What Emergency Board Up Involves
Emergency board up is the temporary closing of a broken window, storefront pane, door or wall opening so a commercial site is weather tight and secure until permanent repairs are made. It is the first step after a break-in, a vehicle strike, vandalism or storm damage, and it usually runs in this order:
- Make the area safe. The provider cordons the walkway, removes or secures loose glass still in the frame that could fall, and sweeps the area inside and out. Where water has reached electrical equipment, nobody touches it until power is turned off at the panel.
- Assess the opening. The provider checks whether the frame, door or surrounding wall is damaged, and whether the opening is part of a required exit.
- Cut and fit the panel. Plywood or another rigid panel is cut to the opening and fastened to the frame or the surrounding structure. Large storefronts may need framing behind the panel so it does not flex.
- Keep exits working. Where the opening is an exit door and the building stays occupied, the board-up is built so the door can still be opened from the inside, or an approved alternate exit is confirmed.
- Measure for permanent repair. While on site, the provider records the size, thickness and type of glass so the replacement can be ordered. See Storefront glass repair.
- Close out. Photos of the damage, the finished board-up and the cleaned area are attached to the work order.
Board-up is temporary. The panel stays until the glass, door or frame is replaced, and it is removed by the glazing provider on the day the permanent repair is installed.
Codes, Standards and Safety Rules for Emergency Board Up
No single national code sets how a board-up must be built, but several rules shape the work.
- Exit routes. OSHA requires exit routes to be free and unobstructed (29 CFR 1910.37(a)(3)) and says employees must be able to open an exit route door from the inside at all times without keys, tools or special knowledge (29 CFR 1910.36(d)(1)). During repairs, a space can stay occupied only if the required exits remain available and existing fire protection stays in service, or equivalent protection is provided (29 CFR 1910.37(d)(2)). A board-up that screws an exit door shut while staff are inside does not meet these rules.
- Fall protection. Board-up on upper floors puts workers at open wall openings. OSHA construction rules require guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest where the outside bottom edge of a wall opening is 6 feet or more above lower levels and the inside bottom edge is less than 39 inches above the working surface (29 CFR 1926.501(b)(14)).
- Damaged structures. OSHA’s hurricane response guidance for cleanup and repair of structures calls for limiting access until structural stability is known, removing or securing glass that may fall on workers, inspecting ladders before use, using ground-fault circuit interrupters or double insulated power tools, and wearing gloves suited to cut hazards, eye protection with side shields and protective footwear.
- Storm protection. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) recommends code-conforming hurricane shutters over windows before an approaching hurricane. It advises that plywood be used in place of shutters only as a last-minute resort when tropical weather is imminent, that it be at least 3/4 inch thick, and that taping windows provides no protection.
- Permanent replacement. Board-up buys time; the permanent repair must meet the rules for the glass it replaces. The federal safety glazing standard at 16 CFR Part 1201 covers glazing in doors and applies in public and other buildings as well as homes.
- Local rules. Local fire codes and property maintenance codes can require damaged or vacant premises to be secured against entry. The local building official and fire code official decide how those rules apply, and the landlord or shopping center may set its own standards for how a boarded storefront looks.
Preventive Maintenance Schedule for Emergency Board-Up Readiness
Board-up itself is emergency work, but the time a location spends open after a break-in depends on what was arranged beforehand. Measurements on file, panels ready for high-risk openings and confirmed contacts cut the time from call to secure site, and every check adds to the record for the location.
| Task | Recommended frequency | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Record every exterior opening: position, size, glass type and whether it is an exit door | Oncethen after any storefront change | Facility First default |
| Confirm board-up provider, after-hours contacts and site access instructions | Annually | Facility First default |
| Confirm storm shutters or pre-cut panels are on site, labeled by opening and complete | Annuallybefore storm season | Facility First default |
| Install shutters, or plywood of at least 3/4 inch where no shutters exist | Before an approaching hurricane | Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) |
| Inspect any board-up left in place for loose fasteners, water entry and graffiti | Weekly while installed | Facility First default |
| Walk storefront glass and entrance doors for cracks and loose glass | Quarterly | Facility First default |
| Review break-in and board-up history by location to flag repeat sites for film, shutters or security | Annually | Facility First default |
Facility First default is the starting interval in each program, adjusted for each site.
The authority having jurisdiction, the manufacturer and the property’s insurer can require more frequent service, and each location’s schedule is set in its program and recorded on every visit.
