Boarding Up Insurance Claims in Barnet
If you need to claim for boarding up in Barnet, keep three things from us: an itemised invoice, time-stamped before and after photographs, and a written statement of the work done. You receive all three with every job. They show your insurer what was damaged, what we secured and what it cost.
Your insurer decides what your policy covers. We’re a boarding-up service, not loss adjusters or legal advisers, so we can’t tell you whether a claim will be accepted. We can give you clear, accurate records of the make-safe work.
If something needs securing now, a person answers the phone 24 hours a day. Call 020 4652 1801.
What we provide for your insurer
Itemised invoice
The invoice lists the work separately instead of giving one lump sum. Depending on the job, it can show:
- each opening boarded, such as a ground-floor window, a back door or a shopfront pane
- materials used, such as exterior-grade plywood (typically 18mm) or OSB for smaller openings
- fixings, including security or anti-tamper fixings where they were used
- any work to secure a damaged door, frame or lock before boarding
- making safe broken glass or debris
Insurers can then see what each part of the bill relates to. The price itself is agreed with you on the phone before any work starts. Our pricing page explains what affects the quote.
Time-stamped before and after photographs
We photograph the damage before we start and the finished boarding afterwards. The time stamps show the condition of the property when we arrived and that the openings were then secured. This helps if your insurer needs to see the damage and the property has since been boarded.
Written statement of the work done
This is a plain description of what we found and what we did. For example, it might say which openings were boarded, how they were fixed and whether a forced door frame had to be secured first. It gives your insurer and any repairer a clear record without you having to piece it together from memory.
What to do before you call
These are general steps most people take. Your insurer’s own instructions come first, so check your policy documents or claims line if you’re unsure.
- Stay safe. Keep clear of broken glass, damaged frames and anything that looks unstable. Don’t climb ladders or go onto a roof to look at damage.
- After a break-in, report it to the police and keep the crime reference number. Your insurer is likely to ask for it.
- Contact your insurer to tell them what’s happened and ask how they’d like you to proceed.
- Photograph the damage yourself if it’s safe to do so. Your own photos, taken as soon as possible, add to the record. Take them from a safe distance and don’t move into damaged areas to get a better angle.
- Keep anything you’re given. Hold on to the crime reference number, your claim reference and any emails, together with our paperwork.
You don’t have to finish every step before calling us. If an opening is unsecured overnight, getting it boarded is often the priority, and you can contact your insurer alongside.
Boarding up after a burglary
Forced entry usually leaves more than a broken pane. Doors may be split at the lock, frames pulled away and glass left in the frame. Our written statement records what we found, which helps your insurer understand the full extent of the damage.
Where a door or frame is too badly damaged to take boarding as it is, we’ll explain the options on the call or on site before doing anything. That conversation, and the extra work, will be reflected on the invoice. More practical steps are on our burglary repairs page, and our door boarding service covers securing forced doors, frames and locks.
Storm, fire and other damage
The same paperwork applies when wind has broken a window or a skylight has given way. After a fire, we can only secure openings once the fire service has handed the site back. Smoke and odour remediation is outside what we do. The photographs and statement record the openings we secured and how.
Boarding now, permanent repairs next
Boarding is the make-safe stage. It secures the property and protects it from the weather while your insurer considers the claim and you arrange the permanent glazing or door repairs. Because our paperwork covers the make-safe separately, it’s easy to keep apart from the repair costs that follow.
Landlords, agents and shop owners
If you’re claiming for a rented property, a managed block or a shop, the same documents apply. Let us know on the call who the invoice should be addressed to and where the paperwork should go, so it reaches the person handling the claim. For a commercial premises, such as a unit on the High Street in Chipping Barnet, a clear record of each pane secured is especially useful where a shopfront has several openings.
Common questions
Can you deal with my insurer directly? We provide the documentation, and you or your agent submit it to your insurer. We don’t negotiate claims or advise on policy wording.
Will my insurer pay for the boarding? That depends on your policy and your insurer’s decision. Please check with them. Our paperwork shows them exactly what was done.
Do you have insurance yourselves? Yes. We’re fully insured, and the certificate is available on request if your insurer or managing agent asks to see it. Our operatives are also DBS-checked.
Is the quote in writing? The quote is given on the call, free and clear, before any work starts. The itemised invoice then records the agreed work.
Get the property secured and the paperwork started
Call us with your postcode, the type and size of each opening, and whether it’s on the ground floor or higher up. If it’s safe to take them, photographs help us discuss access and give you a quote. We’ll work out the arrival time with you on the call.