Emergency Fire Board Up in Trinity, TX
To fight the fire, the engine company smashed out windows, pried open a door and opened up the roof. Tonight the house is open to weather, wildlife and whoever comes looking. Call Unify Fire Solutions and a dispatcher will connect you with an independent board-up crew near Trinity.
- Windows, doors and roof openings covered
- Free call, answered day and night
- Homes, rentals and storefronts
Four Things That Matter in a Board-Up
Unify Fire Solutions is a free referral service; the board-up crew is an independent local business. These are the points our dispatchers weigh before sending anyone your way.
Independent, Licensed and Insured
Climbing a fire-weakened roof after dark is risky work, and coverage matters. Ask for proof of the contractor's liability and workers' comp coverage before anyone climbs.
Upfront Written Estimates
The crew should count the openings, measure them and write a line-item estimate before cutting a single sheet. Your adjuster will want that paper.
Rapid Local Dispatch
A dispatcher starts calling independent crews near Trinity as soon as you hang up. Timing depends on availability and distance; same-night securing is often possible.
Tools Built for Securing
A properly stocked truck carries plywood or OSB, lumber, bolts, saws, impact drivers, heavy tarps and work lights. No guesswork, no trip back to the store at midnight.
Closing Up Every Opening the Fire Left
Breaking glass, forcing doors and venting the roof are standard firefighting tactics that leave a building wide open. These are the jobs a board-up crew in our network usually handles.
Broken Windows Covered Solid
Most crews cut 1/2" or 5/8" plywood or OSB to overlap the frame and hold it with 2x4 strongbacks inside, tied through with carriage bolts. Bolts can't be backed out from the street the way exterior screws can.
- Loose glass knocked out of the sash first
- Panel overlaps the opening on every side
- Upper-floor windows reached by ladder or lift
Forced Doors and Access Panels
Forced-entry doors rarely close properly afterward. Crews either bolt a solid panel over it or build a plywood access door on hinges with a hasp and padlock. Ask for at least one locking access point so adjusters and later crews can get in without tearing boards off.
Tarp-and-Batten Roof Covers
Vertical ventilation means a saw-cut hole in your roof, often several feet across. The crew stretches a heavy reinforced tarp well past the hole, wraps the edges around wood battens and fastens the battens down so wind can't get under it. Big openings sometimes get a plywood deck patch before tarping.
Glass and Debris Removal
Broken glass and charred debris spread around the yard and walkways. Crews sweep and bag it, clear the walkways, and stack anything salvageable off to the side for the adjuster.
Temporary Fencing Around the Site
Rental fence panels go up when the site is unsafe to approach or when kids and scavengers keep wandering in. Some crews add warning signs and motion lights for extra security. Ask whether fencing is rented weekly so you know how it will show up on the estimate.
Storefronts and Commercial Glass
Large plate-glass storefronts need bigger sheet goods, more strongbacks and sometimes framing to span the opening. Crews can leave a lockable service door so you can pull inventory, records and the safe out.
The Cost of Leaving It Open Overnight
Almost every property policy includes a duty to protect the property from further loss. Rain through an untarped roof or a looted house can be treated as a separate, avoidable loss. Boarding up is how you meet that duty, and the reasonable cost is usually part of the claim.
Take photos of every opening before it's covered, since the adjuster may not see the house until it's boarded. Those shots prove what the fire department had to do.
What You Can Do Before the Crew Arrives
You don't need to climb a ladder or handle broken glass yourself. A few simple things from the ground make the board-up go faster and protect your claim.
- Circle the building and make a list of each opening the fire crews left.
- Film each damaged opening, the roof from across the street and the debris in the yard.
- Clear the driveway so the crew can park near the house with their plywood.
- Retrieve medicines, IDs and important papers only when firefighters confirm you can.
- Let a neighbor know nobody is staying there and ask them to report anyone poking around.
- Keep pets away from the yard, where glass and nails are scattered.
Scrappers and burglars look for empty burnt-out homes, where copper, wiring and tools sit unguarded. Raccoons, birds and stray cats will move into an open attic within a night or two, and squatters aren't far behind. Getting it closed tonight matters far more than making it pretty.
Is the House Open Right Now?
There's no need to sleep in the car to keep an eye on things. Call and dispatch starts looking for an independent crew in Trinity right away.
Call +1-833-336-1630 TonightHow a Board-Up Call Goes
- 1
Call and Describe the Openings
Tell the dispatcher how many windows are broken, which doors were forced, whether there's a roof hole and how many stories the building has. The crew uses those numbers to stock the truck.
- 2
Mobile Crew on the Way
The contractor calls you directly with an arrival window, which depends on availability and how far they're coming. Lights go up first so they can see the openings and the glass on the ground.
- 3
Measurements and Written Quote
The crew walks the exterior, measures each opening, checks the roof from a ladder and writes up the estimate. Approve it, and they start cutting.
- 4
Locked Up and Walked Through
Before they pack up, circle the building with the crew to check every panel and the roof cover. Make sure you have the padlock key and photos of the finished work for your adjuster.
Nights the Building Got Closed Up
Our roof had a hole you could stand in after the firefighters vented it, and rain was forecast for the morning. The crew got a tarp wrapped on battens over it by flashlight, and it held through a hard storm two days later.
The back slider was shattered and the front door was splintered from the forced entry. They bolted panels on with strongbacks inside and built a little plywood door with a padlock so my adjuster could get in. I didn't have to drive over every time someone needed access.
Fire in the shop next door blew out our front glass. They framed the opening, sealed it with OSB and left a locking door so we could pull inventory out the next morning. Nobody got in overnight.
Questions About Securing Your Property
Does homeowners insurance pay for emergency board-up after a fire?
Usually, yes. Policies generally require you to protect the property from further damage, and the reasonable cost of boarding and tarping is normally treated as part of the fire claim. Hold onto the estimate, the final invoice and your photos for the adjuster.
Why do board-up crews use carriage bolts instead of screws?
A thief with a drill can remove exterior screws in a minute. With a carriage bolt, the rounded head sits outside and the nut is tightened against an inside strongback, which makes the panel very hard to remove from outside. Some crews still use screws on upper windows that no one can reach.
Should I take pictures before the house gets boarded up?
Absolutely, and before any plywood covers the damage. Shoot every broken pane, the damaged door frame, the roof opening and the debris on the ground. Once everything is covered, your adjuster can't see the original damage without removing panels.
How do adjusters and contractors get inside once everything is boarded?
Request a lockable plywood access door on hinges. Keep the key yourself or use a lockbox so your adjuster and future crews can get in without you. Without one, every visit means unbolting panels and bolting them back.
How long can plywood and a roof tarp stay up?
A well-installed board-up can stay up for weeks or months while the claim and repairs move forward. Tarps wear out faster under sun and wind, so check the roof cover after every storm. If anything shifts, have the crew come back right away to resecure it.
Can a board-up crew keep squatters and animals out of a vacant fire house?
A properly secured shell is your strongest defense. Crews seal all lower openings, cover crawlspace and attic vents, and add fencing when the lot needs it. Check on it often and ask a neighbor to keep an eye out.
Securing Buildings in Trinity, TX
Our dispatchers send independent board-up contractors to homes and businesses throughout Trinity and surrounding areas. Single-family homes, duplexes, apartments, garages, shops and restaurants all get the same approach.
- Broken windows
- Forced-entry doors
- Roof vent holes
- Storefront glass
- Detached garages
- Vacant rentals
An open building doesn't stay empty for long. Call now, and if the first contractor isn't the right fit, call back and we'll connect you with another one.
