Burglary Repairs in Brighton: Boarding Up & Securing Your Property After a Break-In
A break-in is upsetting, and the damage can leave your home or premises exposed. If you need burglary repairs in Brighton, our job is to secure the building quickly and properly—boarding up smashed windows, making damaged doors safe, and reducing the chance of a second attempt while you deal with police and insurance.
Boarding Up Brighton covers BN1–BN88 and works with homeowners, landlords, letting agents, shop owners and facilities teams across Brighton & Hove and the wider BN area.
Need help now? Call 01273 092 166 for immediate assistance.
When burglary repairs are needed (common Brighton scenarios)
We’re typically called out after forced entry or attempted entry, including:
- Smashed panes or cracked glazing in sash windows, bay windows, and communal entrances—common in the terraces around Seven Dials, Hanover, and Kemptown.
- Kicked-in or prised doors, especially uPVC doors with damaged locks, timber doors with split frames, or compromised multipoint mechanisms.
- Shopfront damage where toughened glass has been hit or the frame is bent—often affecting busy commercial stretches such as Western Road, London Road, or near North Laine.
- Rear access break-ins via alleys, side passages and garden doors—something we see across quieter residential roads as well as mixed-use areas.
- Vacant/void properties (between tenants or probate) where the building is targeted because it appears unattended.
Even if the break-in attempt failed, a cracked panel or weakened door can be enough to invalidate security expectations and create a clear risk. Boarding up is often the quickest way to restore a physical barrier while longer-term repairs are arranged.
If you’re in immediate danger or the intruder may still be nearby, call 999. If it’s safe and you’ve already spoken to police, we can take over the securing work.
What to do straight after a break-in (practical steps)
When you’re dealing with a burglary, it’s easy to feel pulled in ten directions. This quick checklist helps:
- Make sure everyone is safe and move to a secure room or neighbour if needed.
- Call the police and get a crime reference number (you’ll likely need it for insurance).
- Avoid touching damaged entry points (frames, glass, handles) if police forensics may attend.
- Take photos if it’s safe—wide shots of the opening and close-ups of damage.
- Call us to secure the property so you can sleep, trade, or leave the building unattended safely.
For urgent help outside normal hours, use our emergency page: emergency boarding up.
How we secure property after burglary in Brighton
“Burglary repairs” often starts with making the property secure and weather-tight. Permanent repairs (new glazing units, new doors/frames, locksmith work, plastering) may involve other trades—but we’ll stabilise the situation and leave you with a secure opening.
Step 1: A quick assessment (what’s damaged and what’s safe)
On arrival, we’ll check:
- Which openings are compromised (front, rear, side, upper-floor)
- Whether the frame is sound enough for non-destructive fixing
- Any immediate hazards: loose glass, exposed fixings, sharp edges, unstable panels
- Access constraints (tight passages, upper floors, shared entrances)
If the frame is too damaged to fix into safely, we’ll explain options before proceeding. We won’t cause unnecessary damage just to get a board on.
Step 2: Choosing the right method (plywood vs OSB, fixings and anti-tamper)
We use materials and fixings suited to the job rather than a one-size approach:
- 18mm exterior-grade plywood for most burglary-related window and door openings where strength matters.
- OSB (typically 12mm) can be appropriate for smaller, lower-risk openings or short-term internal boarding (we’ll advise case-by-case).
- Anti-tamper fixings where the board must not be removable from outside—important if the property will be empty overnight or longer.
- Framed/cleated boarding (timber battens and through-bolting where appropriate) for larger openings or where you need a stronger, more rigid install.
The aim is to secure the opening without making later repairs harder than they need to be.
Step 3: Boarding up windows after burglary
For broken windows, we’ll normally:
- Remove loose shards where safe to do so (without interfering with forensic evidence)
- Protect internal finishes as needed (especially in lived-in homes and flats)
- Fit boards cut to size, with fixings chosen to resist external removal
- Ensure edges are secure to reduce rattling and wind lift
If it’s a ground-floor frontage or a vulnerable side/rear window, we’ll prioritise robust anti-tamper installation.
Related service: window boarding in Brighton
Step 4: Securing doors and entrances (including temporary steel doors)
Door damage varies massively after a break-in. Sometimes it’s a splintered timber door; other times the lock area is punched through or the frame is spread.
