What To Do If Your Window Is Smashed

A smashed window is stressful, whether it happened in the last few minutes or you’ve just come home to find one. Your first priority is keeping everyone away from the broken glass. Beyond that, what you do next depends on how it happened, and getting it right matters for your safety, your insurance claim, and the security of your property.

To help, our guide below walks you through every step of what to do if your window is smashed, from making the area safe immediately through to calling an emergency glazier for professional repair, so you can deal with the situation quickly and with confidence.

Step 1: Make the Area Safe Immediately

Safety comes before anything else. Broken glass creates an immediate risk of cuts, and fragments can scatter much further than you expect, particularly on hard flooring. Your first actions should be:

• Move children and pets away from the room or area where the window has been smashed.
• Put on thick-soled shoes before walking near the glass. Shards embed in carpet and are almost invisible on tiled or laminate floors.
• Do not pick up large fragments by hand. Even pieces that look manageable can have razor-sharp edges.
• If glass has landed on furniture or bedding, do not shake it off. Set these items aside for careful cleaning later.

Keep the area clear until you have had time to assess the situation and arrange professional help. If the smashed window is on the ground floor or faces a public area, your property is now exposed, and you will need to secure it quickly.

Step 2: Assess the Cause

Understanding how the window was smashed determines your next steps. There are three common scenarios:

Break-in or attempted break-in: If you believe someone has forced entry, do not enter the property if you are outside. If you are inside, avoid touching door handles, window frames, or anything that appears disturbed. Call the police on 101 for a non-emergency report or 999 if you believe the intruder may still be nearby. Wait for police guidance before disturbing the scene, as forensic evidence on glass and frames can be critical.

Accidental damage: A stray football, a fallen branch, or an impact from inside the home. Police involvement is not required. Focus on documenting the damage for your insurer and securing the opening.

Vandalism: If the window appears to have been deliberately smashed with no attempt at entry, report it to the police. You will need a crime reference number for any insurance claim. Check whether neighbouring properties have also been affected.

Step 3: Document the Damage Before You Touch Anything

Before you clean up or attempt any temporary repair, photograph everything. Use your phone to capture:

1. The broken window from both inside and outside, showing the full extent of the damage.
2. Any damage to the window frame, sill, or surrounding brickwork.
3. Glass fragments on the floor and any objects that may have caused the break.
4. If a break-in has occurred, photograph anything disturbed inside the property: open drawers, displaced items, marks on doors or frames.

These photographs serve two purposes. They support your insurance claim with visual evidence of the damage before repairs, and they provide a record for the police if the incident is criminal. Take more photos than you think you need. It is far easier to discard extras than to recreate a scene after cleanup.

Step 4: Secure the Opening Temporarily

With the area safe and the damage documented, you need to block the opening to protect your property from weather, debris, and unauthorised entry. For a short-term fix before a professional arrives, you can use:

• Thick cardboard taped firmly over the opening from the inside.
• A heavy-duty bin bag or plastic sheeting secured with strong tape.
• Plywood or MDF, if you have any available, screwed or nailed into the frame.

These measures are temporary only. Cardboard and plastic offer no security and minimal weather protection. Even plywood fitted by a non-professional may leave gaps that compromise insulation and safety. Professional emergency boarding up uses correctly sized boards fitted securely to the frame, providing proper protection until the glass can be replaced.

What if your window is smashed at night?

A smashed window at night feels more urgent because visibility is poor and security concerns are heightened. The same steps apply:

• Ensure everyone is safe.
• Call the police if you suspect criminal activity.
• Do not attempt complex temporary repairs in the dark.

An emergency glazier operates around the clock and can attend at any hour. At Montrose Glass, we’re available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so a call late at night is treated with the same priority as one during the day.

Step 5: Call an Emergency Glazier

This is the most important step in the entire process. A qualified emergency glazier can attend your property quickly, assess the damage professionally, and either replace the glass on the same visit or carry out secure boarding up if a specific glass type needs to be ordered.

