Emergency Boarding Up Chelsea Doors and Windows
Our emergency boarding up London service secures broken doors and windows the same night from our base in Chelsea SW3. We usually reach SW3 and SW10 within 30 minutes and neighbouring areas such as Fulham, Battersea and Pimlico in 20 to 45 minutes, with the time confirmed on the call. Boarding a door or window costs £50 to £100, with no call out fee and the price agreed before we set off. We board after break ins, accidents and storm damage, then tell you what the permanent repair needs.
- DBS checked locksmith
- Public liability insured
- Over 5 years working in Chelsea
- Price agreed before work
- No call out fee
When a broken door or window needs boarding up
Boarding is for openings that cannot be made secure with a lock tonight. Most forced doors can be repaired and locked on the same visit, and that is always our first choice. Boarding comes in when:
- A glass panel in a front door, back door or French door has been smashed.
- A sash or casement pane is broken on a ground floor or basement window, or one reachable from a flat roof.
- A door frame is split so badly that no keep will hold.
- A shop front or glazed office door has been broken overnight.
- A vehicle, falling branch or storm has damaged the opening.
If the door itself can be locked, our break in repair and secure up service is usually the better answer, and it costs less than board plus a later return visit.
Before we arrive: broken glass and safety
Keep away from loose glass
Do not try to pull hanging shards out of a frame, and keep children and pets out of the room. If glass has fallen onto a pavement, warn passers by. If anyone is injured, or you think an intruder is still inside, call 999 first.
After a burglary, report it to the police and get a crime reference number before the opening is covered. Take photographs of the damage from inside and outside, because once the board is fixed, your insurer will only see the board.
Emergency boarding up prices
Ranges from our price list with no call out fee, confirmed on the phone before we travel.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Emergency boarding up (door or window) One opening boarded and fixed | £50 to £100 |
| Break in repair and secure up Forced door repaired and made lockable | £75 to £175 |
| Door repair (timber or front door, frame, hinges) Permanent frame or hinge repair afterwards | £50 to £120 |
| Euro cylinder change Attacked cylinder replaced on the same visit | £40 to £65 |
Prices include parts and labour. The lower figure is a standard daytime job, the higher figure covers nights, weekends and high security parts. Your exact price is confirmed on the phone before we travel, with no call out fee. See the full Chelsea price list.
Boarding up doors, sash windows and shop fronts
| Opening | How we board it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Glazed panel in a timber front door | Board fixed over the panel, door left usable and lockable where the lock survives | £50 to £100 |
| Ground floor or basement sash window | Board fixed to the outer frame, avoiding damage to the sashes and beads | £50 to £100 |
| Back door or French door with broken glass | Glass area boarded, bolts checked so the door holds closed | £50 to £100 |
| Door that cannot be closed at all | Whole opening boarded and fixed from inside where access allows | £50 to £100 |
| Shop front, several panes or doors | Each opening boarded; larger fronts assessed on the phone | Priced on the phone before we set off |
The ranges follow the rest of our list: the lower figure is a daytime job, the higher covers nights, weekends and larger openings. See the Chelsea locksmith price list for everything else.
Boarding up period homes without adding damage
Much of Chelsea is Georgian and Victorian housing with original timber sash windows, fanlights and panelled front doors. Careless boarding can split mouldings, crack the remaining glass or leave large screw holes in joinery that is expensive to restore. We fix boards so the permanent repair is as simple as possible: into the frame rather than the sashes, with fixings placed where a joiner or glazier will be working anyway.
In conservation areas, which cover much of Chelsea, the permanent repair to a front door or window may need to match the original. Boarding buys you time to find the right joiner or glazier rather than accepting the first replacement on offer. Our sash window locks page covers securing those windows once the glass is back.
Emergency boarding up for London shops and mansion blocks
A broken shop front on the King's Road or Fulham Road at 2am cannot wait for opening time. We board the damaged area so stock and the premises are closed off, and if the shop door lock has been attacked, we replace it on the same visit. We need authority from the owner, manager or keyholder before working on business premises.
In mansion blocks, broken glass in a communal entrance door is a security risk for every flat. We board it and make sure the door still closes and latches where possible, and the managing agent arranges the glazier. Regular work for agents and porters is covered by our mansion block locksmith service and commercial locksmith page.
After boarding up: who does the permanent repair?
Boarding is temporary. Before we leave we tell you exactly what is still needed and who does each part.
Glazier
Replaces broken glass. Period sashes may need specific glass and putty or beading work. We do not glaze.
Joiner or door repair
Rebuilds split frames and damaged timber. We handle many frame and hinge repairs through our door repair service.
Locksmith
Fits new locks once the door or window is whole, often upgrading to British Standard locks after a break in.
Your insurer
Usually wants photographs, the crime reference and our invoice describing the boarding and the damage.
What to expect when we board up a door or window
When you call, we ask for the size of the opening as best you can judge it, whether it is glass or a whole door, which floor it is on and whether we can reach it from inside. A photograph by WhatsApp to 07466 695655 helps us bring the right size of board and fixings, and confirm the price before we leave.
On site, we clear loose glass from the frame where it is safe to do so, measure, cut the board to fit and fix it securely. Where the door is still in use, we keep it openable from inside so you are not trapped behind it. Before leaving, we check the rest of the ground floor for other weak points the intruder may have tried, such as a second window or a back door with a damaged cylinder.
Board up after storm, accident or vandalism damage
Not every broken window is a burglary. A falling branch in a garden square, a ball through a basement window or a car mounting the kerb can all leave an opening that needs covering overnight. The boarding is the same, and so is the price. For vandalism, report it to the police on 101 so you have a reference for your insurer.
Emergency boarding up across Chelsea and south west London
We board up across SW3 and SW10 and travel further in an emergency: usually 20 to 40 minutes to Fulham and Earl's Court, and 25 to 45 minutes to Battersea and Pimlico. All our emergency and planned work is listed on the locksmith services page.
Common questions
How much does emergency boarding up cost in London?
From our Chelsea base, boarding a single door or window costs £50 to £100, with no call out fee. Several openings or a large shop front are priced together on the phone before we set off, so you know the total before we arrive.
Can you board up a window in the middle of the night?
Yes. We work 24 hours, 7 days a week including bank holidays. In SW3 and SW10 we usually arrive within 30 minutes and confirm the time when you call.
Do you replace the broken glass as well?
No, we are locksmiths, not glaziers. We make the opening secure and tell you what the glazier needs to know, such as whether it is a sash, a fanlight or a door panel. We can come back to fit locks once the glass is in.
Will boarding damage my sash windows?
We fix boards to the outer frame where possible, not through the sashes or mouldings, so the window can be reglazed without extra joinery. On listed or conservation area properties we take particular care with original timber.
Should I board up or change the lock after a break in?
If the door is whole and only the lock is damaged, a lock change or secure up is better and avoids a second visit. Boarding is for broken glass or doors and frames too damaged to hold a lock tonight.
Related pages
Broken door or window tonight?
Call 07520 643913 and we will board it up and tell you what comes next.