Window Broken in a Break-In — Board-Up, Glass, Sash or Whole Window
Someone broke the glass or pried the sash to get in. The police report is filed; now the opening needs to be closed tonight and the window put back right.
When a window was broken in a break-in, JMB Builders secures the opening and repairs the window for homeowners across the Twin Cities metro. We photograph the damage for your claim, then replace what is broken: the glass unit, the sash, the lock and frame a pry bar bent, or the whole window when the frame is gone. Priced per window, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per window
- Glass, sash, lock, frame or whole window
- Photos and line items for your claim
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A break-in through a window usually does one of two things. The glass gets smashed so someone can reach the lock, or a pry bar goes under the sash and bends the frame, snaps the lock and tears the weatherstrip. Basement windows and the ones behind a deck or fence get hit most, because nobody sees them from the street.
The first job is closing the opening. Plywood screwed over the outside, cut to the frame, keeps weather and people out until the replacement comes in. Before anything is swept up or boarded over, photograph the window inside and out and write down the police report number. Your insurer will ask for both.
Then the repair depends on what is broken. Glass in a sound frame is a new glass unit ordered to size. A bent sash or a snapped lock is a sash or hardware replacement when the maker still sells the part. A frame that was pried out of square, or a window old enough that no parts exist, means the whole window comes out and a new one goes in, flashed and trimmed.
You file the claim and deal with your insurer. We give you the photos and a line-item scope, meet your adjuster when you want us there, and do the work once it is approved. Minnesota law bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying your deductible, and we do not.
What you supply
- Photos of the window before it was swept up or covered, if you have them
- The police report number, your claim number and the adjuster's contact
- The window's brand and any label (often etched in a glass corner or on the frame)
- Clear access to the window inside and out
- Your paint color if new interior trim goes in — painting is quoted as a separate line, or paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- Plywood board-up of the opening until the replacement arrives
- Photos of the damage with a scale reference and a line-item list for your claim
- Replacement glass unit, sash, lock or keeper as the approved scope lists it
- For a whole window: new unit, flashing tape, low-expansion foam, sealant, and trim reset or replaced
- Broken glass cleaned up and the old parts hauled away
- Finished photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Glass only vs. a sash, lock or whole window
- Whether the manufacturer still makes the sash or hardware for your window
- Window size and type: basement slider, double-hung, casement or picture window
- Tempered or laminated glass where the location calls for it or you ask for it
- Frame, trim or siding damage from a pry bar
- How many windows were hit in the same break-in
Send a photo of the whole window from inside and outside, a close-up of the damage and any label. Say whether the opening is covered or still open.
How long it takes
Board-up: as soon as the schedule allows. Glass and sashes are made to order, so the wait is the order; once here, a glass or sash swap takes an hour or two, a whole window a few hours.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Glass only
The glass is smashed but the frame, sash and lock are sound. A new glass unit is ordered to the exact size and type and set in the existing sash. Trim and the wall are not touched.
Sash, lock and hardware
A pry bar bent the sash or snapped the lock. A new sash, lock and keeper from the same manufacturer go in the old frame, with the weatherstrip replaced so it seals again.
Whole window
The frame is bent or split, or parts are no longer made. The old window comes out, the opening is checked, and a new window is set, flashed, foamed and trimmed inside and out.
Harder to get through next time
Laminated glass that stays in the frame when it breaks, a second lock on a slider, or a window well cover over a basement window. Priced as its own line if you want it.
Window Broken in a Break-In — Board-Up, Glass, Sash or Whole Window: questions, answered
What should I do right away when a window was broken in a break-in?
Call the police and get a report number. Photograph the window inside and out before you sweep up or cover anything. Then close the opening with plywood screwed over the outside, or heavy plastic taped tight inside if that is all you have. Keep receipts for the materials; they are part of the claim.
Can you replace just the glass after someone broke my window?
Often, yes. If the frame, sash and lock are sound, a new glass unit is ordered to the exact size and set in the old sash. It needs the window's brand or the glass etching and the size. If the sash or frame was bent in the break-in, that part gets replaced too.
Does homeowners insurance cover a window broken in a break-in?
Most homeowners policies cover damage from a break-in, subject to your deductible, but what is covered depends on your policy. Call your insurer, give them the police report number, and send the photos. We give you a line-item scope for the window so the claim lists everything that was damaged.
Is a basement window worth replacing with something harder to break into?
It can be. A new basement window with a better lock, laminated glass that holds together when it cracks, or a window well cover all make it slower and noisier to get in. If the basement window is also your egress window, it still has to open fully and be easy to get out of from inside.
Can a pried window frame be repaired or does the window need to be replaced?
A vinyl or aluminum frame that was pried out of square usually cannot be bent back and still seal. A wood frame with a split at the lock can sometimes be repaired. We look at the photos and tell you which it is before anything is ordered.
Can a contractor pay my deductible on a break-in claim?
No. Minnesota law bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying any part of your insurance deductible, and JMB Builders does not. The deductible is your share of the repair and is paid as part of the job.
Can you board up a broken window after a storm?
Yes. A window broken by wind, hail or a falling branch gets the same temporary fix as one broken in a break-in: plywood cut to the frame and screwed over the outside, so rain and cold stay out until the new glass or window arrives. Photograph the window before it is covered, and keep the receipt for the board-up; it is usually part of the claim.
A burglar broke my sliding glass door — can you replace it?
Yes. When only the glass is broken and the frame is straight, the panel's glass unit or the whole panel is replaced with the maker's part, and the opening is boarded up until it arrives. When the frame was pried, the lock torn out or the track bent, the whole door is replaced and set in a sill pan. We photograph the damage and list it line by line for your claim.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All insurance repairs pages
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