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Vacant property boarding for empty homes and buildings
An empty building with glass on show invites trouble. We board the windows and doors with timber cut on site, so it stays shut until you need it again.
- Open 24 hours, every day
- Homes and businesses
- Fully insured
- Photos for your insurer
What vacant property boarding is and when you need it
Vacant property boarding covers the windows and doors of an empty building with timber boards. It makes the building harder to get into while nobody is living or working there. Unlike a single emergency board, it usually takes in every opening that could be reached.
It suits houses standing empty between tenants or ahead of a sale, closed shops and pubs, and commercial units waiting for a refit. The boards are fitted with a long stay in mind.
We use sheet timber and cut it on site to fit each opening. If the building has already been broken into, we clear the glass and close it up first, in the same way as emergency boarding up. Empty shop units with large panes are handled as shopfront boarding.
When the building is going back into use, the boards can come down and any broken panes can be dealt with through broken window repair or double glazed unit replacement. Let us know at the start roughly how long you expect it to stand empty.
What we need to know first
- How many windows and doors there are
- Which floors need covering
- Whether any glass is already broken
- Which door you need to keep using
Ask for a vacant property quote
Tell us about the building and how many openings it has, and we will work out a price.
Prefer to talk? Call 0808 135 0137.
What vacant property boarding includes
Openings we board
- Ground floor windows
- Upstairs windows
- Front and back doors
- Patio doors and glazed side panels
- Shop windows and glazed entrances
- Rear and side doors on commercial units
- Basement and low-level windows
- Openings where the glass has already gone
How the boarding is fitted
- Sheet timber cut on site for each opening
- Boards fixed to resist being prised off
- Wide openings braced with timber
- Loose and broken glass cleared first
- Glass and debris taken away
- An agreed door left clear for access
- Photos of every boarded opening
- Itemised invoice for the owner or insurer
What vacant property boarding costs
Empty buildings vary too much for a price list. We quote each one, based on four things.
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How many openings
A terraced house has a handful of windows and doors. A commercial unit can have many more. -
How big they are
Standard windows take one board each. Wide glazing needs several sheets and timber bracing. -
How high they are
Boarding upstairs windows means working from ladders or other access, which adds time. -
State of the building
Broken glass to clear and damaged frames to work around both add to the job.
Send photos of the building for a boarding quote
How vacant property boarding works
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Send photos of each side
Pictures of the front, back and sides let us count the openings. Add the postcode. -
We send a quote
The price lists what will be boarded. Change the list if you want more or fewer openings covered. -
We board the building
Any broken glass is cleared, then each board is cut and fixed in turn. -
You get the record
Photos of every boarded opening and an itemised invoice follow when the work is finished.
Why use us for an empty building
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Cut to each opening
Older buildings rarely have two windows the same size, so every board is measured and cut at the property. -
Homes and commercial units
We board empty houses and flats as well as shops, pubs, offices and other business premises. -
Proof it was secured
Dated paperwork and photos show the owner, agent or insurer what was boarded. -
Glazing when you reopen
The team that fits the boards also replaces glass, so reopening does not mean finding another firm.
Before and after: what our vacant property boarding looks like
Empty buildings and your insurance
Many insurance policies treat a building differently once it has stood empty for a while. Some expect the owner to take steps to keep it secure. The terms vary from one policy to the next, so read yours or ask your insurer what it requires.
Boarding is one clear step you can show you have taken. We photograph each boarded opening and send an itemised invoice, which you can pass to an insurer, a managing agent or a solicitor handling the property.
Boards do not replace someone keeping an eye on the place. Have the building looked at from time to time, and tell us if a board has been disturbed or damaged.
Related boarding and glazing services
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Emergency boarding up
Broken windows and doors made secure, day or night. -
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. -
Burglary repairs
Forced doors, frames and windows put right. -
Broken window repair
Cracked and smashed panes taken out and replaced.
We also work for landlords and letting agents, facilities managers, schools and pubs and restaurants. Useful guides: how to secure an empty property and what boarding up involves and how long it can stay, or see all guides.
Vacant property boarding questions
How is vacant property boarding different from emergency boarding?
Emergency boarding covers an opening that has just been broken. Vacant property boarding is planned ahead and usually covers all the windows and doors that could be reached, broken or not.
How long can the boards stay up?
They are fitted to stay for as long as the building is empty. Check them now and then, and tell us if one has been damaged so it can be put right.
Can I still get into the building once it is boarded?
Yes. Tell us which door you, your agent or your contractors need to use and we will leave that one clear. Every other opening on the list is boarded.
Do you board upstairs windows as well?
Yes, where you want them covered. Many owners board the ground floor and any upper windows that can be reached from a flat roof or extension.
Will you take the boards down when the building is needed again?
Yes. Tell us when the building is coming back into use and we will quote for removing them. Any broken glass can be measured on that visit.
How much does it cost to board up a vacant property?
It depends on how many openings there are, their size, how high they are and what state the building is in. Photos of each side and a postcode are enough for us to quote.
Need an empty building boarded
Send photos of the building and the postcode. We will count the openings and give you a price.