Board-Up Service After a Fire or Storm, What It Is and How to Hire One

What Board-Up Covers

Emergency securing is a set of fast, temporary fixes. A crew covers broken windows and doors with plywood or heavy panels. They may tarp a damaged roof, fence the property, or install a temporary door. Our guide on emergency roof tarping after a storm covers the roof part in detail. The goal is to protect the building until real repairs start.

It is not repair. It does not replace glass, fix framing or dry wet materials. Think of it as a bandage that keeps the loss from growing.

After a fire, the fire department may leave the scene with the building open. After a storm, windows and roofs may be gone. After a break in, the property may need to be locked down right away. In all three cases, an open building invites rain, pests and theft.

Why It Matters for Your Claim

Most property policies expect you to take reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage after a loss. Letting rain pour into a home with a broken window can turn a covered loss into a bigger one that the insurer argues you should have prevented.

Many policies pay for reasonable emergency measures as part of the claim. The details differ, so ask your insurer what they cover and whether they want to approve a company first. Keep every receipt and take photos of the damage before anything is covered or removed.

If the property is vacant or you cannot be there, tell your insurer. Some policies have rules about vacant buildings, and you do not want a surprise later.

Before the Crew Arrives

Stay out until officials say it is safe. After a fire, check with the fire department before you go back in. Weak floors, broken glass, loose ceilings and unsafe power are the usual dangers. Do not go back in only to save things. Ask the fire officer what you may do.

If you can safely do so, photograph or video every damaged opening and every room visible from outside. Write down the date and time. Do not touch utilities. Gas and electric service should be handled by the utility or a licensed professional.

If you have nowhere to go, the Red Cross can help with shelter, food and medicine after a home fire. Ask the fire department to connect you with the local chapter, and read the first 48 hours after a house fire.

How to Hire Without Getting Burned

After big storms and fires, people go door to door offering board-up and roof work. Some are real, some are not. Take your time, even in an emergency.

Ask for the company's name, license number if your state requires one, proof of insurance and a local address. Look up the license with your state. Get the price in writing before work starts, including how much is for materials and how much is labor. Ask whether the board-up is temporary and whether they remove it later and for what charge.

Never pay the whole bill up front in cash. Be careful with any paper that signs over your insurance benefits or gives the company control of your claim. Read it, and ask your insurer before you sign. Our guide on work authorizations and assignment of benefits explains what these forms do.

If a company wants to start major repairs under the cover of an emergency, slow down. Board-up can be done today. A full repair contract can wait until you have compared quotes.

What a Fair Job Looks Like

Plywood is cut to fit and fastened to the frame so it holds in wind. Roof tarps are secured, with edges anchored properly and not just nailed down. The crew photographs the work and gives you a written note of what they did. They tell you where they put anything they removed.

A fair crew also tells you what they cannot do. They should not promise that the repair is permanent or that your insurer will pay a certain amount.

After the Emergency Work

Boards and tarps are short term. Plan for real repairs soon. Water that got in before the board up may need drying, and wet materials may need to come out. If it rained or flooded, read our guide on the first 24 hours after water damage and call a restoration company for drying.

Keep the openings checked. Plywood can warp or loosen, and tarps can tear. Take photos and check after every storm until repairs are done.

When to Call a Pro and Your Insurer

Call a pro for any damaged roof, any structural damage, any open building you cannot secure safely, and any job that needs a ladder or work at height. Do not climb onto a damaged roof yourself.

Call your insurer right away. Tell them what happened, ask what emergency work they cover, and ask whether they require a certain vendor. Ask what they need as proof. Keep a folder for photos, receipts, names and phone numbers.