After a Break-In: Board-Up, Insurance and Security Film for Businesses
After a break-in, make the scene safe, report it to police, photograph everything before cleanup, and board up or secure the opening the same day, because your policy requires you to act to limit further damage. Notify your insurer promptly, keep every receipt, and file a sworn proof of loss, typically within 30 days. Then replace the broken glass in the existing frame with something that resists the next attempt: laminated glass or properly anchored security film.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says business policies require you to act to limit further damage, so a same-day board-up is part of protecting your claim.
Photograph damage before cleanup and keep damaged items unless they're dangerous. A proof of loss must typically be returned to the insurer within 30 days.
Toronto recorded roughly 6,000 break-and-enters in 2025. Counts from TPS open data vary by extraction date (6,092 for the full year vs 5,927 to 21 December), and most small-business break-ins happen overnight.
Board-up plywood should be at least 1/2 in thick, with 5/8–3/4 in recommended. Toronto's vacant-building standard calls for 12 mm plywood fastened no more than 150 mm apart.
Security film buys time rather than stopping entry. Much of its value depends on anchoring it to the frame, and published delay figures are vendor claims that vary widely.
On this page
After a break-in, work in this order. Make it safe, report it, photograph everything, secure the opening, then call your insurer. The board-up isn't optional housekeeping. Business policies require you to act to limit any further damage, and an open storefront overnight is exactly the further damage insurers expect you to prevent.
Once the store is secure, you have time to get the claim right and to choose replacement glass that makes the next attempt harder. This guide covers all three stages for GTA businesses.
Break-ins in Toronto and Peel: the context
Toronto's counts vary a little depending on who pulled the police data and when, but the scale is clear:
- About 6,000 break-and-enters in 2025. One analysis of Toronto Police Service open data counts 6,092, down about 11% from 2024. Another tally, with data only to 21 December 2025, counted 5,927. The official source is the Toronto Police Service break-and-enter dashboard.
- Businesses are a growing share. Toronto Police Service annual reports have commercial burglary rising from under 27% of Toronto break-ins in 2014 to over 42% in 2021.
- Overnight, while you're closed. Small-business break-ins in Toronto rose 19% from 2022 to 2023, and police say most happen overnight. About 300 point-of-sale terminal thefts were reported in 2023.
- Peel Region (Mississauga and Brampton) recorded 2,815 break-and-enters in 2025 in police data.
- Jewellery-store robberies in Toronto went from 10 in 2020 to 48 in 2024 in police figures.
The first hour
- Don't go in if someone may still be inside. Call 911 if a break-in is in progress. Otherwise, report it to police and note the report number. Insurers ask for police reports.
- Protect people from the glass. Wear gloves and sturdy boots. Keep staff, customers and passers-by back, and cordon off the sidewalk if fragments landed there. Don't leave a cracked tempered pane hanging in a door frame. It can drop without warning.
- Photograph before anything moves. Record the point of entry, the broken glass, the frame, damaged stock and fixtures, wide shots and close-ups.
- Keep damaged items unless they're dangerous or a health hazard, and confirm with your insurer before disposing of anything.
- Secure the opening. Board up or temporarily glaze it the same day or night. Our 24/7 emergency line, 647-803-2730, handles board-up across the GTA.
- Call your insurance representative with complete, accurate details as soon as possible.
- Keep every receipt: board-up, cleanup, locksmith, temporary security.
For a residential version of this checklist, see broken glass: what to do in the first hour.
Board-up: what good looks like
A board-up covers the opening with plywood until the glass can be replaced. It keeps weather and intruders out and satisfies your duty to limit further damage.
Plywood thickness. At least 1/2 in, with 5/8–3/4 in recommended for better protection.
A local benchmark. Toronto's property standards bylaw sets rules for boarding vacant buildings: plywood at least 12 mm thick, fixed with nails at least 50 mm long (or screws at least 38 mm for metal frames), spaced no more than 150 mm apart. That rule is written for vacant buildings, but it's a sensible minimum for any storefront board-up.
