Boarding Up Cost in Barnet: How Your Quote Is Worked Out
There’s no fixed price for boarding up in Barnet because no two jobs are the same. A single cracked pane on a ground-floor window and a run of smashed shop glazing behind a forced door are very different pieces of work. What we can promise is how the cost is set: you get a free, clear quote on the phone before any work starts, based on what actually needs securing.
This page explains what goes into that quote, so you know what to tell us and why the figure is what it is.
Why we don’t publish prices on the website
A price list would be wrong for most jobs. The real cost depends on details we only learn when you describe the damage: how many openings, how big, how high, what state the frame is in and how much glass is lying about. A guess on a web page could leave you expecting one thing and being quoted another. A conversation with someone who knows the work gives you a number that fits your job.
A person answers the phone 24 hours a day, so you can get that quote at any hour, including nights, weekends and bank holidays.
What affects a boarding up quote
Number and size of openings
This is the starting point. Each window, door or skylight needs its own board cut to size and fixed in place. One small kitchen window is a quick job. A large bay, a pair of French doors or a full shopfront needs more material and more time. If several openings are damaged, tell us about all of them on the call so the quote covers the whole job.
Height and access
Ground-floor openings you can reach from the pavement or garden are the simplest. Upper-floor windows, roofs and skylights take longer and need ladders and careful working at height. Access matters too: a window above a conservatory, at the back of a terrace or over a basement lightwell is harder to reach than one at the front. That extra care is reflected in the quote. For skylights and roof openings, our roof and skylight boarding page explains what’s involved.
Materials and board thickness
For most windows and doors we use exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm, which stands up to weather and gives solid cover. For smaller openings OSB is often a sensible choice. Larger openings, or those that need to stay secure for longer, need more material. We’ll explain on the call what suits each opening and why, so you’re not paying for more than the job needs.
Fixing method
How the board is fixed affects both security and cost. Where the frame is sound we can often use non-destructive fixing, which avoids extra damage and makes the permanent repair easier later. Where security matters most, such as an empty property or a shop left overnight, security or anti-tamper fixings make the boarding much harder to remove from outside. Not every job needs them, and we’ll talk you through the choice.
A damaged door or frame that needs securing first
After a forced entry, the door, frame or lock may be too damaged to simply board over. Sometimes the frame needs securing before a board can be fixed properly, and that’s extra work. If a frame is badly broken, we’ll explain the options first rather than fixing a board to something that won’t hold. This is one of the main reasons a quote can differ between two jobs that sound similar. Our window boarding page covers how we deal with frames in more detail.
Debris and broken glass
Loose shards left in a frame, or glass across a floor or pavement, need making safe as part of the job. More glass and debris means more time spent before and during boarding.
Why access or a damaged frame changes the scope
These two factors cause the biggest difference between a quick job and a longer one. Access decides how safely and quickly we can reach the opening; a frame’s condition decides what we can fix to. A ground-floor window in a sound frame might need nothing more than a cut board and fixings. The same-sized window on a second floor, in a frame split by a crowbar, needs ladder work, securing the frame and more care with the glass. Same opening, different scope, so a different quote. We’d rather explain that on the call than surprise you later.
How the quote is agreed on the call
When you ring, we’ll ask for:
- Your postcode, so we can work out when we can get to you. The arrival time is agreed on the call, not promised in advance.
- The type and size of each opening: window, door, shopfront glass, skylight, and roughly how big.
- Height and access: which floor, and anything awkward about reaching it.
- The state of the frame or door, if you can see it safely.
- Photographs, if you can take them without going near broken glass or anything unsafe.
From that, we give you a clear quote. Nothing starts until you’ve agreed it. The more accurate the detail, the more accurate the quote, so don’t worry about over-describing.
If the situation is urgent, the 24-hour emergency boarding up page explains what to do straight away while you wait.
What you get for the price
The quote covers the agreed work: the openings made safe and secured with the materials and fixings discussed. Our van carries boarding stock and fixings.
You’ll also receive paperwork useful for an insurance claim:
- an itemised invoice
- time-stamped before and after photographs
- a written statement of the work done
Your insurer decides what’s covered; we’re not loss adjusters. Our insurance claims guide explains how to use these documents.
Boarding is a make-safe that helps protect the property until permanent repairs, such as new glazing or a replacement door, are arranged.
Common questions about cost
How much does boarding up cost in Barnet? It depends on the number and size of openings, height and access, materials, fixing method, frame condition and how much glass needs clearing. Ring us with the details and you’ll get a free quote on the call.
Is the quote free? Yes. It’s given on the phone, free and clear, before any work starts.
Do you charge more at night or at weekends? We don’t publish rates on the website. Ask on the call and we’ll be clear about what’s included in your quote.
Can I get a quote for an empty property or a shop? Yes. The same factors apply, and we’ll talk through whether security fixings make sense.
Get your quote
Tell us the postcode, what’s damaged and how high it is, and send safe photographs if you can. We’ll give you a free, clear quote before any work begins.