Depending on what we find, we may:
- Board over a damaged door leaf or sidelights to prevent access
- Secure a compromised doorway with a temporary steel door (a strong option for short-to-medium term security when the original door can’t be locked safely)
- Make the opening weather resistant as far as practicable until a replacement is installed
Related service: door boarding in Brighton
If the property is going to be vacant (for example, a rental awaiting a new door and glazing), consider longer-term securing options on our vacant property boarding page.
Step 5: Shopfronts and commercial glazing
If your business has been targeted, speed matters—but so does doing it properly. We can secure:
- Large glazing bays and side panels
- Damaged frames around commercial doors
- Retail frontages where public access must be restricted quickly
We’re used to working in high-footfall areas where you need a clean, safe finish and clear “no access” boundaries. If you have site rules or require documentation for facilities teams, tell us at the point of booking.
Related service: shopfront boarding in Brighton
What you get from us (useful for landlords and insurance)
After we secure the property, you’ll receive clear documentation you can pass on to insurers, agents, or building managers:
- Time-stamped photos of the damage and completed boarding
- An itemised invoice
- A brief statement of works describing what was done and what materials were used
We’re not loss adjusters and we can’t approve claims—but we can provide the practical paperwork insurers typically ask for. More guidance is on our insurance claims help page.
How long does burglary boarding up take?
It depends on the number of openings, access (for example, upper floors in converted Regency/Victorian buildings), and how badly frames are damaged.
A single smashed window can often be secured quickly once we’re on site; multiple openings, shopfronts, or heavily damaged door frames take longer. If there’s anything that could delay the job (shared access, rear alley access only, no parking nearby), mention it when you call.
For urgent jobs, see 24 hour boarding up Brighton. We don’t quote fixed arrival times—traffic, weather, and job complexity vary—but we prioritise properties left insecure.
Brighton-specific factors that affect break-in repairs
Brighton properties aren’t all the same, and that matters when you’re securing them:
- Sash windows and bay fronts (common in central Brighton and Hove): often need carefully sized boards and fixings to avoid damaging surrounding mouldings more than necessary.
- Converted flats with communal entrances: you may need both the flat secured and the shared entry made safe; we can advise on the best temporary solution.
- Coastal exposure: wind-driven rain can quickly worsen internal damage after a break-in, so weatherproofing the opening is part of the job where possible.
- Busy commercial streets: safe installation and tidy finishing are important where members of the public pass close to the frontage.
A realistic example: securing a property after a break-in
A landlord in BN1 called after a ground-floor flat had its rear kitchen window forced from an alley access. Police had attended, but the tenant didn’t feel safe staying with the opening exposed overnight.
We boarded the damaged window using exterior-grade plywood and anti-tamper fixings, ensuring the panel was secure and didn’t flex. We then provided time-stamped photos and an itemised invoice so the landlord could start the insurance process and schedule glazing replacement the next day.
FAQs: Burglary repairs & boarding up in Brighton
Do you only work in Brighton, or across the BN postcodes too?
We cover Brighton & Hove and the wider BN postcode area (BN1–BN88). If you’re unsure, check our areas we cover or call and we’ll confirm.
Will boarding up damage my window frame or brickwork?
We aim for secure, practical fixing with minimal additional damage. Where non-destructive methods aren’t possible (for example, the frame is already split or rotten), we’ll explain the options before proceeding.
Can you secure a property if the door can’t be locked?
Yes. We can board over the entry or, where appropriate, install a stronger temporary option. Start with door boarding in Brighton and call us with details of the damage.
Is boarding up covered by insurance after a burglary?
Often it can be, but policies vary. Keep your crime reference number, take photos, and notify your insurer as early as possible. We can provide the documentation insurers usually request—see insurance claims guidance.
I’m a landlord/agent—can you attend when the tenant isn’t there?
Often, yes—provided we can gain lawful access (keyholder, managed access, or police attendance where applicable). Tell us who will meet us and whether there are any building rules for communal areas.
Next steps: secure your property after a burglary
If your home, flat, shop or site has been broken into, the priority is making it secure and reducing further risk. We’ll talk you through the best temporary solution and carry out clean, robust boarding.
Need help now? Call 01273 092 166 for immediate assistance.
Or email: info@boarding-up-brighton.co.uk
