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Emergency Board Up in Port St. Lucie, FL

We board up broken windows, forced doors and storm-damaged openings at homes and businesses across Port St. Lucie, in St. Lucie County. Nearly 9 in 10 homes here are single-family houses[1], so most jobs are ground-floor windows, sliders and garage doors. City code limits when storm panels can stay closed[2], and the 2024 Milton tornadoes damaged homes from Tulip Park to Torino[3]. Tell us the address and what is open for a free estimate.

Port St. Lucie at a glance

Panels closed
June 1 to Nov. 30 only
Outside those dates, closed storm panels need a hurricane or tropical storm watch or they break city code[2].
Removal deadline
14 days after the storm
Panels that block exits, light or air on an occupied home must come down within 14 days[2].
Tarping permit
Not needed
The city lists temporary roof tarping as no-permit work, but replacing a window or door needs a permit[4].
Break-in report
Police: (772) 871-5000
Use the non-emergency line once the break-in is over and keep the case number for your insurer[5].
County tornadoes
12 in 10 years
St. Lucie County logged 12 tornadoes in 2016 to 2025, so storm damage here is not only from hurricanes[3].
Typical cost
$190 to $950
Covers boarding one to a few broken windows or a door with plywood at a Port St. Lucie home.

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Emergency Board Up in Port St. Lucie, FL

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  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 Port St. Lucie?

An emergency board up in Port St. Lucie typically costs $190 to $950 to cover one to a few broken windows or a door with plywood, including pulling loose glass from the frame.

Housing here keeps most jobs simple. About 57 percent of homes were built in 2000 or later and only about 9 percent before 1980[1], so most windows are standard sizes that are quick to cut for. The price climbs when a storm opens a whole house at once. More on what moves the price is on our cost page.

When Do Storm Panels Have to Come Down in Port St. Lucie?

The city sets the dates. Under Sec. 41.10(m) of the Port St. Lucie code, storm shutters and other hurricane protection may stay closed only from June 1 through November 30, unless a hurricane or tropical storm watch is in effect[2].

Inside the season there is a second limit. Panels that block exits, light or ventilation on an occupied building must come down within 14 days after a hurricane event ends, whether it was a watch, a warning, a hurricane or a tornado[2]. A new watch within those 14 days is an exception, and so is a home where nobody is living[6].

Homeowners' associations can set their own removal dates on top of the city's[6]. When we board up after a storm, ask us to book the removal too.

Which Port St. Lucie Neighborhoods Did the Milton Tornadoes Hit?

Milton came ashore on the other coast, yet its rainbands produced six confirmed tornadoes in St. Lucie County on October 9, 2024, with 151 structures destroyed and over $485 million in residential damage[3]. Several tracks ran through Port St. Lucie subdivisions, so a tornado here can open windows and roofs in any part of the city.

TornadoWhere it hitWhat NOAA recorded
EF-1Crane Landing, Sawgrass Lakes and Tulip Park, then north to Northport VillageMissing shingles and soffit damage[3]
EF-0Rosser Reserve, Hidden Oaks and TorinoPart of a Hidden Oaks roof peeled back in winds up to 85 mph[3]
EF-1Savannas Preserve State Park into Indian River EstatesVehicles flipped, partial roof loss, up to 95 mph[3]
EF-3Spanish Lakes, north of the cityPeak winds up to 155 mph and six deaths[3]

Soffit and roof-edge damage lets rain in even when every window holds, so a tarp often goes on with the boards.

Which Port St. Lucie Storm Repairs Need a City Permit?

The city's post-storm recovery guide splits the work. Temporary roof tarping and debris removal need no permit, and neither does replacing a glass panel in an existing window or door. Replacing the whole window or door does[4].

For emergency repairs, the city's building code amendments let the work start first, with the permit application due the next business day[8]. Plywood is also a listed type on the city's shutter permit, which requires Florida Product Approval[9]. That covers permanent storm protection with fixed anchors, not a one-off board over a broken pane.

Statewide panel sizes and the insurance rules on emergency repairs are on our Florida board-up rules page.

What Port St. Lucie Expects From Owners of Vacant Homes

About 8 percent of homes in the city are vacant[1], and the code treats an open one as a violation. Sec. 41.07(c) requires every vacant structure to be kept clean, safe, secure and sanitary[2]. For foreclosures, Sec. 42.05 says broken windows must be secured by replacement, re-glazing or boarding, and a hurricane warning means anything loose on the lot must be secured or removed at the owner's expense[11].

