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Emergency Board Up in Fort Lauderdale, FL

We board up broken windows, forced doors and storm-damaged openings at homes, condos and shops across Fort Lauderdale, in Broward County^[1]. City code lets you board after a break-in, fire or storm without a boarding certificate, but only for 60 days^[2]. After that, the boards need a city permit and must meet the city's bolted standard^[2]. Send us the address and what is open for a free estimate.

Fort Lauderdale at a glance

Emergency boards: Up to 60 days, no certificate; Board right away after a break-in or storm, then get the repair done within two months^[2].
Vacant-building fees: $79 inspection plus $65 certificate; City fees on top of the board up, for a building left boarded and empty^[3].
City board standard: 5/8-inch plywood, bolted and painted; Boards on a vacant building must pass a city inspection^[2].
Wind zone: High-Velocity Hurricane Zone; All of Broward is in it^[4], and windows there must be impact-rated or behind tested shutters^[5].
Hurricane watch: About 48 hours' notice; The city says to secure windows and doors at the watch, not the warning^[6].
Typical cost: $190 to $970; Covering one to a few broken windows or a door with plywood.

Request a free estimate

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 Fort Lauderdale?

Emergency board up in Fort Lauderdale typically costs $190 to $970 to cover one to a few broken windows or a door with plywood.

Two local things move the price. About 3 in 10 homes here are in buildings of 50 or more units^[7], where a broken tower window is boarded from inside. And an empty building needs 5/8-inch plywood, bolted braces and paint on every opening^[2], plus $79 and $65 in city fees^[3], which is more work than a quick emergency cover.

See what else changes the price on our cost page.

How Long Can Emergency Boards Stay Up in Fort Lauderdale?

Sixty days. Section 18-9 of the city code lets you board after vandalism, fire, theft, an accident or an act of God without a boarding certificate, for up to 60 days^[2]. After that, Section 18-8 calls for a board up permit and a boarding certificate^[2].

Situation	Certificate needed?
Break-in, fire, accident or storm damage	No, for up to 60 days^[2]
Storm prep after a hurricane or tropical storm watch or warning	No^[2]
Any other boarding, including an empty building	Yes, with a permit^[2]

Every step must be done within 30 days of applying, and the certificate lasts a year, with one six-month renewal tied to a repair, demolition or sale plan^[2]. A contractor can apply for the owner, with two copies of a footprint sketch marking each opening, and a city inspector checks the boards before the certificate is issued^[3].

What Does a Boarded Window Have to Look Like in Fort Lauderdale?

Under Section 18-10, each window gets one continuous sheet of exterior-grade or pressure-treated plywood at least 5/8 inch thick, 2x4 cross-members inside and 2x4 braces outside, and at least four 3/8-inch carriage bolts set flush so nothing can pry them off^[2]. Doors take at least six bolts, one entry door hangs on three strap hinges, and every board gets a coat of paint that suits the building^[2]. If the boards may stay past 60 days, tell us when you send the request, so they are built to this standard from the start.

Shops have one more rule. Painted plywood is an accepted stopgap for a broken window, but a window facing a public street may not be permanently boarded, and damaged storefront windows must be restored or replaced^[9]. State rules are on our Florida board-up rules page.

What Storms and Floods Have Broken Open Fort Lauderdale Buildings?

Floods and small tornadoes open buildings here too, some in midwinter.

Event	What it did
Wilma, October 24, 2005	99 mph gust in Fort Lauderdale, with many high-rise windows broken^[10]
Irma, September 2017	Gusts of 80 to 100 mph across metro Broward^[11]
Flood, April 12, 2023	25.91 inches of rain, over 1,100 city buildings damaged^[11]
EF0 tornado, January 6, 2024	Rio Vista Isles across the New River to near East Las Olas Boulevard^[11]

In that 2023 flood, homes in Edgewood and Melrose Park had over 3 feet of water inside^[11]. A flooded house left empty during repairs is the open, vacant building the city rules target, so secure its doors and low windows too.

Half of the city's homes were built in 1973 or earlier^[1], long before today's impact rules. Broward is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone^[4], where glazing must meet impact test criteria or sit behind a tested device^[5], so plywood is a stopgap until impact glass or tested shutters go in. June is the wettest month, at 9.55 inches^[12], so an uncovered opening takes on water fast.

Boarding Up in Sailboat Bend and Fort Lauderdale's Other Historic Districts

Fort Lauderdale has three locally designated historic districts: Sailboat Bend, Himmarshee and the Stranahan House district^[13]. Sailboat Bend is the largest, with more than 550 buildings, and the oldest neighborhood in the city, built from the early 1900s to the 1950s^[13]. Older frames there often need boards cut to fit and fastened clear of original trim.

Historic preservation applications go through the Urban Design and Planning Division^[14]. Ask them whether boards that stay past the emergency need their review.

Where in Fort Lauderdale We Take Board-Up Requests

We take requests across the city, from Downtown Fort Lauderdale and Flagler Village to the waterfront homes of Las Olas Isles, Rio Vista, Harbor Beach and Coral Ridge, the towers of Galt Ocean Mile, and Sailboat Bend, Riverland, Edgewood, Melrose Park, Progresso Village and Imperial Point^[15]. With 165 miles of waterways inside city limits^[16], many of these homes sit on open water.

We also take jobs in Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Plantation, Dania Beach and Hollywood^[16].

ZIP codes: 33312, 33311, 33309, 33308, 33315, 33304, 33316, 33301, 33305, 33334, 33306

Fort Lauderdale Questions

Where Do I Get a Fort Lauderdale Police Report for My Insurer?

From the FLPD Records Unit at 1300 W. Broward Blvd., (954) 828-5465^[17]. Reports go out only by mail or in person, at 15 cents a page^[17]. Get the case number from the officer before the boards go up.

What Is the Fort Lauderdale Police Non-Emergency Number for a Break-In?

It is (954) 764-4357^[17]. Use it once the break-in is over and nobody is in danger, and photograph the damage first.

Do Shuttered Snowbird Homes in Fort Lauderdale Need a Boarding Certificate?

No, city code exempts unoccupied homes secured with storm shutters^[2]. About 1 in 5 housing units here counts as vacant^[1], so many owners rely on this. Boards added after damage still fall under the 60-day limit^[2].

When Should I Book Plywood Before a Hurricane in Fort Lauderdale?

At the hurricane watch, which means hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours^[6]. The season runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10^[18].

Should I Report a Downed Power Line Before You Board a Window?

Yes, report it to FPL at 1-800-468-8243 and stay away from it, as the city advises after storms^[19]. No one should work beside a live line.

Can Fort Lauderdale Board Up My Empty Building and Bill Me?

Yes. A posted notice gives the owner 10 days, and in an emergency the city can act at once^[2]. An unpaid bill can become a lien on the property^[2], and magistrate fines can attach to everything the owner holds^[8].

Does My Lender Have to Secure a Foreclosed Home in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes, once the home is vacant and the mortgage is in default. The lender must register it within 10 days of inspection, pay $200 a year, and keep its doors and windows secure^[2].

Is an Open, Empty Building Unsafe Under Broward County Rules?

Yes, Broward's building code amendments deem a building unsafe when it is vacant, unguarded and open at doors or windows^[20]. The building official can secure it in an emergency and lien the property for the cost^[20].

Near Fort Lauderdale

We also cover Miami, Hialeah, Hollywood, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton in the South Florida area. See all areas, the price table and Florida rules.

Sources

Checked November 2026. Rules change: confirm with the office named before you rely on one.

Request a free estimate

Emergency Board Up in Fort Lauderdale, 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.