Protect the frame. If the aluminum frame is sound and you plan to reuse it, ask the crew to fix the board so the frame isn't damaged. That keeps the permanent repair glass-only.
Paperwork. Board-up companies don't settle coverage; your insurer or adjuster decides that. What a board-up contractor should hand you is photos and an itemized invoice. We supply itemized invoices that separate board-up from glass replacement.
The insurance claim, step by step
A business claim comes down to three steps:
| Step | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Document | Photograph damage and stock; gather purchase orders, invoices, receipts, police reports, manuals and warranties | Your proof of what was lost and what it was worth |
| 2. Contact your representative | Report promptly with complete, accurate details | Your policy requires you to act to limit any further damage |
| 3. Proof of loss | List damaged or lost items with values; sign and swear it | Must typically be returned within 30 days; untrue statements can void coverage |
A few practical points:
- Ask about glass and deductible before you commit to extras. A single pane may cost less than your deductible, so ask your broker how glass, board-up and stock are treated.
- Check vacancy terms if the unit is empty. Home policies, for example, cover window breakage and vandalism only where a building is "normally occupied". Commercial wording differs, so read yours.
- Update your asset list afterwards.
This is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Your policy wording governs.
Replacement glass that resists the next attempt
Laminated vs tempered
Most storefronts are glazed with tempered glass. It's strong, but once broken it crumbles and leaves an opening. Laminated glass cracks but its interlayer holds the shattered pieces together, so the opening still isn't easy to get through. If you're replacing a smashed display window anyway, price laminated. Our storefront glass guide covers frames, glass types and Toronto rules.
Security film: what it really does
Security film is a clear, multi-ply film applied to the inside of existing glass, from 4 mil (100 µm) up to about 21 mil. It's often anchored to the frame with structural silicone or mechanical attachment. Film doesn't make glass unbreakable. It holds the pieces together so getting through takes longer and makes more noise.
| Film | Published rating or claim | Published delay against forced entry | Installed cost (GTA, per ft²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4–6 mil | 4 mil meets ANSI Z97.1 and CPSC Cat I safety ratings | About 0 seconds against theft | $8–$12 |
| 8 mil | CPSC Cat II, UL 972; should be wet-glazed | 30–45 s by one measure, 45–90 s by another | $12–$16 |
| 12–14 mil | 14 mil is used for blast mitigation | 60–180 s | $18–$24 |
Published price guides add $4–$8 per linear foot for a wet-glaze anchor and put a typical storefront at $1,800–$4,000.
The realities:
- Delay figures are vendor claims. Published figures for 8 mil disagree by a factor of about two, and we found no independent test. Treat the numbers as rough.
- Anchoring does most of the work. About 90% of the security value comes from the frame anchor, and a micro-layered 8 mil security film can out-pull a single-ply 14 mil sheet. Film without an anchor can push in as one sheet.
- It's not bullet-resistant. Ballistic protection needs glass-clad polycarbonate rated to UL 752.
- It needs time. Expect a 30–90 day cure, and about 10–15 years of warranty on commercial vertical glass in Ontario.
- Delay only helps with a response. Film works best when the extra seconds let an alarm, lighting or a monitored camera do their job.
Other quick wins
Keep point-of-sale terminals, cash drawers and high-value stock out of sight of the glass overnight. Terminals are a known target. If the door was forced, have the lock, closer and strike checked before you reopen.
What we'd do
We'd board up or temporarily secure the opening first, with photos taken before and after. Then we'd replace the glass and keep your frame: we measure the opening, confirm the existing glass type, and quote like-for-like tempered alongside laminated or film options so you can weigh cost against risk. Every job gets an itemized invoice for your insurer, with board-up and glazing listed separately. If the break-in bent or tore the frame itself, we'll tell you plainly: that's a storefront-frame replacement, not a glass repair.
Next step
For storefront and office glass damaged in a break-in, see our commercial glass repair service. If the opening isn't secure yet, use our emergency glass service. For a replacement glass or security film quote, reach us through our contact page.