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Emergency Board Up in Pensacola, FL

We board up broken windows, forced doors and storm-damaged openings at homes and businesses in Pensacola and across Escambia County. The city code limits how long plywood may cover a broken opening: two weeks after a break-in, six months after storm damage[1]. Hurricane Isaias put a 102 mph gust across City Hall on October 9, 2026[2], so for many owners the six-month clock started that day. Send the address and what is open for a free estimate.

Pensacola at a glance

Plywood after break-in
Up to 14 days
After a break-in or accident inside city limits, the permanent repair is due within two weeks[1].
Plywood after storm
Up to six months
Counted from the date of damage, so Isaias boards point to about April 9, 2027[1].
Plastic panes
Not allowed as glass
Plexiglas cannot replace glass in an exterior window or door, so the lasting fix is glass[1].
County permits
Apply within 7 days
Outside the city, securing can start at once, but permits must be applied for within a week[3].
Isaias emergency
Still declared, fifth extension
While it lasts, Florida's price-gouging law covers services and lumber[4][5].
Typical cost
$180 to $920
One to a few broken windows or a single door covered with plywood.

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Emergency Board Up in Pensacola, FL

By sending this request you agree that Florida Board Up Kings may call, text or email you about it at the number and email you gave. See our Privacy Policy.

  1. We read what broke and where.
  2. We call you to confirm the details and the price, before any boards go up.
  3. A technician from our own crew secures the openings and photographs each one.

How Much Does Emergency Board Up Cost in Pensacola?

Emergency board up in Pensacola typically costs $180 to $920 to cover one to a few broken windows or a door with plywood.

About 1 in 9 Pensacola homes was built before 1940[6], and old sashes rarely match stock sheet sizes, so panels are cut to each opening. A live oak through a wall, as in the 2024 Bellview tornado[7], has to come off first. On Pensacola Beach every job also needs Santa Rosa Island Authority approval[3]. While the Isaias emergency lasts[4], Florida law bars unconscionable prices for services and lumber[5].

Some homeowners in CRA districts can have a board up paid for, as explained below. Our cost page covers the rest.

How Long Can Plywood Stay on a Broken Window in Pensacola?

Pensacola sets its own limit in sec. 14-2-223(p)[1]. Plywood may cover a damaged window or door for up to two weeks while the owner arranges a repair. After 14 days it is not allowed, unless a natural disaster caused the damage. Then boards may stay up to six months from the date of damage[1].

Sec. 14-2-223(o) says plastic cannot stand in for a glass pane[1], so a clear panel is never the final fix. Sec. 14-2-224(b) says a closure on a bedroom escape window must open from inside without a key or tool[1]. In an occupied home, a panel there has to come off from inside.

The state-wide code and insurance rules are on our Florida board-up rules page.

Which Rules Apply Outside Pensacola City Limits?

The City of Pensacola covers only 22.8 square miles[6]. Ferry Pass, Brent, Warrington, Bellview, Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach are unincorporated Escambia County, so the city's plywood clock does not apply there.

After a storm, the county lets emergency repairs go ahead for safety and security, but permit applications for them are due within 7 days[3]. No county permit is needed for[3]:

  • temporary tarps to keep water out
  • minor demolition to prevent injury or further damage
  • structural shoring and bracing
  • new glass set in an existing window or door frame

Replacing a whole window or door needs a permit, and the county expedites those after a storm[3]. On Pensacola Beach all work also needs Santa Rosa Island Authority approval[3]. Gulf Breeze is in Santa Rosa County.

What Isaias, Sally and Ivan Showed About Pensacola Homes

Isaias made landfall near Destin on October 9, 2026 with 105 mph winds[10]. Pensacola has now had gusts over 100 mph in three hurricanes:

StormDateRecorded in Pensacola
IvanSeptember 16, 2004107 mph gust at Pensacola Naval Air Station[11]
SallySeptember 16, 2020Gusts over 100 mph and 2 to 4 feet of water downtown[12]
IsaiasOctober 9, 2026102 mph gust at City Hall[2]

Sally brought prolonged hurricane conditions, and many homes took roof damage or were hit by fallen trees[12].

The median Pensacola home was built in 1972, and about two in three predate 1980[6], so most windows are not impact glass. Pensacola is a wind-borne debris region, with design wind speeds of 150 to 160 mph around the bay[13], but not in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which is only Miami-Dade and Broward[14]. Escambia County also logged 11 tornadoes and 63 damaging thunderstorm wind reports from 2016 to 2025[7], so windows break outside hurricane season too.

Will the City Pay to Board Up My Pensacola Home After Isaias?

It might, if the home is in the Eastside, Urban Core or Westside Community Redevelopment Agency district[15]. The CRA's Emergency Resiliency Program pays for minimum stabilization work, including boarding broken windows and emergency roof tarping[15].

It is paid as reimbursement with no lien, and the CRA can pay a licensed, insured contractor directly. If you do the work yourself, only materials are reimbursed. You need photos of the damage and of the finished work[15].

