What to Do After a Break-In: Emergency Glazing Steps

A break-in is stressful enough without worrying about how to secure your home afterwards. Here's a clear, practical order of steps for dealing with broken glass or a forced door, based on what we see attending emergency callouts across London.

1. Make sure everyone is safe first

Before anything else, check nobody is in the property if you suspect the break-in is recent, and if there's any indication the intruder could still be inside, call the police before entering.

2. Report it to the police

Report the break-in and get a crime reference number — you'll usually need this for any insurance claim, so it's worth doing before or alongside arranging repairs where possible.

3. Photograph the damage before touching anything you don't have to

Where it's safe to do so, photograph the broken glass, forced door or damaged frame from a few angles before it's cleared or repaired. This is useful for both the police report and any insurance claim, and we're also happy to note obvious damage on our invoice.

4. Get the property secure — board up if needed

This is where we come in. If a pane is smashed or a door won't lock or close, a same-day board-up makes the property secure and weathertight while the correct glass, lock or door parts are sourced. We prioritise break-in callouts and can usually attend quickly.

• Broken window glass boarded and made weathertight
• Damaged or forced multi-point locks assessed and temporarily secured or replaced
• Damaged door and window frames checked for structural safety

5. Arrange the permanent repair and consider a security upgrade

Once the property is secure, we'll quote the permanent repair — usually replacement glass, and often a new anti-snap cylinder or gearbox if the lock was forced. Many customers use this as a natural point to upgrade to 3-star anti-snap cylinders, which is one of the most effective and affordable security improvements you can make.

Call Mark on 07535 916982 or request a callback.