usually from just a photo and a postcode. -
Fully insured
We are fully insured for work on homes and on business premises.
Before and after: what our emergency glazing looks like
Why some glass cannot be fitted on the first visit
Toughened glass and double glazed units are made to size before they reach us. They cannot be cut on site, so the right one is never sitting in a van waiting. The glazier measures the opening and the order is placed from those sizes.
While you wait, the opening stays boarded and the building stays locked. If you are not sure what kind of glass you had, send us a photo and we will tell you what to expect.
Doors and low windows are expected to have safety glass, which is one reason a like for like pane is not always the right replacement. Our safety glass page explains where toughened and laminated glass are used.
Related glazing and boarding services
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Emergency boarding up
Broken windows and doors made secure, day or night. -
Broken window repair
Cracked and smashed panes taken out and replaced. -
Double glazed unit replacement
New sealed units fitted into your existing frames. -
Door glass replacement
Glass panels in front, back and patio doors. -
Shopfront glass replacement
New shopfront glass made to size and fitted. -
Toughened and laminated safety glass
The right safety glass for doors and low windows.
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 does insurance cover a broken window, or see all guides.
Emergency glazing questions
What counts as emergency glazing?
Any broken glass that leaves a building unsafe or open. That includes smashed windows, cracked door panels, broken shop windows and glass that is still in the frame but could fall.
Can the glass be replaced on the first visit?
Not always. Toughened glass and double glazed units have to be made to size, so they are measured first and fitted on a return visit. Send a photo and we can tell you which applies before we come.
What happens to the opening while the glass is being made?
It is boarded with sheet timber cut on site, so the property is secure and dry. The board comes off when the glazier returns with the new glass.
Do you replace glass in business premises as well as homes?
Yes. We work on homes and on business premises of all kinds. Tell us what the building is when you get in touch.
Will my insurer need anything from you?
Insurers usually ask for evidence of the damage and the cost. We give you photos taken before and after the work and an itemised invoice to pass on.
How much does emergency glazing cost?
It depends on the glass type, the size of the pane, where it is and how soon you need it. Send a photo and a postcode and we will quote before any work begins.
Need broken glass replaced now
Send a picture of the glass and your postcode. We will reply with a quote and tell you what happens next.