The same photos serve the city's Citizen Damage Report at myescambia.com, which helps the area qualify for FEMA aid[16], and your insurer[17].

Pensacola Neighborhoods and Nearby Communities We Cover

We work across the city, from Downtown, the Palafox Historic Business District and the Pensacola Historic District[18] to North Hill, Old East Hill, Belmont-DeVilliers, Sanders Beach and Brownsville. Outside city limits we also cover Ferry Pass, Brent, Warrington, Bellview, Cantonment, Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach and Gulf Breeze. Further east, see Panama City.

ZIP codes: 32501, 32502, 32503, 32504, 32505, 32514

Pensacola Questions

What Number Do I Call for a Pensacola Police Report After a Break-In?

Call the Pensacola Police Department non-emergency line, (850) 435-1900, once the intruder is gone, or 911 if not[19]. Records, at (850) 435-1915, provides the copy your insurer wants[20], at $0.15 a page with ID[21].

Does the Sheriff Take Break-In Reports in Ferry Pass, Brent or Warrington?

Yes, those areas are outside city limits, so the Escambia County Sheriff's Office handles them. The front desk is (850) 436-9630 on weekdays, and its website offers an e-report[22].

Can I Add Hurricane Shutters to a House in North Hill or Old East Hill?

Yes, with Architectural Review Board approval. Hurricane shutters need full board review, a $50 fee and an application filed 21 days before the meeting[23]. The board meets the third Thursday at 2 p.m., and the preservation planner is at (850) 435-1671[24].

Can Pensacola Fine an Owner if Boards Come Off a Vacant Building?

Yes. In June 2026 code enforcement set a $100 a day fine on an empty North Palafox Street building until it was re-secured, after plywood came off several openings[25].

Where Do I Report an Open, Unsecured Building Inside Pensacola?

Call Code Enforcement, a Pensacola Police Department division, at (850) 436-5500, weekdays 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.[26]. Cases go before a special magistrate on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month[26].

Will a Window Replacement Permit in Pensacola Fall Under the 2026 Code?

Yes, if it is submitted on or after December 31, 2026. Until then the city enforces the 2023 Florida Building Code[8].

How Long Will Isaias Debris Sit on My Pensacola Street?

The first city pass was expected to take 4 to 5 weeks after the storm, starting with the most damaged, tree-heavy zones. The Storm Debris Hotline is 1-833-495-3573[27].

Can I Get FEMA Help in Person for Isaias Damage in Pensacola?

Yes. Escambia County got a FEMA Individual Assistance declaration on October 29, 2026[28], and the Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. Desoto St., has been a Disaster Multi-Agency Resource Center since November 4[29].

Near Pensacola

We also cover Tallahassee, Panama City in the The Panhandle area. See all areas, the price table and Florida rules.

Sources

  1. Pensacola City Code, secs. 14-2-223(o) and (p) and 14-2-224(b)
  2. National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Isaias update, 8 p.m. CDT Oct. 9, 2026
  3. Escambia County Building Services, Permitting After a Storm
  4. City of Pensacola Alert Center, state of emergency, fifth extension
  5. Florida Statutes, s. 501.160
  6. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 (5-year)
  7. NOAA Storm Events Database, 2016-2025
  8. City of Pensacola, Building Inspections
  9. Escambia County, Choosing a Contractor
  10. National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Isaias landfall update, Oct. 9, 2026
  11. NWS Mobile/Pensacola, Hurricane Ivan
  12. NWS Mobile/Pensacola, Hurricane Sally
  13. Investigation of the Wind-borne Debris Regions in ASCE 7-22 (Florida Building Commission and University of Florida, 2024)
  14. Changes to the Wind Speed Maps and Wind Design, 2010 Florida Building Code (Jan. 2012)
  15. City of Pensacola CRA, Emergency Resiliency Program
  16. City of Pensacola, After The Storm
  17. Florida Statutes, s. 627.7142
  18. City of Pensacola, Historic Preservation
  19. Pensacola Police Department, Victim/Witness Services Guide (updated 6/2026)
  20. City of Pensacola, Police Records
  21. City of Pensacola, Offense Reports
  22. Escambia County Sheriff's Office
  23. City of Pensacola, Historic District Quick Guide: Residential Building Changes
  24. City of Pensacola, Architectural Review Board
  25. WEAR-TV, June 28, 2026
  26. City of Pensacola, Code Enforcement
  27. City of Pensacola news, Oct. 22, 2026 (Isaias debris collection)
  28. City of Pensacola news, Nov. 2, 2026 (FEMA declaration)
  29. City of Pensacola news, Nov. 4, 2026 (Brownsville resource center)

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

Request a free estimate

Emergency Board Up in Pensacola, FL

By sending this request you agree that Florida Board Up Kings may call, text or email you about it at the number and email you gave. See our Privacy Policy.

  1. We read what broke and where.
  2. We call you to confirm the details and the price, before any boards go up.
  3. A technician from our own crew secures the openings and photographs each one.