How Much Does It Cost to Board up a Window With Plywood?

Normal range: $100 - $400

You'll spend about $250 to board a window with plywood, or between $100 and $400 for windows of different sizes.

How we get this data
A traditional house with lawn
Photo: Phillip Spears / Photodisk / Getty Images
D.P. Taylor
Written by D.P. Taylor
Contributing Writer
Updated October 24, 2023
A traditional house with lawn
Photo: Phillip Spears / Photodisk / Getty Images

Boarding up a window with plywood costs $250 on average, with a typical range of $100 to $400 per window. Whether you're trying to prevent intruders from entering an abandoned house or are preparing for a big tropical storm, boarding up your windows with plywood is a good way to protect your home.

See the price range of boarding windows with plywood:
How we get this data
Normal range for U.S.
$100 - $400
  • Average
  • $250
  • Low end
  • $50
  • high end
  • $500
LOWHIGH

Boarding up a Window With Plywood Cost Breakdown

A man boarding up a window with plywood
Photo: Kurgu128 / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

Size 

It costs about $1 to $3 per square foot for plywood to board up a window, although typically, you will need to buy plywood in a pre-cut sheet for your window, so the square footage may not actually matter. 

For example, you may pay $65 for a plywood sheet that measures 4-by-8 feet even though your window is only 2-by-3 feet. You may be able to cut the panel in half and use it for two windows if it is large enough.

Materials

The cost for materials will be about $50 to $100 for the plywood sheet to cover the window. OSB board costs $32 to $77 per 4-by-8-foot sheet. You can get less expensive plywood, but if you are boarding up a window to protect your home, you want thick, high-quality plywood that is at least 5/8-inch to 3/4-inch thick. As a result, you should expect to pay on the higher end for plywood that will meet your needs.

You may also pay a few dollars more for items like a hammer, nails, fasteners, and such if you don't already have these supplies. Some people also install window film for hurricane protection, but they don’t offer as much protection as plywood.

MaterialAverage Cost
Plywood sheet$50 – $100
OSB board$32 – $77

Cost to Install It Yourself vs. Hiring a Contractor 

Keep in mind that a handyperson has the experience to do the job right and can make some other recommendations to ensure the window is secure. Contact a handyperson in your area for a quote before you make your decision.

Cost to Board up a Window With Plywood Yourself

You may spend as little as $50 per window if you do this job yourself, assuming you have additional supplies on hand needed to do the job. If not, you may pay up to $100 per window.

Labor

If you don't want to do the job yourself, you can hire a local window contractor to do it for you for about $50 to $100 per hour. How much you actually end up paying for labor depends on whether you just want a window boarded up quickly to protect from storm damage, or if this is a more permanent installation that will require more work.

Job TimeAverage Cost
1 hour$50 – $100
2 hours$100 – $200
3 hours$150 – $300

If it's the former, you may pay only about $50 per window, since all they'll be doing is installing the plywood over the window. If it's the latter, you may pay $250 or more. That's because the handyperson will have to do additional things like install insulation, a vapor barrier, mudding, drywall, and even painting it over.

6 steps on how to install plywood over a window, including using a power drill

Frequently Asked Questions

You should board up windows when you need to protect your home either from intruders or from a strong tropical storm. In the former case, this is more of a permanent solution, versus a temporary installation in the latter case.

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D.P. Taylor
Written by D.P. Taylor
Contributing Writer
D.P. Taylor has a passion for helping businesses solve tough problems in their industry. He specializes in researching industry challenges and breaking them down in a way that is easy to digest while effectively solving the reader's issue.
D.P. Taylor has a passion for helping businesses solve tough problems in their industry. He specializes in researching industry challenges and breaking them down in a way that is easy to digest while effectively solving the reader's issue.
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