Emergency boarding up
Emergency Boarding Up in Boston
Call with your postcode for a current arrival estimate.
- 24-hour emergency cover
- No call-out charge
- Price agreed before work starts
Window or Door Smashed? We Can Secure It
Big Locksmiths Boston boards up smashed windows, forced doors and damaged openings across Boston, 24 hours a day, to make a property secure until a permanent repair can be done. Boarding is temporary: it is usually finished in one visit and stops the property being left open overnight.
If the damage followed a break-in, the police come first and say when work at the entry point may begin. There is no call-out charge.
What Is Emergency Boarding Up, Actually?
The short definition: boarding up is the temporary securing of a damaged window, door or shopfront with boards cut to fit and fixed across the gap. Once fitted, the board blocks entry, restricts further access and helps keep weather out of the building.
It always serves two purposes, and the first one comes first for a reason:
- Safety. The broken glass hazard is dealt with before the opening is covered.
- Security and weather tightness. The property is closed up until it can be permanently repaired.
Boarding is not the repair itself. It will not stand in for new glass or a new door, and it is only meant to hold until the correct permanent repair has been arranged.
In the meantime, do not move loose glass or attempt to cover a large or unstable opening yourself. Explaining on the call what has broken and how large the gap is helps us assess the likely work before attendance.
Temporary Boarding Up: What Happens After?
The board is temporary, so there is always a next step. Which one depends on whether the permanent repair concerns the locking system, the door or frame, or the glass.
That is a glazier's work. We board the opening, leave the property secure, and you then bring in a glazier to reglaze it.
Now what we do: damage to a lock, a door, a frame or a mechanism is ours to repair or replace. Often that means a return visit once the parts have been sourced.
On timing, a board is meant to hold for days or a few weeks, not for months. If it stays up long term, weather will eventually get in around the fixings, so book the permanent repair as soon as practical.
When Do You Need Emergency Boarding Up?
The need arises whenever a home, rental property or commercial building has been left with an exposed opening that cannot be permanently repaired right away. That covers far more than break-ins.
When there was a break-in
A forced entrance or broken window leaves the property open to further access. After police approval, we fit temporary boards to secure the exposed opening while burglary repairs are assessed or arranged.
A door that cannot be repaired on the same visit
If the door, frame or a locking component is too damaged to repair during the initial visit, the opening can be boarded temporarily. Where a locking component has failed, an emergency lock repair may also be needed.
Vandalism, or a window that is smashed
Criminal damage can leave glass broken and the opening unsecured even though nobody entered. The board stays in place until a glazier has replaced the damaged glass.
Property that is empty or between-tenancy
An unoccupied property with a broken opening is exposed to unauthorised access, and wind or rain can get in without anyone seeing it. While permanent repairs are being arranged by the landlord, letting agent or property manager, boards maintain its security.
Storm or accidental damage
Strong winds, falling objects or accidental impact can damage windows, doors and the frames around them. Until repairs can be completed, temporary boards limit access and lessen further exposure to the weather.
Boarding Up a Damaged Opening: How We Do It
Here is how a damaged opening is boarded, start to finish. The exact method varies, because it depends on what has been damaged, the condition of the surrounding structure and the fixing points available, which is why every opening is assessed before boarding is fitted.
Check the hazards.
The opening, surrounding frame and visible hazards are examined to decide whether boarding can be fitted safely and what work is likely, noting anything that may affect safe access or a correct fit.
Clear the danger.
Loose glass or unstable material is handled only where that is safe and appropriate.
Measure, do not guess.
The opening is measured rather than covered with a standard size of board.
Confirm and advise.
An inspection of the boarding in place is followed by the technician's explanation of what visibly needs to happen next, such as locksmith work, door repair or replacement glazing.
- A board fixed only with ordinary external screws offers little resistance, because it can be unscrewed from outside.
We aim to improve safety around the damage while keeping the opening secure for the time being. Details of who should undertake the permanent repair appear in the following section.
Boarding Up: Will Your Insurance Cover It?
The short answer is often, but not always. Many home, landlord and commercial policies cover emergency boarding up where temporary work is needed to prevent further access or damage following an insured incident. Each policy sets its own cover, limits and claim requirements, so check yours and contact the insurer as soon as practical.
Before giving approval for work, call your insurer's emergency helpline if it has one and doing so is practical. While you wait, gather what a claim will need. Photos or a short video of the damage, taken before work begins, are useful if it is safe to take them. Stay back from loose glass or an unstable opening: do not approach either to obtain evidence. If the incident has been reported to the police, retain the crime reference number for your claim. Afterwards, keep all invoices and receipts relating to the boarding and to the repairs that follow.
Where the property cannot safely remain exposed while you wait for a response, arrange temporary security after a break-in only once the police permit work, document the damage and follow your insurer's claims instructions as soon as possible.
For the wider steps after a break-in, see what to do after a burglary.
