What board-up services are
Board-up closes a building that is open to weather or trespass. It is an emergency secure, not an eviction, and not something you do to occupied legal possession.
Key facts
- Lifecycle stage: Inspections / securing.
- EvictIQ field operations: Georgia (metro Atlanta). We do not operate field crews in every state.
- Exact claims only: 10,000+ completed evictions; 72-hour service of tenant after filing on average (Georgia service).
- Not a law firm. Not legal advice. No date guarantees. No price list on this page.
What this service is
Code officers and insurers call for board-up. The work is plywood or equivalent on openings, photos, and a note of what was open. Local code may require a particular method or a permit.
Boarding an occupied unit to force someone out is illegal self-help. This page will not dress that up as preservation. Georgia vacant work we can discuss. Other states we route.
When this step is needed
You need board-up when a vacant or damaged building is open to weather or trespass and someone with authority asked for it to be closed.
You do not need board-up to evict. Sealing an occupied unit to force someone out is illegal self-help.
How the process usually works
- Confirm the building is lawfully vacant or the opening is a safety repair, not a lockout.
- Photograph openings before work.
- Board to the owner, insurer, or code spec.
- Photograph after, with address context.
- Flag immediately if someone appears to be living there.
Courts and executing offices set their own calendars. These are operational steps, not a guaranteed timeline.
What this step usually covers
- Openings documented before work
- Board-up to the spec the owner or insurer asked for
- Photos after, including address context
- A flag if someone appears to be living there
These are the jobs the step exists to do. They are not a nationwide menu EvictIQ staffs in every county.
What you must verify locally
- Whether the building is lawfully vacant
- Permit or historic-district rules for boarding
- How long boards may stay up under local code
We do not publish a stale per-state timetable. Statutes change.
What this does not include
- Legal advice, courtroom representation, or an attorney-client relationship
- A guaranteed hearing date, writ date, or setout date — courts and executing offices set their own calendars
- Self-help lockouts, utility shutoffs, or removal of belongings outside a court-issued writ
- A published price. Scope and price are written after intake, before work starts
Georgia we can handle. Elsewhere we route.
If the property is in Georgia, EvictIQ can take this step end to end. If it isn't, we'll tell you what to look for in a local attorney or service — we do not operate field crews in every state.
Related services
All eviction services — the full catalog, grouped by category on the hub.
Emergency Property Preservation
Same-week securing after open entry, water, fire, or a sudden vacancy — once it is lawful to act.
Lock Change Services
Rekey or replace locks on vacant, surrendered, or post-writ property — never as a self-help eviction.
Property Preservation
Keeping a recovered or vacant property secure and maintained until it turns or sells.
Related guides
Common questions
The tenant broke a window. Can I board it with them inside?
Repairing weather-tightness is different from sealing someone out. Do not use board-up to evict. If it is a safety repair, document it and do not block egress as a tactic.
Do you board up properties in every city?
No nationwide crews. We will not invent a local board-up team we do not have.
Need help with this step?
Tell us where the property is and where the case stands. Georgia we handle; elsewhere we route.
- A coordinator reviews it, usually the same business day
- You get a written scope and price before anything is filed
- Georgia hire on local-eviction.com
We'll tell you so rather than take the lead. What to look for locally: a provider who knows which office executes writs in your county, who gives you cycle-time variance rather than an average, and who refuses to guarantee a completion date.
Working a real case?
Georgia we handle end to end. Anywhere else, we'll tell you what to look for in a local provider.