Summary
Emergency boarding up is a callout-driven, time-critical service — securing a property against weather and further break-in following storm damage, a break-in, a vehicle impact, or accidental glass breakage — and is priced differently from planned glazing or joinery work because the customer is paying primarily for rapid response and security, not for a finished aesthetic result. Pricing structure typically has three components: a callout charge (higher out of hours), materials (ply board, fixings, sometimes a temporary lock or security film), and labour time on site, which is usually short per opening but can be extended significantly by access difficulty or scale (multiple openings after a break-in or storm).
Insurance work is a major driver of this trade — many boarding-up jobs are commissioned by or on behalf of a household or commercial insurer following a claim, and pricing needs to reflect what insurers will typically accept as a reasonable emergency mitigation cost, while still covering the real cost of genuine out-of-hours response. Clear, itemised invoicing (separating callout, materials, and labour, and stating the time of callout) is important both for the client's own records and for smoother insurance claim processing.
The most common pricing mistake is underpricing genuine out-of-hours/emergency response by charging a standard daytime joinery rate — the premium for being available and responding within a short window (commonly 1-2 hours for emergency security callouts) is a real cost of running that kind of service and should be reflected transparently in the price structure, not absorbed.
Key Facts
- Standard plywood board (per window opening, WBP/exterior grade ply, 12-18mm) — materials typically £15-£35 depending on opening size and ply thickness
- Fixings and security screws — £5-£15 per opening, tamper-resistant/security screws recommended over standard screws for anti-re-entry
- Door boarding (larger opening, often requiring a frame around the board) — materials typically £30-£70
- Daytime callout charge — typically £30-£60 on top of materials and labour, often waived or reduced for the first hour on standard working-hours jobs
- Out-of-hours callout charge (evening/night/weekend) — typically £60-£150, reflecting genuine premium response cost — commonly a 50-100% uplift versus standard daytime callout
- Labour, single window boarding — typically 30-60 minutes on site once on location
- Labour, full door or larger opening — typically 1-1.5 hours, more if a frame/batten needs to be constructed around an irregular or damaged opening
- Multiple openings (post-break-in) — priced per opening but with reduced marginal time per additional opening once on site (shared travel/setup time)
- Temporary security measures beyond boarding — additional temporary locks, security film over remaining glass, or a temporary alarm contact, priced as separate line items where requested
- VAT — standard rate 20% applies to both materials and labour
- Typical total invoice, single window, daytime — £80-£150 all-in
- Typical total invoice, single window, out-of-hours — £150-£280 all-in
- Typical total invoice, break-in with 3-4 openings, out-of-hours — £350-£700 all-in
Quick Reference Table
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Try squote free →| Scenario | Materials | Labour + callout | Typical total price (inc. margin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single window, daytime | £15-£35 | £60-£110 | £80-£150 |
| Single window, out-of-hours | £15-£35 | £130-£240 | £150-£280 |
| Door boarding, daytime | £30-£70 | £90-£160 | £130-£230 |
| Door boarding, out-of-hours | £30-£70 | £160-£280 | £200-£350 |
| Multiple openings (3-4), out-of-hours break-in | £80-£150 | £280-£550 | £350-£700 |
Detailed Guidance
Structuring the price around callout, materials and labour
Present the quote (or, more realistically for genuine emergencies, the invoice after the fact) as three clear components: the callout charge (reflecting time-of-day and response urgency), materials, and on-site labour time. This structure is easier for both the client and any involved insurer to understand and verify than a single lump-sum figure, and protects the tradesperson if the job takes longer than expected due to unforeseen access or damage issues discovered on site.
Pricing genuine out-of-hours response honestly
A genuine emergency out-of-hours callout — being available to respond within an hour or two, outside normal working hours, to secure a property against further loss — has a real cost in terms of disrupted personal time and the need to maintain on-call capacity, and this should be priced as a distinct premium rather than charged at a standard daytime rate. Being transparent about this premium up front (e.g. stating the out-of-hours callout rate when the client first calls) avoids disputes after the job when the client sees the invoice.
Multiple openings and break-in scenarios
Following a break-in, it's common to be securing several openings at once (front door, a rear window, sometimes a side gate or garage). Price the callout once, then materials and labour per opening, applying a modest reduction in per-opening labour time for the second and subsequent openings since travel and initial setup is shared — but don't reduce the price so far that it doesn't reflect the genuinely greater total time and stress of a multi-opening emergency job.
Insurance considerations
Many boarding-up jobs are paid for or reimbursed via a household or commercial insurance claim. Provide a clearly itemised invoice stating the date, time of callout (important for demonstrating genuine emergency response), materials used, and labour time — this supports the client's claim and reduces the likelihood of a dispute or delayed payment. Some insurers have approved contractor networks or pre-agreed rate schedules; check whether the client's insurer has a preferred rate structure before quoting if the client mentions they're claiming.
Worked example: out-of-hours break-in, 2 windows and a door
A client calls at 9pm following a break-in with two broken windows and a forced door. Callout (out-of-hours): £90. Materials: 2 window boards at £25 each = £50, 1 door board with frame batten = £55, security screws/fixings = £20. Materials subtotal: £125. Labour: 2 hours on site (setup, three openings, travel) at an out-of-hours rate equivalent to £70/hour = £140. Total: £90 + £125 + £140 = £355, before VAT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is boarding-up work notifiable under Building Regulations?
No — temporary emergency boarding is not notifiable work under Building Regulations, since it's a temporary security/weatherproofing measure, not permanent construction. Any subsequent permanent glazing replacement should follow the normal Building Regulations requirements for replacement windows/doors (Part L thermal performance, safety glazing in critical locations where applicable under Part K, which absorbed the former standalone Approved Document N in 2010).
Should I charge the same rate for storm damage as for a break-in?
The underlying pricing structure (callout, materials, labour) is the same, but storm damage jobs are sometimes multiple simultaneous callouts across a wider area during severe weather, which can mean longer response times and a queue of jobs — communicate realistic response time expectations to the client clearly rather than promising the same speed as a single-property, non-weather-event callout.
Do I need any specific certification to carry out emergency boarding-up work?
No specific trade licence is required for boarding-up work itself, though general good practice around safe glass handling and disposal, and secure/tamper-resistant fixing methods, should be followed. If the job also involves temporary lock fitting or security hardware, basic competency in that area is expected, though this remains a general joinery/handyman-level skill rather than a licensed trade.
How do I price boarding up a commercial shopfront versus a domestic window?
Commercial shopfront glazing is typically larger and may require full sheet ply covering a shop window opening, often with additional security considerations (visible deterrent signage, anti-climb/anti-ram measures for repeat-target premises) — price these as a materially larger job reflecting sheet size, quantity, and often a higher labour time for larger, heavier boards, rather than scaling a domestic per-window rate directly.
Regulations & Standards
Building Regulations Approved Document K (Protection from falling, collision and impact, incl. safety glazing) — relevant to any subsequent permanent glazing replacement following temporary boarding, not to the temporary boarding itself
Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 — relevant to safe disposal of broken glass and damaged materials removed during the job
Glass and Glazing Federation — safe glass handling guidance — industry best practice for glass handling and temporary securing
gov.uk — Building Regulations Approved Documents — safety glazing requirements for permanent replacement work
Master Locksmiths Association — emergency and security services guidance — industry standards for emergency security response work
broken window glass repair pricing guide — permanent glass repair pricing following temporary boarding
window replacement pricing guide — full window replacement pricing where boarding precedes a full unit swap
waste disposal — safe disposal requirements for broken glass and damaged materials