A Code Compliance notice sets a compliance date. A Special Magistrate hearing usually adds 30 to 45 days, then daily fines run and a lien can follow[12]. The city may also abate the problem with its own crews or a contractor and bill the owner for the work plus notice, title, lien and inspection costs[13].

Port St. Lucie Neighborhoods and Nearby Communities We Serve

We work across Port St. Lucie[14], from Torino, St. Lucie West and Northport Village in the north to Crane Landing, Sawgrass Lakes and Tulip Park in the south, and from Gatlin Pines and Rosser Reserve on the west side to Lyngate and Sandpiper Bay in the east, with Tradition and Verano out west. We also take jobs in Fort Pierce and Indian River Estates[3] and around Stuart and Hutchinson Island[15]. Farther up the coast, see our Palm Bay page.

ZIP codes: 34945, 34952, 34953, 34983, 34984, 34986, 34987

Port St. Lucie Questions

Should I Keep My Shutters Closed While I'm Away to Stop Burglars?

No, the city says hurricane shutters should never be used as a security device, because a boarded-up house tells burglars nobody is home[6]. After a break-in, board the broken opening only and get it repaired.

Who Do I Call After a Break-In at My Port St. Lucie Home?

Call 911 if it is still happening. Once it is over, call the police non-emergency line, (772) 871-5000, then request the report for your insurer through the online records portal[5].

Did the 2004 Hurricanes Make Landfall Near Port St. Lucie?

Yes, both of them. Frances came ashore at the southern end of Hutchinson Island on September 5, 2004[16], and Jeanne's eye crossed the coast at the same spot on September 26[15].

Can Tornadoes Hit Port St. Lucie Without a Hurricane Nearby?

Yes, on June 9, 2022 an EF-0 tornado touched down in the Spanish Lakes Golf Village of Port St. Lucie with winds of 70 to 80 mph[3]. Ordinary summer storms can break windows here too.

Is Port St. Lucie in Florida's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone?

No, the Florida Building Code limits that zone to Broward and Miami-Dade counties[17]. Port St. Lucie follows the standard Florida Building Code rules for opening protection.

Why Not Hang Heavy Storm Panels From a Ladder Myself?

Ladder falls are the real risk. A 79-year-old Port St. Lucie man died from injuries after falling from a ladder while putting up his shutters before Milton[3]. Panels on high windows are worth handing to a crew.

Do I Report Flood Damage to the City and My Insurer Separately?

Yes, if floodwater got into your home and you are not in danger, report it to 1PSL at (772) 871-1775, option 3. The city says that report does not replace your insurance claim[7].

Who Runs Storm Preparation and Recovery for the City of Port St. Lucie?

The city's Office of Emergency Management, at (772) 871-7340[18]. Call it for city storm information, and call us for the boards.

Near Port St. Lucie

We also cover Palm Bay, Daytona Beach in the Atlantic Coast area. See all areas, the price table and Florida rules.

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 (5-year)
  2. Port St. Lucie Code of Ordinances, ch. 41, secs. 41.07(c) and 41.10(m)
  3. NOAA Storm Events Database, 2016-2025
  4. City of Port St. Lucie, Post-Storm Recovery Permitting Guide
  5. Port St. Lucie Police Department, Get Service
  6. City of Port St. Lucie, Common Residential Code Violations: Storm Shutters
  7. City of Port St. Lucie Code Compliance
  8. Port St. Lucie Code of Ordinances, ch. 150, sec. 105.2.1
  9. City of Port St. Lucie, Opening Protection/Shutter Permit Application
  10. City of Port St. Lucie Building Department
  11. Port St. Lucie Code of Ordinances, ch. 42, secs. 42.03 to 42.05
  12. City of Port St. Lucie, Neighborhood Services FAQs
  13. Port St. Lucie Code of Ordinances, ch. 40, secs. 40.04 and 40.20
  14. City of Port St. Lucie, NICE neighborhood update 2020
  15. NHC Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Jeanne (2004)
  16. NHC Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Frances (2004)
  17. Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed. (2023), ch. 2 definitions
  18. City of Port St. Lucie, Emergency Contacts

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

Request a free estimate

Emergency Board Up in Port St. Lucie, 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.