Emergency Board Up in Hialeah, FL

How Much Does Emergency Board Up Cost in Hialeah?

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

The building moves the price most here. More than 4 in 10 homes are in buildings of five or more units^[4], so upper floors and a manager's approval add time. The permanent repair carries its own city permit fee, $12 per opening and at least $180 for a home^[6].

See what else changes the price on our cost page.

Can Hialeah Declare an Empty Building Unsafe if It Is Left Open?

Yes. The Hialeah Building Department applies Miami-Dade County Code Sec. 8-5, under which a building that is vacant, unguarded and open at doors or windows is unsafe^[5]. A disconnected water service is on the same list^[5], so an empty house with the water off and a smashed window meets two conditions at once.

Posting a structure as unsafe costs $350, each inspection $125 and each re-inspection $85, and unpaid amounts can draw interest^[6]. In a windstorm or fire hazard, county Sec. 8-5(f) lets the building official secure the building and record the cost as a lien on the property^[10].

Code Compliance lists abandoned structures among its most common violations^[11] and can cite hazardous conditions without a warning^[12]. The city's pages set no plywood thickness or securing deadline, so ask the Building Department what your notice requires.

Should I Use 1/2-Inch or 5/8-Inch Plywood on My Hialeah Windows?

Hialeah's Office of Emergency Management tells residents to install shutters or buy precut 1/2-inch outdoor plywood for each window, with anchors installed and holes predrilled^[2]. Miami-Dade County advises approved shutters or 5/8-inch plywood^[3]. The thicker sheet is the safer pick.

Neither makes plywood code-approved storm protection. Hialeah is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, where ordinary buildings are designed for 175 mph gusts^[14]. The state rules are on our Florida board-up rules page.

The city adds two warnings. Tape does not keep windows from breaking, and people in mobile homes should plan to evacuate^[2]. Hialeah has about 941 mobile homes^[4], and boarding one does not make it safe to stay in. The county also warns that a boarded home is harder to get out of^[3], so leave one usable exit.

Tornadoes, Lightning and Old Apartment Roofs: Hialeah's Storm Record

Hurricanes are not the only thing that breaks windows here. NOAA's storm records name Hialeah in these events^[15].

Two were January tornadoes, outside the June 1 to November 30 hurricane season^[16]. NOAA logged 16 tornadoes and 75 thunderstorm wind reports across Miami-Dade from 2016 to 2025^[15], so breaks come in any month.

The housing raises the odds. The median home was built in 1975^[1], and about 88% were built before 2000^[4]. Miami-Dade's windborne debris protection rule began with the 1994 South Florida Building Code^[17], so most windows here predate it. June and September each average over 10 inches of rain at Miami International Airport^[18], so an open window lets in water fast.

After the Board Up: Hialeah Permits for New Windows, Shutters and Storefronts

The permanent fix needs a city permit, because Hialeah lists window and door repair or replacement, and shutters, among projects that require one^[9]. The list does not mention temporary boarding, so ask the Building Department if unsure. The city's fees^[6]:

• Window and door installation or repair: $12 per opening, minimum $180 for a home and $290 for a business^[6]
• Shutters: $12 per opening, with the same minimums^[6]
• Storefront or fixed glass: $20 per 100 square feet, minimum $290^[6]

Condo owners need an Association Authorization Letter, signed by the president and notarized^[19]. A commercial tenant may pull its own permit only for non-structural work of 500 sq ft or less and/or under $5,000, otherwise a licensed contractor is needed^[19]. In the Transit Oriented Development district, opaque security shutters are not allowed on storefronts^[20].

Where in Hialeah We Board Up

We take requests across the city, from Downtown Hialeah and the Hialeah Park District to Hialeah Heights, Palm Lakes and Seminola, the Okeechobee corridor, and the Hialeah Market Station, Hialeah Transfer Station and Factory Town areas^[20][15][21]. That includes Aragon, Aquabella and Bonterra in the Hialeah Heights Annex^[22].

Nearby we also cover Hialeah Gardens, Miami Lakes, Miami Springs, Medley, Opa-locka and Westview^[21]. For neighboring Miami, see our Miami page.

ZIP codes: 33012, 33010, 33013, 33018, 33014, 33016, 33142

Near Hialeah

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