Emergency boarding up
24-Hour Emergency Boarding Up in Woking
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
A window has gone in, a door has been forced, or a shopfront is open to the street. Woking Locksmith boards up damaged openings across Woking at any hour, day or night, so the property is secure until a permanent repair can be arranged. There is no call-out charge.
Boarding is a temporary measure, not the repair itself. What it buys you is time: the opening is closed, broken glass is made safe and the weather stays out, usually in a single visit, so nobody has to sit up all night beside an open hole. If a lock is part of the problem, our emergency locksmith service covers it, and burglary repairs deals with the permanent work after a break-in.
Call 01483 377197 for a price on the phone before anyone travels.
What Emergency Boarding Up Actually Is
Boarding up means closing a broken or open part of a building, most often a window, door or shopfront, with boards cut to size and fixed firmly in place, so nobody can get in and rain cannot either. A damaged opening can usually be made secure on a temporary basis while the right permanent repair is lined up. The work always has two aims, and they come in this order:
- Safety first. Any broken glass around the opening is dealt with so nobody gets cut.
- Then security and weather. The board covers the gap, stops anyone getting through and cuts down how much wind and rain reach the inside.
What it is not: a repair. A board does not replace new glass, a new door or a new lock. Until help arrives, leave loose glass where it is and do not try to cover a large or unstable opening yourself. Our guide on what to do after a burglary sets out the other first steps.
When You Need Emergency Boarding Up
Any damage that leaves a house, a rented flat or a business premises open, where the proper repair cannot happen straight away, is a reason to board up. Burglary is only one of the causes.
After a break-in
A forced door or a smashed window can leave the property open for someone to come back. We board the entry point and work around it where the police have asked for it to be left as found. Report the break-in to Surrey Police on 101 or online at surrey.police.uk, and keep the crime reference. Temporary boarding holds the opening while burglary repairs are assessed.
Vandalism or a smashed window
Criminal damage can leave glass out and an opening exposed even when nobody got inside. We cover the gap and make the area safe until a glazier can fit new glass. Ground-floor windows, side doors and outbuildings are the usual targets. For stronger window security afterwards,.
Storm or accidental damage
High winds, something falling, a ball through the glass, a door blown back on its hinges: frames and openings get damaged without any crime at all. The property is still open to the weather and to passers-by. A board keeps it dry and shut until it is fixed.
A door that cannot be repaired the same visit
Sometimes a door, frame or locking part is too badly damaged to put right on the first visit, or a part has to be ordered. Boarding secures the opening in the meantime. Forced uPVC and composite doors with split frames are a common example; the failed mechanism may also need a lock repair or work on the.
Empty or between-tenancy property
A vacant property with a broken opening can let people in, and wind or rain do damage that nobody sees for days. Landlords, letting agents and property managers use boarding to secure the building while they arrange the permanent repair.
How We Board Up a Damaged Opening
No two openings are boarded in quite the same way. The method depends on what is broken, the state of the surrounding structure and where secure fixings can go, so every opening is looked at before a board goes on.
Inspect and make safe.
The technician checks the opening, the frame around it and any visible hazards, and handles loose glass or unstable material only where that is safe to do.
Note anything in the way.
Anything that would stop safe access or prevent the board sitting properly is identified first.
Measure the actual opening.
Boards are worked to the gap in front of us, not to a standard size.
Cut and fix.
The boards are cut to fit and fixed so they cannot simply be unscrewed from outside. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: board thickness and material used, whether anti-tamper or internal fixings are standard, and whether steel screens can be supplied.]
Check before leaving.
The finished board is tested to make sure it is secure and keeps the weather out.
The fixing is the detail that matters most. A board screwed on from outside with ordinary screws can come off in a minute, and then it has done nothing.
Boarding Up Is Temporary. What Happens After?
Once the opening is secure, what happens next depends on whether the permanent repair is to the locking system, the door or frame, or the glass.
If the damage is to a lock, a door, a frame or a mechanism, that is our work. We can repair it or carry out a lock replacement, often on a second visit once parts have arrived. Damaged doors and frames sometimes need a specialist door repairer as well, and we will tell you if so. If the damage is to glass or a sealed unit, that is a glazier's job, not ours. We will make the opening secure; a glazier then measures and fits the new glass.
A board is designed to hold for days or a few weeks, not months. Left up for too long, it will start to let water in around the fixings, so book the permanent repair as soon as you reasonably can. After a break-in, burglary repairs and uPVC door locks cover most of what follows.
Locksmith pricing
Agree the Price Before Anyone Attends
This trade has a problem few people talk about. Some boarding firms turn up at damaged properties without being asked, sometimes after a report to the police or council, carry out work nobody ordered, then send an invoice worth several times the job and chase it hard. Nobody should board up your property without your authorisation. You should hear a price before anyone sets off, and you are entitled to ask what the board is made of, how it is fixed and what removal involves.