As a family-run business with over 20 years of experience, we cover the entire UK and can be with you within 30 to 90 minutes in most circumstances. There’s no call-out fee, no hidden costs, and we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so whether you need us at 2am on a Sunday or midday on a bank holiday, we treat every call with the same priority.

Our vans are fully stocked, and we can cut glass on site, meaning many repairs are completed in a single visit. Where a specialist glass type needs to be ordered, we’ll carry out professional boarding up to secure your property in the meantime. Before any work begins, you’ll receive a free no-obligation quote, so you know exactly what to expect.

Find out more about our emergency glazing service or call us on 01702 346304. Montrose Glass is accredited to ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 45001 for health and safety, and is a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen and the Safe Contractor Scheme.

Step 6: Contact Your Insurance Provider

Once the immediate situation is under control and a glazier is on the way or the repair is complete, notify your home or business insurance provider. Buildings insurance typically covers window damage caused by break-ins, vandalism, and accidental damage, though the specifics depend on your individual policy, your excess, and the cause of the damage.

Having the right documentation ready will make the claims process straightforward. Gather the following before you call:

• Photographs of the damage taken before any repairs.
• A police crime reference number if the incident was criminal.
• The glazier’s invoice or quote detailing the work carried out.
• A note of the date, time, and circumstances of the incident.

Some insurers require you to use an approved contractor, while others allow you to choose your own glazier and claim the cost back. Check your policy terms or ask your insurer directly when you call. Many Montrose Glass customers use their own insurance to cover emergency glazing work.

Why Acting Quickly Matters

A smashed window leaves your property exposed, and every hour it remains unsecured increases the risk. Weather is an immediate concern; rain, wind, and in colder months, rapid heat loss can cause water damage to floors, walls, and furnishings before you have had a chance to act. The security risk is just as pressing. An exposed opening is an obvious invitation to opportunistic theft, particularly overnight or if the property is unoccupied.

Getting a professional glazier on site as quickly as possible closes that window of vulnerability. It also means the repair is done correctly the first time, with the right glass type fitted to the right specification.

FAQs: What To Do If Your Window Is Smashed

Should I call the police if my window is smashed?

Call the police if the smashed window is the result of a break-in, attempted break-in, or vandalism. You will need a crime reference number for your insurance claim. If the damage was accidental, such as a ball or a fallen object, police involvement is not required, and you can proceed directly to securing the opening and arranging repairs.

Can an emergency glazier replace glass the same day?

In many cases, yes. Montrose Glass vans carry the most common glass types, which can be cut on-site to fit your window. If your window requires a specialist glass type, such as a bespoke double glazing unit, the glazier will carry out professional boarding up to secure your property and arrange the replacement glass as quickly as possible.

Is there a call-out fee for an emergency glazier?

There’s no call-out fee, regardless of when you call, whether that’s midday or the middle of the night. You’ll receive a free no-obligation quote on site before any work begins too, so there are no hidden costs. This applies across the whole of the UK.

Does home insurance cover a smashed window?

Most buildings insurance policies cover window damage caused by break-ins, vandalism, and accidental damage, though coverage depends on your specific policy terms and excess. Contact your insurer as soon as the property is secure and provide photographs of the damage along with any police reference number. Your insurer will confirm what is covered and what documentation they need.

What should I do if my window is smashed while I am not at home?

If you return to find a smashed window, do not enter the property until you are confident no one is inside. Call the police if you suspect a break-in. Once it is safe to approach, photograph the damage from outside, then call an emergency glazier. Montrose Glass can attend within 30 to 90 minutes in most circumstances and secure the property with professional boarding up or same-visit glass replacement.

Get Your Window Fixed Now

A smashed window needs a fast, professional response. The longer the opening is left exposed, the greater the risk to your property, your belongings, and your peace of mind.

Call Montrose Glass now on 01702 346304. We respond within 30 to 90 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no call-out fee.