Launceston · Cornwall
Emergency Glazing in Launceston
We arrange emergency boarding and temporary glazing across Launceston and Cornwall, then return to fit the permanent replacement glass once it has been made.
- PL15
- Guide from £165
Make safe broken glass in Launceston: what to know
If glass breaks with no clear cause, such as an impact or a break-in, it may be a thermal crack from uneven heating, or a spontaneous breakage in toughened glass. The glazier notes the break pattern, which can help with insurance and with choosing the right replacement glass.
Many home and business insurance policies include accidental damage or malicious damage cover for glass, sometimes with a set excess or a requirement to use approved contractors. Check your policy or call your insurer before agreeing to permanent work, so you know what will be covered.
Shopfront glass is often large, laminated or toughened, and very heavy. Boarding a shopfront may need several boards, extra timber framing and more than one person. Permanent shopfront glass usually needs careful measuring, lifting equipment and a planned fitting visit with access arranged around trading hours.
The cost of emergency glazing depends on the time of call-out, the size of the opening, whether boarding or temporary glazing is used, how much glass has to be cleared, and access. The permanent glass is quoted separately once the glazier knows the exact specification required.
Included as standard
- Measurement for the permanent replacement glass
- Clearing shards from floors, sills and pavements
- Boarding or temporary glazing cut to the opening
- Removal of loose and hanging broken glass

Working in Launceston
- Postcodes covered
- PL15 and the surrounding area, including Liskeard, Saltash and Bodmin
- Coast
- Launceston is well inland, around 23 km from the nearest coast, so salt exposure is not usually a factor.
- Daylight and sun
- In Launceston the midwinter sun reaches about 16° above the horizon at noon, with roughly 7.7 hours of daylight, rising to about 63° and 16.3 hours in midsummer. Boarding blocks daylight, so in short winter days a boarded room can be very dark. Temporary clear glazing keeps light in, and on sunny elevations the permanent glass can include solar control or low-E coatings when it is ordered.
- Access and setting
- Rural properties may be further from a glazier, so the first visit concentrates on making the opening safe and weathertight. Barns, outbuildings and older timber frames sometimes need extra timber battens to give the board a solid fixing.
- Rules in England
- Approved Document K requires safety glass in critical locations in England: glazing in doors and in side panels within 300 mm of a door, up to 1500 mm above floor level, and any glazing in walls or partitions up to 800 mm above floor level.
Guide prices in Launceston
| Typical job | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Board up one window | £165 – £245 |
| Board up a door or small shopfront | £225 – £345 |
| Temporary glass while new glass is made | £195 – £295 |
Get a guide price for your size
Approved Document Q applies to new homes in England, where doors and windows are expected to meet PAS 24 or an equivalent standard. It does not apply to replacements in existing homes, but PAS 24 products are still a sensible choice.
Specification choices
Internal boarding
Boards fixed from inside the room for upper floors or awkward access, avoiding ladders and working at height in the dark.
Replacement sealed unit
A made-to-measure double or triple glazed unit to replace a broken one, with safety or low-E glass where needed.
Permanent laminated glass
Laminated replacement glass that stays in place if struck again, often chosen for shopfronts and ground-floor windows after a break-in.
Emergency Glazing in Launceston: questions
Will the permanent glass need to be safety glass?
It will if the broken pane is in a critical location. In England, Approved Document K covers glass in doors and within 300mm of a door edge, up to 1500mm above the floor, and other glass within 800mm of the floor. The glazier checks the location when measuring, so the permanent glass meets the right standard.
Do you board up commercial premises and shopfronts?
Yes. We arrange boarding and temporary glazing for shops, offices, restaurants and other commercial premises. Large shopfront panes may need several boards, timber framing and more than one glazier. Once secured, we can quote for permanent glass, including laminated glass, and plan the fitting visit around your opening hours where possible.
Should I board up or have temporary glazing?
Boarding is simple to fit, secure and suits any opening, but it blocks daylight and the view. Temporary polycarbonate glazing lets light in and lets a shop keep displaying, but it is less suitable for some large or awkward openings. The glazier advises on which suits your property and how long the permanent glass will take.
What should I do immediately after a window is smashed?
Keep people and pets away from the broken glass, and do not try to pull out large hanging shards by hand. If it was a break-in or vandalism, call the police and note the crime reference. Take photos from inside and outside. Then call us, and we will tell you honestly when a glazier can attend to make it safe.
Do you cover Launceston for emergency glazing?
Yes. We can quote for emergency glazing across Launceston and the surrounding Cornwall area, including postcode districts PL15, and nearby Liskeard, Saltash and Bodmin. Start with your postcode on the quote form and a glazier will talk through the job, explain any charge before booking and give you a written quote.
More glazing in Launceston
Emergency Glazing nearby
Get a written quote in Launceston
Clear guide prices, any charge explained before booking, and one point of contact for every glazing job.