Break-in board up
Forced doors and smashed windows after a break-in, boarded and secured so the property is closed up the same night.
Board-up & securing · Toronto & the GTA
Emergency Board-Up & Property Securing, Toronto & the GTA
Toronto Glass Repair provides emergency board-up across Toronto and the GTA, 24/7. Window or door smashed and wide open? We clear the broken glass and board the opening with plywood so the place is closed up tonight, then replace the glass on a later visit.
01What we cover
What our board-up and securing covers
An emergency board-up is a temporary plywood covering fixed over a broken window, door or storefront to keep the property secure and weatherproof until the glass is replaced. After a break-in or an accident you are left with a hole into your home or unit, broken glass on the floor and nothing keeping the weather or anyone else out.
Our own technicians handle that part first: clear the glass, board the opening with cut-to-fit plywood and leave it solid. Replacing the pane is a separate, calmer job we book once the property is safe.
Window board up service
Single windows, large panes and full openings boarded with plywood when the glass cannot be fitted right away.
Storefront board up
Smashed shopfronts and glass entrances boarded so you can lock up and reopen, with the replacement glass booked separately.
Glass clean up and securing
We clear broken and hanging glass from the frame and floor, then make the opening safe to walk past and live around.
Plywood board up that holds
Cut-to-fit plywood, typically half-inch or thicker, fixed into the opening to keep weather, wildlife and people out until the new glass is in.
Doors and ground-floor openings
Glass doors, sidelights and accessible windows secured first, since those are the openings most exposed to the street.
02In an emergency
Do you board up after a break-in?
Yes. A break-in board up is the main thing we do after hours. We make the property secure first, then deal with the glass once you are not left with an open door or window.
- 1Photograph the damage and wait for police to finish if they are attending, since we clear glass away as part of the job.
- 2We clear the broken and hanging glass from the frame, the threshold and the floor around the opening.
- 3We cut plywood to the opening and fix it in so the door or window is closed up and solid again.
- 4You can lock up and stay in the property. We book the glass replacement separately, once things are calm.
Can you board up tonight?
Yes. We answer 24/7 and run same-day response across Toronto and the GTA, so an open or smashed opening gets boarded the same night rather than left until morning.
- An opening left exposed to the street is a priority call and goes to the front of the queue.
- Nights, weekends and holidays are covered. The phone is answered by our own people, not a call centre.
- You get a real arrival window before anyone is sent, so you know how long you are waiting.
What should I do while I wait for you?
Stay clear of the broken glass and do not start sweeping it up, especially after a break-in where the police may want the scene left alone. A few simple things make the visit faster and safer.
- Keep people and pets away from the opening and any glass on the floor.
- If it was a break-in, photograph the damage for your insurer before anything is moved or cleared.
- Clear a path to the broken window or door if you safely can, so we can get straight to securing it.
How do I handle the insurance side?
Photograph everything before anything is moved or boarded, and for a break-in, get the police occurrence number. Those are the two things your insurer asks for first.
- 1Photograph the damage from inside and outside before any glass is cleared, including the point of entry.
- 2For a break-in or vandalism, report it to police and write down the occurrence number. Insurers ask for it on those claims.
- 3Check your deductible before you claim. A single small pane can cost less than the deductible, and we tell you the repair price first, so you can decide whether a claim is worth filing at all.
- 4Keep our invoice. It records what was broken, what was fitted and what the securing cost, which is the documentation your insurer needs. You do not need the claim approved before we secure the opening.
03Pricing
How much does a board up cost?
A board up is priced on the job in front of us, not a flat rate, and you get the number before any work starts. It is a separate, smaller cost from the glass replacement that follows, so you are paying to make the property safe now and for the new glass later.
What drives the price:
- The size of the opening and how much plywood it takes to close it.
- How many windows or doors need boarding, not just one.
- How much broken glass there is to clear and dispose of.
- After-hours or overnight call-out, since most board-ups happen at night.
- Access and height: a ground-floor window is quicker than an awkward or upper-level opening.
A board-up is a small, contained job, so the phone estimate is usually close to the final number. A single ground-floor window sits at the low end; several openings or a wide storefront span sits higher.
04Secure first
Board-up first, glass later
We split the two jobs on purpose. The board up makes your property safe the same night, which is the urgent part.
The glass is measured, ordered if it is a special size, and fitted on a booking that suits you. That way, you are not waiting hours with the door standing open while a pane gets sourced.
And you only pay the emergency rate for the securing tonight, not for the full glass replacement.
05FAQ
Common questions
How long can a board up stay up?
A plywood board up is a temporary fix meant to hold for days, not months, until the glass is replaced. It keeps the opening secure and weatherproof in the short term, but it is not insulated or see-through, so the sooner the new glass goes in the better. We book the replacement as soon as the pane is ready.
Do you secure a broken window or just board over it?
We do both as one job. We clear the broken and hanging glass from the frame and floor first, then board the opening with plywood. Boarding over loose shards leaves glass to drop inside the frame later, so the clearing always comes first.
Can you board up a commercial unit or storefront?
Yes. We do storefront board up for shops, offices and other commercial units so you can lock up and reopen. The glass replacement is booked separately, on a schedule that fits the business. This pairs with our commercial and storefront glass service.
Do I need the glass replaced at the same time?
No. The board up and the glass replacement are two separate jobs. We secure the opening now and fit the new glass on a later visit, once the correct pane is measured or ordered. That keeps the emergency call quick and the replacement done properly.
Will the board-up damage my window or door frame?
No more than the break already has. The plywood is cut to the opening and fixed so it holds, with the fixings placed where the new glass and stops will cover them once the pane is fitted. The frame stays usable for the replacement.
Can you board up more than one broken window in the same visit?
Yes. If a break-in or storm has damaged more than one opening, we board them all on the same call. Tell us how many when you phone so we bring enough plywood and the right crew size.
06More services
Other glass services we cover
Window or door smashed and wide open?
Call and we will clear the glass and board it up tonight, then replace the pane on your schedule. 24/7 across Toronto and the GTA.