Board Up and Site Security After a Loss

Browse the full Resources Index

A storm that shatters windows, tears siding away from a wall, or knocks a tree limb through a garage door leaves more than cosmetic damage behind; it leaves openings into a structure that need to be secured quickly, both to prevent further weather intrusion and to reduce the risk of unauthorized entry. Board up work, though often treated as a minor step compared to the eventual repair, follows its own set of practical standards worth understanding.

Plywood, typically at least half-inch thickness for most residential window and door openings and heavier for larger commercial openings, is the standard material for board up work, cut to size and secured directly into the surrounding framing rather than simply propped or taped into an opening. Proper installation accounts for the load a Minnesota winter wind event can place on a temporary panel, and fasteners should be sized and spaced to hold under that load rather than the minimum needed to keep a panel from falling out on a calm day.

Beyond structural openings, board up work often needs to address damaged entry points such as broken exterior doors or garage doors that no longer close and latch securely. A garage door that has been forced off its track by wind or a falling limb, for instance, may need a temporary secured barrier in addition to any bracing of the door itself, since an unsecured garage frequently provides the most direct access to the rest of a structure. Site security in this broader sense can also include temporary fencing around a severely damaged structure, particularly one deemed unsafe to occupy, where the concern shifts from weather intrusion to premises liability and unauthorized access.

Documentation follows the same logic as emergency tarping. Photographs of each opening before board up work begins, taken from multiple angles and with reference to some object of known size for scale, establish the original condition and extent of the damage. Photographs of the completed board up work, along with an itemized invoice describing materials, labor, and each opening addressed, give a clear record that supports the emergency repair cost if it is later reviewed by an adjuster or, in a disputed claim, evaluated during appraisal.

Board up work sits within the broader category of temporary repairs that many policies treat as a distinct, often required, obligation separate from the permanent restoration of the property, since it is understood that securing a damaged structure promptly limits additional loss that would otherwise be harder to attribute to the original event. As with tarping, the specific requirements and reimbursement details for temporary repairs are governed by the policy language itself, and questions about what a particular policy requires or covers belong with the carrier, the policyholder, and their representatives, not with the appraiser evaluating the eventual cost of the work performed. Choice of contractor for emergency board up work is worth mentioning as well, since the interval immediately after a widespread storm often brings unfamiliar companies canvassing affected neighborhoods offering rapid temporary repairs. A licensed, insured contractor familiar with local building requirements will generally perform board up work that holds up better under continued weather exposure than a hastily assembled panel installed by an unlicensed crew working purely on volume during a busy storm season. Verifying licensing and insurance before authorizing any emergency work, even work performed under time pressure, remains a reasonable step for a property owner to take, and it tends to produce documentation, such as a licensed contractor’s itemized invoice, that holds up better later if the emergency repair costs are ever reviewed.

This article offers general education on the appraisal process. Nothing here is legal advice, and state law and policy language govern each claim.

Based in Minnesota and serving clients nationwide, Russ Lis is a working property insurance appraiser and umpire. Contact Appraisal Resolution.