What emergency boarding actually does
Emergency boarding is exactly what it sounds like: a panel of plywood (typically 18 mm exterior-grade) cut to size, security-screwed to the existing frame, weather-sealed at the edges. The building is now secure, alarmed (if the system was triggered), and visually closed for the public. The damaged door, or what is left of it, is removed or made safe.
It is a holding measure. The permanent repair — replacement door, frame repair, glass replacement, lock replacement — follows in business hours once the scope of the damage is fully assessed and parts are sourced.
When emergency boarding is needed
Four scenarios drive most emergency boarding callouts.
- Break-in or attempted break-in — door forced, glass smashed, frame damaged, lock destroyed. The most common scenario. Police are usually involved.
- Vehicle impact — a car, van or trolley has hit a shopfront. Frame, glass and door all potentially affected. Insurance claim usually under building cover.
- Severe weather damage — wind has torn a door from its hinges, debris has smashed glazing, water has caused mechanical failure.
- Mechanical failure with security consequences — a roller shutter that will not lower at end of trade, a lock body that has failed leaving the door unable to lock.
The right way to handle an emergency call
When the call comes in, our first questions are: what happened, when, is anyone hurt, are the police involved, is the building currently secure or do you have someone watching it. The answers shape the response — police involvement means evidence preservation; injuries mean ambulance and HSE first; an unattended unsecured building means we expedite.
Engineer dispatch is typically same-evening for incidents in business hours and out-of-hours within 2–4 hours of the call. For high-risk premises (jewellers, cash-handling, pharmacy) we move faster.
On arrival, the first job is photography. Wide shots and detail shots of every damaged element, before anything is touched. These pictures are insurance evidence and police evidence. Only after the photos are done do we start work on securing the building.
What good boarding looks like
Properly-fitted emergency boarding has several characteristics. Full coverage — the board extends past the damaged area to fix into sound frame. Security-rated fixings — coach bolts or security-head screws into the existing frame, not nails or short woodscrews into broken material. Weather-sealed edges — silicone or foam to prevent water ingress to the building during the wait for permanent repair. Visible signage if appropriate — “temporarily closed, reopening soon” signs help customer confidence.
What good boarding does not look like: a chipboard panel stapled across the opening, fixings into rotten or damaged frame, gaps around the edges. Cheap boarding leaks, blows out in wind, and signals to opportunist criminals that the premises is poorly protected.
Documentation that supports an insurance claim
Every emergency boarding callout should produce a documentation pack. Itemised invoice for time, parts and boarding materials. Written engineer report describing the damage found, the work done on site, and the parts needed for the permanent repair. Before-and-after photographs. Incident time and date. Police crime reference number (if applicable).
This pack is what your insurer will ask for to process the claim. Keep it on file regardless of whether you intend to claim immediately — some policies have 14-day notification windows.
From boarding to permanent repair
The permanent repair follows on the next available business day or — for high-value premises — overnight. Typical scope: replace damaged door blade and/or frame, replace lock cylinder and lock body, replace any damaged glazing, restore the closer or pivot if affected, test and document the finished installation.
For incidents involving an insurance claim, the engineer will often coordinate with the loss adjuster directly to confirm scope and approved spend before commissioning materials. Keeps the customer’s claim path clean.
For premises with high break-in risk
Some sectors face higher-than-average emergency boarding callout rates: jewellers, pharmacies, vape and tobacco retailers, off-licences, post offices, cash-handling premises. For these, an emergency contract makes sense — agreed response times, 24/7 callout, set unit rates for boarding and follow-up, and direct dispatch without per-incident commercial negotiation.
A contract often pays for itself the first time a 3 am callout would otherwise be at peak emergency rate with no parts on the van.