Emergency Board Up in Cape Coral, FL
We board up broken windows, sliders and doors at Cape Coral homes and businesses, in Lee County. About 8 in 10 homes here are single-family houses[1], and the city designs openings for 160 mph winds[2]. City code also counts a broken window seen from a canal, not only from the street[3]. Send us the address and what broke for a free estimate.
Cape Coral at a glance
- Design wind speed
- 160 mph, Exposure C
- That is the city default, and riverfront lots are generally Exposure D, with higher pressures[2].
- Canal-side damage
- Counts under Sec. 12-25
- A broken window or door visible from a street, canal or neighbor is a public nuisance and a misdemeanor[3].
- Flood zone
- Most residents in an SFHA
- In that zone, storm damage including water intrusion needs a city permit for all repairs[4][5].
- Unsafe building fines
- $150, rising to $2,000
- Fines climb with each repeat in 12 months, and the city can fix and bill[7].
- Typical cost
- $180 to $900
- One to a few broken windows or a single door covered with plywood.
Request a free estimate
Emergency Board Up in Cape Coral, FL
- We read what broke and where.
- We call you to confirm the details and the price, before any boards go up.
- A technician from our own crew secures the openings and photographs each one.
How Much Does Emergency Board Up Cost in Cape Coral?
Emergency board up in Cape Coral typically costs $180 to $900 to cover one to a few broken windows or a door with plywood.
About 8 in 10 homes here are single-family houses[1], so the job is more often a wide slider than a high apartment window, and wide openings take more sheets. After a hurricane the county competes for crews and plywood, since Ian touched at least 52,514 Lee County structures[8]. In a declared emergency, city Sec. 8-29 bars unconscionable prices, lumber included[9].
Our cost page explains the rest of what changes a price.
Can Cape Coral Fine You for a Broken Window Facing the Canal?
Yes. Sec. 12-25 makes it unlawful to leave broken or damaged windows, doors or shutters visible from any street, canal or neighboring property[3]. A shattered slider on the canal side counts the same as a front window, and the violation is a public nuisance and a misdemeanor[3].
If damage leaves a building structurally dangerous or unsafe, Sec. 9-16 requires the owner to deal with it promptly, and Cape Coral Police and Code Compliance both enforce it[7]. Fines run $150 for a first offense, then $500, $1,000 and $2,000 for repeats within 12 months[7].
The owner has 10 days after a notice to ask for a hearing before the special magistrate[7], held at 1015 Cultural Park Blvd[10]. Otherwise the city may fix the problem, bill the owner for the work plus the fine, and record a lien[7]. Boarding ends the open condition while the repair is arranged.
How Strong Does Storm Protection Need to Be on a Cape Coral Home?
The city's permit worksheet uses a 160 mph wind speed and Exposure C unless an engineer shows otherwise, and puts riverfront property generally in Exposure D[2]. For a home under 30 feet tall, the minimum window pressures are[2]:
| Exposure | Inward (psf) | Outward (psf) |
|---|---|---|
| B | 27.6 | 37.0 |
| C, the city default | 38.6 | 51.8 |
| D, riverfront | 45.8 | 61.4 |
So a window or shutter that passes on a sheltered lot can fall short facing the river. Permitted shutters need approvals tested to at least -60/+60[2], a floor plan and an inspection[12]. Emergency plywood is a stopgap until approved glass or shutters go in.
Cape Coral is outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which covers only Broward and Miami-Dade, but at 160 mph it is in a wind-borne debris region[13]. Statewide panel and insurance rules are on our Florida board-up rules page.
What Ian, Milton and Tornadoes Have Done to Cape Coral Homes
Ian brought wind and water together. Its highest Lee County gust, 140 mph, was measured at the Cape Coral Yacht Club[15], and the National Hurricane Center found 6 to 9 feet of inundation in Cape Coral[8]. Lower sliders and doors broke from surge as well as debris.
| Date | Event | Recorded in Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 9, 2016 | EF-2 tornado | 178 structures damaged in the western Cape[15] |
| Oct. 19, 2019 | EF-1 tornado | 18 homes damaged in the northwest Cape[15] |
| Sept. 28, 2022 | Hurricane Ian | 140 mph gust and 6 to 9 feet of inundation[15][8] |
| Oct. 2024 | Hurricane Milton | More than 25,000 city impact surveys[5] |
Lee County logged 17 tornadoes from 2016 to 2025[15], so windows break outside hurricane season too. In Milton the city paused its own emergency services in high winds[5]. Nobody boards safely in peak wind, so work starts once it drops.
