Shop Window Smashed? Here's What to Do Straight Away

A smashed shopfront is stressful in a way that's different to a broken domestic window — there's stock and equipment to protect, customers or staff who may need to get in and out, and often a landlord or head office to keep informed. Here's a clear order of steps for what to do when it happens, based on the calls we handle regularly across Central London.

1. Check for injury and clear the immediate area

Before anything else, make sure nobody's been hurt by glass, and keep customers and staff clear of the area around the break until it's been checked over. Shopfront glass is often toughened, which shatters into a large number of small, blunt-edged pieces rather than long shards — safer than ordinary glass, but still capable of causing cuts, especially underfoot.

If the window has been forced or there are signs of a break-in — a brick, a scattered display, missing stock — treat the scene carefully and avoid moving anything more than necessary until the police have had a chance to look, if you're planning to report it.

2. Call the police if it's a break-in

If the window has been smashed deliberately, report it to the police and get a crime reference number — most insurers will ask for this as a condition of the claim. Even if there's little chance of catching whoever did it, the reference number itself is the important part for the paperwork that follows.

3. Get it made safe immediately

A commercial premises with a smashed frontage is a serious security exposure — an open invitation for further break-ins, and a liability risk if a member of the public is injured by glass on the pavement. This is where an emergency board-up earns its keep: a properly fixed board across the opening secures the shop and lets you close up or continue trading from a secure premises while the permanent glass is arranged.

For advice on how a board-up should actually be done — materials, fixings, common mistakes — see our guide on boarding up a broken window safely. Shopfronts often need thicker board and different fixings than a domestic window because of the frame material and the size of the opening.

4. Photograph everything before it's cleared

Take clear photos of the damage from a few angles before any glass is cleared or the board goes up — the point of entry, the extent of the breakage, and anything disturbed inside. These photos are what your insurer and, if relevant, the police will want to see, and they're much harder to recreate after the event.

5. Contact your insurer and landlord

Most commercial leases put responsibility for shopfront glazing on the tenant, so it's worth checking your lease and contacting both your insurer and your landlord promptly. Many insurers have approved glazing contractors or specific requirements about who can carry out the repair — our guide on insurance claims for broken glass covers what's typically expected in more detail.

Keep any invoices for the board-up and repair, along with your crime reference number if applicable, as these form the core of most commercial glazing claims.

6. Arrange the permanent glass replacement

Shopfront glass is often larger, thicker, or a specific safety or security specification than standard domestic glazing, so it may need to be ordered specially rather than being available off the shelf. We'll measure the opening accurately on the board-up visit so the replacement can be ordered without a further site visit, and keep you updated on lead time so you know how long the board will need to stay up.

Keeping the shop trading in the meantime

A well-fitted board doesn't have to mean closing the doors. Many shops keep trading with the board in place, sometimes with temporary signage or lighting adjustments, until the permanent glass arrives. If security is a particular concern — high-value stock, a history of break-ins — it's worth discussing additional measures like laminated or security-rated glass for the replacement, rather than simply matching what was there before.

Call Mark on 07535 916982 or request a callback.