Emergency boarding up
Runcorn Emergency Boarding Up
If a window, door or shopfront is open to the street right now, call rather than book: an exposed opening is not something to leave until a convenient slot. Runcorn Locksmith boards up smashed windows, forced doors and damaged openings across Runcorn, day or night, to keep the property secure until a permanent repair can be done.
Call Runcorn Locksmith on 01928 611001
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 Tonight
Boarding is not the repair; it is what holds the property safe and closed while the repair is organised. A board up is normally finished in a single visit, and it means the building is not left open overnight to weather or to anyone passing. We take calls at every hour, weekends and bank holidays included, and there is no charge for the call-out.
If the damage came from a break-in, our burglary repairs page covers what to do first; for a lock problem with no damaged opening, see our emergency locksmith service.
What Emergency Boarding Up Actually Is
Emergency boarding up means covering a broken or open part of a building, most often a window, door or shopfront, with boards cut and fixed in place so nobody can get in and the weather stays out. A damaged opening can usually be made secure this way while the right permanent repair is arranged. The work has two aims, in this order:
- Safety first: deal with broken glass and hazards so the area is safe for the people around it.
- Security and weather tightness second: close the opening, restrict further access and cut down exposure to rain and wind.
What it is not: a repair, new glass or a new door. It is temporary by design. Until we arrive, please do not move loose glass or attempt to cover a large or unstable opening yourself. Keep people and pets well back from it. If there has been a burglary, our guide on what to do after a burglary sets out the wider steps.
When You Need Emergency Boarding Up
People tend to link boarding with burglary, but any damage that leaves a home, rented property or business exposed, with no way to fix it permanently straight away, can call for it. These are the situations we see.
After a break-in
A forced door or broken window leaves the property open to anyone, and a place that has been entered once can be targeted again. Report it to Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or at https://www.cheshire.police.uk and keep the crime reference. Where officers ask us to leave the entry point alone, we secure around it while burglary repairs are assessed or arranged.
Vandalism or a smashed window
Criminal damage can knock out glass and leave an unsecured gap even when nobody got inside. Boarding closes the gap and makes the area safe until a glazier can replace the pane. Ground-floor windows, side doors and outbuildings are the usual places. Damaged window hardware is covered on our window locks page.
Storm or accidental damage
High wind, falling debris, a ball through a window or a door slammed back off its hinges can all damage frames, doors and glass. Nothing criminal has happened, yet the opening still lets in weather and anyone passing. A board keeps the property dry and closed until the repair is done.
A door that cannot be repaired the same visit
Sometimes a door, frame or locking part is too badly damaged to fix on the first visit, or a component has to be ordered. Boarding may then secure the opening in the meantime. This happens often with forced uPVC door locks where the frame has split, and a failed mechanism may also need.
Empty or between-tenancy property
An empty property with a broken opening can let people in, and let rain and wind in, without anyone noticing for days. Landlords, letting agents and property managers use a board up service to keep the building closed between tenancies or after damage, until the permanent repair can be scheduled.
Not sure which applies? Call 01928 611001 and describe the opening.
How We Board Up a Damaged Opening
The difference between competent boarding and a sheet of board screwed over a hole is in the method. Every opening is looked at before anything is fitted, because the approach depends on what is damaged, how sound the surrounding structure is and where fixings can go.
Assess and make safe.
The technician checks the opening, the frame around it and any visible hazards, and flags anything that could stop the board fitting properly or make access unsafe. Loose glass or unstable material is dealt with only where that is safe and appropriate.
Measure the actual opening
rather than working to a stock size.
Cut the boards to fit
that opening closely, so there are no gaps to lever at.
Fix them so they cannot simply be unscrewed from outside
using anti-tamper screws or fixings from the inside. A board held on with ordinary screws from the outside can come off in a minute, which defeats the point.
Check before leaving
that the finished board is firm and keeps the weather out.
[CLIENT TO CONFIRM: board material and thickness used, whether anti-tamper or internal fixings are standard, and whether steel screens can be supplied for longer-term protection]
Boarding Up Is Temporary. What Happens After?
Boarding buys you time; it does not finish the job. Once the opening is secure, what comes next depends on whether the permanent fix involves the locking system, the door or frame, or the glass.
If the lock, door, frame or mechanism is damaged, that is our work. We can repair or replace it, often on a return visit once parts have been sourced; see lock replacement, burglary repairs and uPVC door locks. Some door or frame damage may also need a door-repair specialist. If the glass or a sealed unit is broken, that is a glazier's job, not ours. We will board the opening and make it secure, and a glazier will need to measure and fit the new glass. We would rather say that clearly than leave you guessing.
Boards are meant to hold for days or a few weeks, not months. Left up for a long time, weather eventually finds its way in around the fixings, so book the permanent repair as soon as you reasonably can.
Locksmith pricing
Agree the Price Before Anyone Attends
There is a problem in this trade that rarely gets mentioned. Some boarding firms turn up at damaged properties uninvited, sometimes following a police or council report, carry out work no one asked for, then send an invoice for many times the job's worth and chase it hard. Nobody should board your property without your say-so. You should have a price before anyone sets off, and you are entitled to ask what the board is, how it will be fixed and what happens when you want it taken down.
Our position is simple. You get a price on the call, we only attend when you ask us to, and that price stays the same on arrival unless the damage proves materially different from what you described, in which case you hear about it before any work starts. For more on spotting a reliable firm, read how to choose a trustworthy locksmith.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Will Your Insurance Cover Boarding Up?
