Emergency Board-Up: When You Need It and What It Involves

After a fire, a storm or a break-in, the damage you can see is only part of the risk. A broken window, a smashed door or a hole in the roof lets in rain, animals and people, and every night the house stays open the damage can grow. Emergency board-up closes those openings until permanent repairs can be made. Here is when you need it, what a board-up crew actually does, and how insurance usually handles the cost.

When a Board-Up Is Needed

Most board-ups follow one of a handful of events:

• House fires. Firefighters often break windows and cut openings in the roof to vent heat and smoke. That is part of putting the fire out, and it leaves the house open afterward.
• Storms. Wind-blown debris and falling limbs break windows and doors, and a tree through the roof leaves an opening that rain will find within hours. When Tropical Storm Isaias crossed Long Island in August 2020, PSEG Long Island reported about 420,000 customers losing power, much of it from fallen trees.
• Break-ins and vandalism. A forced door or broken window needs to be secured the same day.
• Vehicle crashes. A car through a storefront or garage leaves a large opening and sometimes structural damage.
• Vacant or damaged properties. A building that cannot be occupied after a loss still needs to be protected from weather and trespassers.

What a Board-Up Crew Does

A professional board-up is more than nailing plywood over a hole. A typical job looks like this:

1. Assess the Openings

The crew walks the property, checks for structural hazards, and lists every opening that needs to be secured: windows, doors, wall breaches and roof damage.

2. Measure and Cut

Plywood or oriented strand board is cut to fit each opening. Sheets are sized to cover the frame fully so wind and water cannot get behind them.

3. Secure the Openings

Boards are fastened to the frame or braced from the inside so they cannot be pried off easily. Doors that need to stay usable can be fitted with a hinged board and a lock. Where a room needs daylight, clear polycarbonate sheets can be used instead of wood.

4. Tarp the Roof

Holes and missing shingles are covered with heavy-duty tarps secured with battens so the wind cannot lift them. A well-installed tarp keeps rain out of the attic, insulation and ceilings until the roof is repaired.

5. Document the Work

Photos of the damage before and after the board-up go into the insurance file, along with an itemized invoice.

Why It Matters for Your Insurance Claim

Homeowners policies generally require you to protect the property from further damage after a loss and to make reasonable temporary repairs. If rain pours through an open roof for a week after a storm, the insurer can argue that the extra damage came from not securing the house, not from the storm itself.

Many policies also include coverage for reasonable emergency measures, which typically pays for things like board-up and tarping after a covered loss. The limit and conditions vary by policy, so:

• Call your insurer as soon as it is safe and tell them a board-up is being done.
• Keep every receipt and the board-up invoice.
• Take photos before and after.
• Hold off on permanent repairs until your adjuster has seen the damage or approved the work.

Roof Tarping Done Right

A roof tarp is only as good as the way it is fastened. A few things separate a tarp that lasts until the roofer arrives from one that blows off in the next storm:

• Size. The tarp should cover the damaged area with several feet to spare on every side, and on a pitched roof it usually runs over the ridge so water cannot run in behind its top edge.
• Battens. Wood strips laid along the edges and screwed through the tarp into the roof deck spread the load. Nails through the tarp alone tear out in wind.
• Weight. Heavy-duty, UV-resistant tarps hold up far longer than the thin ones sold for covering firewood.
• Inside checks. After the first rain, look at the attic and the ceilings below for new drips.

After some federally declared disasters, FEMA activates Operation Blue Roof, in which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers installs free temporary roof covers on eligible primary homes. It runs only in the disaster areas FEMA names, so most homeowners will still need a private tarping crew.

What to Do While You Wait

If the house has just been damaged and help is on the way:

• Stay out of unsafe areas. After a fire, do not go back in until the fire department says it is safe. After a storm, stay clear of downed wires and call PSEG Long Island or your utility if lines are involved.
• Move valuables away from openings if you can do it safely.
• Do not climb on a damaged roof. Wet, fire-weakened or storm-damaged roofs are a common source of serious falls.
• Photograph everything from a safe spot.
• Cover what you can from inside, such as putting a tarp over furniture under a leaking ceiling.

After the Board-Up

A board-up buys time. It does not fix water that already got in or soot that already settled. Once the property is secure, the next steps are usually:

• Extracting water and drying anything that got wet, so mold does not start within the next day or two.
• Removing soot and smoke residue after a fire. Our post on what is left after a fire explains what to expect.
• Clearing storm debris and repairing the roof, windows and siding. See what to do after storm and fallen tree damage for the first steps.
• Permanent repairs, once the insurer has approved them.

Boards and tarps are temporary. Plywood holds up for a while, but tarps break down in sun and wind and should be checked after every storm until the roof is repaired.

Board-Up for Businesses

A damaged storefront, office or warehouse has the same exposure as a house, plus a few extra concerns. Inventory, equipment and records are at risk while the building is open, and the business may need a way for staff, inspectors and adjusters to get in safely. A commercial board-up often includes a lockable access door, clear panels where a storefront needs light, and boards sized for large display windows. Business owners should also tell their commercial insurer right away, since many commercial policies have their own requirements for protecting damaged property, and any business interruption claim depends on clear records of when the damage happened and what was done to secure the building.

Common Board-Up Mistakes

• Leaving gaps. Boards that do not cover the full frame let wind-driven rain in around the edges.
• Using thin material. Thin paneling or cardboard does not stop weather or intruders.
• Tarping without battens. A tarp held only by a few nails will tear loose in the first strong wind.
• Waiting until morning. Rain overnight can soak insulation and ceilings that were dry when the storm passed.
• Skipping photos. Without before and after photos, it is harder to show the insurer what was damaged and what the board-up protected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does homeowners insurance pay for emergency board-up?

Usually, when the damage comes from a covered event such as a fire, a windstorm or a break-in. Most policies require you to protect the property from further damage and many include a limit for reasonable emergency measures. Keep the invoice and photos, and check your policy for the limit.

How long can a house stay boarded up?

As long as it takes to make permanent repairs, which can be weeks or months after a major fire. Plywood can last that long if it is secured well. Roof tarps wear out faster and should be inspected after every storm and replaced if they tear or come loose.

Can I board up my own windows?

For a single broken window on the ground floor, a homeowner with plywood and the right fasteners can often make a temporary cover. Upper floors, roofs, large openings and fire-damaged structures are safer left to a crew with the right equipment, and a professional invoice makes the insurance claim simpler.

Get Your Property Secured

An open house invites more damage. Spartan Restoration takes calls 24 hours a day for board-up and tarping after fires, storms, break-ins and vehicle crashes.

• See our emergency board up services for window, door and roof work.
• After a fire, our fire damage restoration services team handles soot, smoke and the water left by firefighting.
• After a storm, see our storm damage restoration services, or local pages such as storm damage restoration in Belle Terre and storm damage restoration in Locust Valley.