Board Up Services

Virtually every city has contractors offering board up services for both residential and business needs. Why board up windows and doors? Breakage and damage from storms, fires, floods, vandals, going out of business are only a few examples. Glass sheets for windows and doors needs to be ordered and during the time from order to installation the building needs to be secured.

How does one find such a contractor? Look in the local phone book under “board up services” can give a list of contractors, asking friends who’ve needed the service is another way, and yes, online is also available. There are many local and nationwide contractors available.

Most offer board up services for damage already caused to the structure, and some offer preventative- that is, preventing storm damage. They may work with glass contractors to fix windows and plate glass doors.  The services provided after damage occurs is called mitigation, that is, to minimize more damage happening to the structure.

The company should have claims professionals on staff to help with the insurance procedures. Reducing the amount of further damage to a structure leads to a lower claim cost, and possibly keeping the insured’s rates from going up. It also reduces liability from injuries – children and teens are sometimes drawn to damaged structures; under many state laws, the damaged structure is called an “attractive nuisance” and places the responsibility on the property owner.

Many companies not only offer board up services for doors and windows, but structural stabilization as well. This means providing a means of keeping the roof and the walls from collapsing and damaging property or preventing injury or death to persons on or in the building. They also protect homeowners and business owners from “street solicitors” who may not be legitimate and while offering promises of immediate large insurance payments, instead scam the victims out of their money.

Homeowners and business owners can check with the Better Business Bureau in the local area before hiring a contractor to see if there are any complaints against them. Doing this before anything happens to the property will give them assurance they are hiring a good company when bad things happen.