How an Emergency Board Up Works

The steps

1. You tell us what brokeThe address, what is open, how many openings and which floor, with phone photos if you can take them safely.
2. We confirm the priceBefore any boards go up. Night and holiday rates, if they apply, are stated then.
3. We sort out accessThe strongest method needs a way inside. If nobody can let us in, the board is fastened from outside into the wall framing around the opening.
4. We photograph and clear glassEach opening is photographed first so an adjuster can still see the damage. Loose glass comes out of the frame and the work area is swept.
5. We board the openingsHalf-inch exterior plywood for most windows, thicker for doors and sliders, bolted through to 2x4 braces inside with round-head carriage bolts. Wide openings take several sheets joined along the seams.
6. You get the paperworkPhotos and an itemized invoice.
7. The boards come downWhen the new glass or door is in. Ask us to include removal when you book.

Before we arrive

• Report a break-in to the police first, and wait for fire officials to release a property after a fire.
• Leave the glass in the frame and keep children and pets away from it.
• Tape heavy plastic or a contractor bag over the opening if rain is coming in, without reaching past loose glass.
• Get your landlord's or manager's approval if you rent.

How long the boards can stay

Until the permanent repair, but plywood weathers, so book the repair soon. Cities, HOAs and insurers can limit how long a building stays boarded. The rules for each city we cover are on its page.