Emergency Board Up in Sarasota, FL

How Much Does Emergency Board Up Cost in Sarasota?

Emergency board up in Sarasota typically costs $190 to $940 to cover one to a few broken windows or a door with plywood.

About 4 in 10 homes here are in buildings of five or more units^[3], and an upper-floor condo window takes more time and gear. After surge, as on St. Armands and Lido in Helene^[2], a ground floor can have several doors to cover at once.

Our cost page explains the rest of what changes a price.

What Did Milton and Helene Do to Sarasota in 2024?

Sarasota took two hurricanes about two weeks apart. Helene brought over 4 feet of surge to the coast, flooding St. Armands and Lido^[2]. Milton then made landfall on Siesta Key as a category 3, with 959.7 mb read at the Sarasota airport^[1] and a 102 mph gust there^[8]. Gusts like that break unprotected glass citywide, not only on the water.

Hurricanes are not the only window-breakers. From 2016 to 2025 the county logged 8 tornadoes and 14 damaging thunderstorm wind reports, but only 3 hail reports^[8]. An EF2 tornado came ashore on Siesta Key in January 2016^[8], so an opening can need securing in any month.

Is My Sarasota Address in the City or the County, and Who Do I Call?

It decides the office, the police agency and the permit desk. The county handles code cases only in unincorporated areas such as Siesta Key and Osprey, and sends City of Sarasota residents to the city^[5][10].

Call the police before we board, so the damage is on record. Florida's claims notice asks you to document emergency repairs with photos before and after^[15], and our Florida board-up rules page covers the rest.

What Sarasota Requires Before the Boards Come Down

Boards can go up right away. The repair behind them is where city rules start. After a hurricane, the city requires permits for structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire-system repairs^[13]. Storm permit fees have historically been waived or reduced, and an online Hurricane/Storm Damage Application gets faster review^[13].

Florida's HB 803 lets some single-family work under $7,500 skip a permit from July 1, 2026, but the city says exterior window and door replacements do not qualify, and homes in a special flood hazard area cannot use the exemption^[6].

Historic buildings add a step. The city lists about 180 locally designated buildings^[16]. A permit that affects one needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and applications are due 21 days before the board's monthly meeting^[17]. On those buildings we fasten boards so the old sash and trim can be repaired, not replaced^[17].

Who Secures an Empty or Foreclosed Home in Sarasota?

About 1 in 5 homes in the city are vacant, seasonal homes included^[3], so storm damage can sit unseen for days.

For a foreclosure, the city's 2014 ordinance makes lenders register the property, with the fee due within 15 days of filing a lis pendens^[18]. The registration form names a local property manager responsible for securing the house^[19], so that manager orders the board-up. On a rental, the owner is ultimately responsible, not the tenant^[20].

If an opening stays open, a city inspector may leave a door hanger, send a certified violation letter, and then set a hearing before the Special Magistrate, who may levy fines and costs^[21]. Unpaid fines become code liens^[21]. The city's page lists no set daily fine.

Sarasota Neighborhoods and Keys We Cover

We work across the city, from St. Armands, Lido Shores, Bird Key and Golden Gate Point to Rosemary, Laurel Park, Towles Court, Hudson Bayou, Amaryllis Park, Gillespie Park, Southside Village, Harbor Acres and Alta Vista^[22]. We also take jobs on Siesta Key and Longboat Key, in Osprey, Venice and North Port, and in Fort Myers.

ZIP codes: 34236, 34237, 34234, 34239, 34232, 34243, 34242

Near Sarasota

We also cover Cape Coral, Fort Myers in the Southwest Florida area. See all areas, the price table and Florida rules.