When an Opening Needs Board-Up
- Glass is broken through, or cracked with pieces missing, after a break-in or impact
- A door cannot be locked because its glass or frame is damaged
- Glass is hanging loose in the frame over a walkway
- Wind or water is entering through a failed window
- A storm warning is issued for a site with no shutters
- A vacant or closed unit has open or damaged openings
Records to Keep
- Time of the call, time the provider arrived and time the opening was secured
- Photos of the damage before any glass is moved, and of the finished board-up
- Police report number for break-ins and vandalism
- Opening dimensions and glass details for the replacement order
- Panel material, fastening method and whether the opening is an exit
- Date the board-up was removed and the permanent repair installed
- Provider invoice, linked to the replacement work order
These records support the insurance claim. The policy wording decides what the insurer expects after a loss, and the facilities team confirms it with the broker or adjuster.
How Facility First Runs Emergency Board Up Across a Portfolio
- Request. Submitted through the platform or by phone, with photos where it is safe to take them.
- Triage. Facility First confirms the opening, whether staff or the public are at risk, whether the site can be locked, and the glass details already on file.
- Dispatch. A vetted board-up provider in the location’s market receives the work order.
- Completion. The provider makes the area safe, installs the board-up, measures for replacement and closes out with photos.
- Verification and invoice. The work is checked against the request, the replacement order is opened, and the job is invoiced in one format.
Board-up within the client’s approval limit proceeds directly; anything above it is quoted first. Facility First does not publish response-time guarantees; dispatch priorities are agreed in each client’s program. Where a break-in or storm leaves a location unsecured, McCray can post an officer until the work is complete. See Security by McCray.
What Affects the Cost of Emergency Board Up
- Number and size of openings
- Height of the opening and any lift or fall protection needed
- Framing needed behind large storefront panels
- Glass cleanup and disposal
- After-hours, weekend or storm-period dispatch
- Damage to frames, doors or walls found on site
- Painting or finishing the panel where a landlord requires it
- How long the board-up stays before the permanent repair
Approval limits set by the client decide what proceeds automatically and what is quoted first.
Emergency Board Up for Retail Stores, Restaurants and Offices
- Retail stores. A boarded storefront hides merchandise from view but also signals damage, so shopping centers and landlords may set rules for panel finish and how long a board-up can stay. Display windows are often the largest openings on the site and may need framing.
- Restaurants. Glass near food preparation and service areas has to be fully cleaned up before service resumes, and food exposed to broken glass is assessed under the operator’s food safety procedures.
- Offices and bank branches. Lobby doors are often required exits, so the board-up is designed around the exit route, and a break-in at a branch may need the security team’s sign-off before the site reopens.
Where a frame or whole window unit has failed, the job moves to Commercial window replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Soon Should a Broken Storefront Be Boarded Up?
As soon as it can be done safely. An open storefront exposes the site to theft, weather and injury, and dispatch priority for board-up is set in each client’s program.
Is Plywood the Right Material for Storm Protection?
IBHS recommends code-conforming hurricane shutters and says plywood should be used only as a last-minute resort when tropical weather is imminent, at least 3/4 inch thick. Taping windows provides no protection.
Can an Entrance Door Be Boarded Up While Staff Are Inside?
Only if it is not a required exit, or if the board-up still lets the door be opened from the inside. OSHA requires exit route doors to open from the inside at all times without keys, tools or special knowledge.
How Long Does a Board-Up Stay in Place?
Until the permanent glass, door or frame is installed. Where the replacement has to be made to order, the board-up stays while it is fabricated.
How Often Should Board-Up Readiness Be Reviewed at a Commercial Site?
As a Facility First program default, board-up contacts and opening measurements are confirmed once a year, shutters or pre-cut panels are checked before storm season, and any board-up left in place is inspected weekly until it is removed.
Can Board-Up Be Combined with Other Trades Under One Program?
Yes. Board-up can run in the same program as every other trade, with one request process, one invoice format and one record for each location.
Sources
- OSHA: 29 CFR 1910.37, Maintenance, safeguards and operational features for exit routes
- OSHA: 29 CFR 1910.36, Design and construction requirements for exit routes
- OSHA: 29 CFR 1926.501, Duty to have fall protection
- OSHA Hurricane eMatrix: Assessment, cleanup, and repair of structures
- OSHA: Flood Preparedness and Response, Response and Recovery
- Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety: Hurricane Ready Business Upgrades
- Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety: Hurricane Ready Business, Before the Event
- eCFR: 16 CFR Part 1201, Safety Standard for Architectural Glazing Materials