Who Watches a Seasonal Cape Coral Home When a Storm Breaks a Window?
About 1 in 6 Cape Coral homes is vacant[1], and hurricane season runs June through November[16], so damage can sit unseen. Police volunteers offer free vacation house checks, up to 30 days a year, if the owner names a key holder[17]. That person can also let us in to bolt boards from inside.
Homes empty because of foreclosure have their own rules. Sec. 12-98 says broken windows must be secured by reglazing or boarding, and an out-of-area lender must hire a property manager for monthly inspections[18]. Lenders register with the City Clerk, which took over the program in April 2026[19], and violations can bring up to $1,000 a day[19].
Where in Cape Coral We Board Up
We work from the South Cape, where Cape Coral began[20], and Bimini Basin, along the Hancock Bridge Parkway and Pine Island Road corridors, through Pelican, Four Mile Cove and the Yacht Club area, to Seven Islands, Burnt Store and the Northwest Cape. We also work in North Fort Myers, Matlacha and Pine Island, and across the river in Fort Myers.
ZIP codes: 33993, 33914, 33909, 33991, 33904, 33990
Cape Coral Questions
Who Takes the Police Report if My House Is in Matlacha or Pine Island?
The Lee County Sheriff's Office, because those areas are outside city limits. Its non-emergency line is (239) 477-1000[21]. Inside Cape Coral, police start reports at (239) 574-3223[6].
How Do I Get a Copy of a Cape Coral Police Report for My Claim?
Use the department's public records portal, call Records at (239) 574-0695, or pick it up at 1100 Cultural Park Blvd, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays[6].
Can I Replace a Boarded Slider Size for Size Without a Cape Coral Permit?
No, a size-for-size window or door replacement still needs a city Window/Door permit, with Florida Product Approval or an NOA and a final inspection[22]. Permitting answers at (239) 574-0546[14].
Can the City Require More Than Plywood on an Empty Foreclosed House?
Yes, under Sec. 12-99 the Community Development Director can order the owner or lender to secure every door, window and opening, or to hire an on-site security guard[18].
Does a Neighbor Have to Give a Name to Report My Broken Windows?
Yes, in most cases. Since July 1, 2021, Cape Coral code enforcement cannot act on anonymous complaints, apart from certain safety and environmental cases[11].
How Do I Check if a Code Case on My Damaged House Became a Lien?
Call Code Compliance at (239) 574-0613. Staff can tell you whether the case was resolved, went before the Code Board, or ended in a lien on the property[11].
How Do I Report an Unlicensed Repair Contractor in Cape Coral After a Storm?
Dial 3-1-1 from anywhere in Cape Coral or use the city's 311 app[23]. Warning signs include asking for cash, a large down payment, or for you to pull the permit[23].
When Did Cape Coral's Current Flood Maps Take Effect?
On Nov. 17, 2022[4]. A home bought before then may now sit in a different zone, which matters because flood-zone storm damage needs a permit for all repairs[5].
Near Cape Coral
We also cover Fort Myers, Sarasota in the Southwest Florida area. See all areas, the price table and Florida rules.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 (5-year)
- City of Cape Coral, Window/Door/Shutter Worksheet
- Cape Coral Code of Ordinances, Sec. 12-25
- City of Cape Coral, Flood Protection and Information
- City of Cape Coral, Hurricane Milton incident page
- Cape Coral Police Department, Contact Us
- Cape Coral Code of Ordinances, Sec. 9-16
- National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian
- Cape Coral Code of Ordinances, Sec. 8-29
- City of Cape Coral, Code Compliance Hearings
- City of Cape Coral, Code Compliance, Filing and Responding to Complaints
- City of Cape Coral, Shutter or Awning Guideline, Residential
- Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed. (2023), chapter 2
- City of Cape Coral, Building Division
- NOAA Storm Events Database, 2016-2025
- City of Cape Coral, Emergency Management and Resilience
- Cape Coral Police Department, Vacation House Check
- Cape Coral Code of Ordinances, Secs. 12-98 and 12-99
- City of Cape Coral, City Clerk, Registration of Abandoned Real Property
- City of Cape Coral, CRA Development
- Lee County Sheriff's Office
- City of Cape Coral, Window/Door (Size for Size) Guideline
- City of Cape Coral, Unlicensed Contractors
Checked November 2026. Rules change: confirm with the office named before you rely on one.
Request a free estimate
Emergency Board Up in Cape Coral, FL
- We read what broke and where.
- We call you to confirm the details and the price, before any boards go up.
- A technician from our own crew secures the openings and photographs each one.