Locksmith pricing
Agreeing the Price Before Anyone Attends
A damaged property in Boston should only be boarded by someone you have chosen and agreed a price with. Unfortunately, that is not always how it goes. Across the trade, there are reports of companies turning up uninvited, boarding a property without instruction and invoicing at a multiple of the job's worth, then pursuing the bill aggressively.
Your rights here are straightforward. The work needs your authorisation, the price should come before anyone travels, and you can ask what the board is, how it is fixed and what it takes to have it removed.
We work on that basis every time. You hear the price on the call. We do not come out unless you ask us to. Once we arrive, the price holds, unless the damage is materially different from what was described, and we explain any change before starting any work.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Locksmith pricing
Emergency Boarding Up Across Boston
Damaged doors, windows and shopfronts are boarded for homeowners, landlords, letting agents and businesses across Boston, because an open property cannot wait until morning.
Boarding up covers Bargate, Wyberton, Skirbeck, Trinity, Staniland and Haven Village, with every postcode in PE21 and the parts of PE20 around Boston included. After a break-in, report it to Lincolnshire Police on 101 or online at lincs.police.uk and ask whether the property may be secured now.
See all areas we cover, or read about emergency boarding up.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
When You Call, What Happens?
There is nothing complicated about calling for emergency boarding. The more you can safely tell us, the better we understand the damage, the more accurately we can explain the likely work, and the more realistic the arrival estimate we give you.
- Tell us which opening is damaged, how large it is roughly, and whether broken glass is present.
- We quote a price and give you an honest estimate of when we can arrive.
- The job at this point is temporary security for the exposed opening.
- We tell you what the permanent repair involves and who should do it.
On that last step: damage to a lock, cylinder, handle or locking mechanism is something we can assess for repair or replacement. A damaged door or frame might call for locksmith work, new components or a door-repair specialist. Following a forced entry, our burglary repair service can help work out the next step. Glass is not ours to replace; a glazier will measure and install it.
Book the permanent work as soon as practical, because boarding is a temporary protection and not a long-term substitute for repairing the window, door or locks.
Locksmith pricing
Emergency Boarding Up: What Does It Cost?
You will hear the price before anyone attends, and there is no separate call-out charge. What that price is depends on the opening and the work needed to secure it: a small, accessible window sits at the cheaper end, while a large doorway, a shopfront or several damaged openings sit well above it.
Factors that set the price - Opening size and type - How many openings need boarding - How far the damage extends into the frame or structure - How easily and safely we can reach the opening - Whether it is a home or a commercial property - What time you need us there
We keep the pricing clear, basing it on what you describe on the call. You pay for the work carried out, any parts needed, and VAT. Rates outside Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, are higher, but the call-out itself is never charged.
If the damage is materially different from what you described, we explain any change in the work or the price before starting any work.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Emergency and planned locksmith services
Call Big Locksmiths Boston Now
Calls are taken 24 hours a day, there is no call-out charge, and the price is agreed on the phone before anyone travels.
- Phone: 01205 601044
01205 601044
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly can you board up my property?
Boarding call-outs are taken 24 hours a day, including nights, weekends and bank holidays. If a break-in caused the damage, wait until the police say work at the entry point may start.
Do you replace the glass as well?
No, the glass itself is for a glazier. We secure the opening with boarding so the property is safe in the meantime, and if a lock, door, frame or mechanism was damaged, that repair is ours to carry out. You will be told plainly which tasks we cover and which need a glazier, so nothing falls between the two.
How long can boarding stay up?
Boarding is built to last for days or a few weeks, not for months on end. Its purpose is to keep the property secure and dry while a permanent repair is arranged. A board left in place long term will start to let weather in around where it is fixed, and it does not replace a proper repair.
Will my insurance pay for it?
Your policy may pay towards emergency boarding, but check the terms and limits. Boarding after storm damage, a break-in or vandalism is often covered because it helps prevent additional loss. Home and business policies can both include this protection. Notify the insurer without delay.
Can I just board it up myself?
You can for a small, easy opening if you have the right materials. Most home boarding falls down on fit and fixings, because ordinary screws put in from the outside let anyone unscrew the board. Avoid broken glass and do not attempt work at height. After a break-in, get police permission before boarding; a large opening is safer left to a professional.
Someone turned up and boarded my property without being asked. Do I have to pay?
Seek advice first rather than paying straight away. You should never have work carried out on your property without authorising it, and you are entitled to a price before anyone travels. If a company has boarded and invoiced without instruction, advice is the sensible next step.
Do you board up shops and commercial premises?
Yes. Shopfronts, offices, industrial units and vacant premises are boarded the same way as homes. Expect commercial jobs to involve larger openings, sometimes needing more than one board or work at height, which can affect the price. A clear description of the opening when you call is the quickest way to an accurate quote.
What do you use to board up with?
A board cut to fit is noticeably more secure and keeps weather out better.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 01205 601044, tell us what has happened and receive a current arrival estimate.