Our position is simple. We give you the price on the call, we only attend when you ask us to, and that price stays the same on arrival unless the damage turns out to be materially different from what you described. More on spotting a reliable firm is in how to choose a 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 business policies cover emergency boarding after forced entry, vandalism or storm damage, because temporary work to stop further access or damage is normally treated as reasonable action after an insured incident. Policies differ on cover, limits and what a claim needs, so read your own wording and tell your insurer as soon as practical. Where practical, ring the insurer's emergency line before you authorise 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 incident has been reported to the police, retain the crime reference number for your claim. If the property cannot safely remain exposed while you wait for a response, arrange the temporary security needed, document the damage and follow the insurer's claims instructions as soon as possible. Keep every invoice and receipt for the boarding and the repairs after it. We can supply an invoice describing the damage, the work and the materials. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: itemised invoicing.] See burglary repairs and what to do after a burglary for the rest of a claim.
Locksmith pricing
What Does Emergency Boarding Up Cost?
What you pay depends on the opening and how much work it takes to secure it. A small window you can reach easily is a much smaller job than a wide doorway, a shopfront or several broken openings. The main factors are:
- the size and type of opening
- how many openings need boarding
- how far the damage extends into the frame or surrounding structure
- how easily and safely the opening can be reached, including any work at height
- whether the property is a home or commercial premises, and the time of the call
[CLIENT TO CONFIRM: whether a boarding starting price can be published.] Every job is priced on the call from what you tell us, and if something on site changes that price, you hear about it before work begins. There is no call-out charge at any hour, which matters more here than on most jobs, because separate call-out fees are common among boarding firms. Evenings after 6pm, nights, weekends and bank holidays carry a higher labour rate than Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm.
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 01483 377197 to describe the damage and get your price.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
What Happens When You Call
Getting a board fitted takes four steps.
- 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 an honest estimate of when we can arrive. [PROVIDER PACK: arrival range]
- A technician makes the area safe, measures, fits the boarding and checks it is secure before leaving. [PROVIDER PACK: DBS-check evidence]
- We explain what the permanent repair involves and whether it is our work, a door specialist's or a glazier's, so the board does not end up as a long-term substitute for the repair.
You can also reach us through the contact page.
Emergency Boarding Up Across Woking
We board up damaged doors, windows and shopfronts for homeowners, landlords, letting agents and businesses across Woking. An open property cannot wait until morning, which is why calls are taken 24 hours a day, every day of the year, nights, weekends and bank holidays included, with no call-out charge and the price explained before we set off.
We work through the GU21 and GU22 postcode districts (ONSPD, Feb 2026), from Horsell and Knaphill to Mount Hermon, where a high share of homes are flats and many are privately rented (Census 2021, output areas near Mount Hermon), so communal entrances and shared doors are a regular part of the work. The Woking built-up area had around 75,700 usual residents at the 2021 Census (ONS). We also serve three towns from Woking, each with its own page: Sheerwater, New Haw and West Byfleet. See all areas we cover. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: genuine coverage areas]
While you wait, keep people and pets clear of broken or loose glass, and do not try to clear it yourself.
Emergency and planned locksmith services
Call Woking Locksmith Now
If a broken window, forced door or open shopfront is leaving your property exposed, call and we will price the job before anyone travels. Tell us whether the damage affects a window, door or shopfront, approximately how large the opening is and whether loose or broken glass is present. A technician [PROVIDER PACK: DBS-check evidence] will then inspect the opening, check for hazards and fit boarding where the structure and access allow, and before leaving will explain the next step, whether that is locksmith work, a door repair or new glazing. We answer 24 hours a day and there is no call-out charge.
01483 377197 · [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: WhatsApp availability] · Contact us
01483 377197
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly can you board up my property?
Calls are taken 24 hours a day, nights, weekends and bank holidays included. How soon we reach you depends on where you are in Woking, the time of day and whether a technician is already on a job, and we give you an honest estimate on the call rather than a promise. [PROVIDER PACK: arrival range]
Do you board up shops and commercial premises?
Yes. Shopfronts, office doors, industrial units and empty premises are boarded on the same terms as homes. Commercial openings tend to be larger and may need several boards or work at height, which is reflected in the price you are given before we attend.
Do you replace the glass as well?
No, and it helps to be clear. We board the opening and secure the property, and we repair or replace locks, doors, frames and mechanisms. New glass or a sealed unit is a glazier's job, and we will tell you so on the visit.
How long can boarding stay up?
Only until the right permanent repair can be done. How long it stays sound depends on the opening, the damage around it, how it was fixed and the weather, but think days or a few weeks rather than months, and book the glazing, door repair or locksmith work as soon as practical.
Will my insurance pay for it?
It may, 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.
Can I just board it up myself?
Whether a board can go on at all depends on the size and height of the opening, the damage around it, access and the conditions on site. A small gap can look simple, but loose glass, a weak frame and 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, get professional boarding fitted.
Someone turned up and boarded my property without being asked. Do I have to pay?
Work should never be done on your property without your say-so, and you are entitled to a price before anyone sets off. If a firm attended and invoiced without being instructed, query it in writing and take advice before paying.
What do you use to board up with?
Boards cut to fit the opening and fixed so they cannot be removed from outside. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: board material and thickness, fixing type, and whether steel screens can be supplied.]
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 01483 377197, tell us what has happened and receive a current arrival estimate.