Many home, landlord and commercial policies cover emergency boarding after an insured event such as forced entry, vandalism or storm damage, because temporary work to stop further access or damage is generally seen as reasonable. Cover, limits and claim conditions differ, so read your policy and contact your insurer as soon as practical; where you can, ring its emergency helpline before authorising work. If it is safe, photograph or film the damage before work starts, but do not approach loose glass or an unstable opening to obtain evidence. If the property cannot safely remain exposed while you wait to hear back, arrange the temporary security needed, document the damage and follow the insurer's claims instructions as soon as possible. If the incident has been reported to the police, retain the crime reference number for your claim, and keep every invoice and receipt for the boarding and later repairs. We provide an itemised invoice describing the damage, the work done and the materials used [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: itemised invoicing as standard]. More on break-ins at burglary repairs and in what to do after a burglary.
Locksmith pricing
What Does Emergency Boarding Up Cost?
The cost of an emergency board up comes down to the opening and the work needed to secure it. One small window within easy reach is a much lighter job than a wide doorway, a shopfront or several broken openings, so it sits at the lower end, and those sit at the higher end. The main factors are:
- the size and type of opening, and whether the property is a home or commercial premises;
- how many openings need boarding;
- how much damage there is to the frame or surrounding structure;
- how easily and safely the opening can be reached, including any work at height;
- the time of day you call.
No boarding price is published yet [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: whether a VAT-inclusive starting price for boarding can be published]. You are given a price on the call from what you tell us, and if anything on site changes it, you hear before work begins. Unlike many boarding firms, we charge no call-out fee at any hour. 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.
Call Runcorn Locksmith on 01928 611001
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
What Happens When You Call
Arranging an emergency board up takes one phone call.
- Tell us what is damaged, roughly how big the opening is and whether there is broken glass, because boarding is priced on the size and number of openings.
- We give you a price and a realistic idea of when we can get to you [PROVIDER PACK: arrival ranges by area].
- A technician [PROVIDER PACK: DBS-check evidence for technicians] makes the area safe, measures and fits the boarding, and checks it is secure before leaving.
- We explain what the permanent repair involves and whether it is our work, a door specialist's or a glazier's, because a board should never stand in for a proper repair for long.
You can also reach us through contact us.
Emergency Boarding Up Across Runcorn
We board up damaged doors, windows and shopfronts for homeowners, landlords, letting agents and businesses across Runcorn. An open window or doorway cannot sensibly wait until morning, so calls are taken through the night, at weekends and on bank holidays, and the price is explained before anyone sets off. We cover the WA7 postcode district and the small part of WA4 inside the Runcorn built-up area (ONSPD, February 2026), including:
- Higher Runcorn
- Castlefields
- Weston
- Palacefields
- Murdishaw
- Sandymoor
[CLIENT TO CONFIRM: genuine coverage areas, and which of these will have area pages]
Emergency and planned locksmith services
Call Runcorn Locksmith Now
We answer 24 hours a day, there is no call-out charge, and the price is agreed before anyone travels. When you ring, tell us whether it is a window, door or shopfront, about how large the opening is and whether loose or broken glass is present.
[CLIENT TO CONFIRM: WhatsApp availability] · Contact us
01928 611001
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly can you board up my property?
We take boarding calls at any hour, including nights, weekends and bank holidays. How soon we can reach you depends on where you are in Runcorn, the time of day and whether a technician is already on a job, so we give you a realistic estimate on the call rather than a promise [PROVIDER PACK: arrival ranges by area].
Can I just board it up myself?
For a small, easily reached window with the right materials, some people do. The usual problems are poor fit and weak fixings: a board screwed on from outside with ordinary screws can be taken off again just as easily. A small gap can look simple, yet loose glass, an unstable frame or the wrong fixings bring their own safety and security risks. Avoid handling broken glass or attempting work at height, and for a large, exposed or unstable opening, arrange professional temporary boarding.
Do you replace the glass as well?
No, and it is worth being clear about that. We board the opening and make the property secure, and we repair or replace locks, doors, frames and mechanisms. Replacing glass or a sealed unit is a glazier's work, and we will tell you so before we leave.
Someone turned up and boarded my property without being asked. Do I have to pay?
You should never have work done on your property without authorising it, and you are entitled to a price before anyone travels. If a company has attended and invoiced you without being instructed, take independent advice before paying, and keep any paperwork they left.
Do you board up shops and commercial premises?
Yes. Shopfronts, office doors, industrial units and vacant premises are boarded on the same basis as homes. Commercial openings tend to be larger and sometimes need more than one board or work at height, which is reflected in the price you are given on the call.
Will my insurance pay for it?
It may be covered, depending on what caused the damage and the terms of your home, landlord or commercial policy. Contact your insurer as soon as practical, document the damage where it is safe to do so, and retain invoices, receipts and any relevant crime reference number.
What do you use to board up with?
Boards are cut to the actual opening and fixed so they cannot simply be unscrewed from outside. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: board material and thickness, fixing method, and whether steel screens are available for longer-term securing]
How long can boarding stay up?
Only until the right permanent repair can be completed; it is designed for days or a few weeks, not months. How long it stays suitable depends on the opening, the surrounding damage, how it was fixed and the weather, so arrange glazing, door repair or locksmith work as soon as practical.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 01928 611001, tell us what has happened and receive a current arrival estimate.