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Printable checklist

Hurricane door, glass and shutter checklist

One printable page for the openings in your building, in the order the work actually goes.

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How to use this checklist

Print it and keep a copy at the property and another somewhere outside the storm's path. The network and the power may not be there when you need it.

The list has three parts. The first is the preparation that is easiest to do in calm weather. The second is for when a storm is forecast. The third covers the aftermath and the end-of-season inspection. Every item comes from our longer articles, which explain the reasoning: arranging board-up in advance, testing hurricane shutters, the commercial preparation checklist, the first 48 hours after a storm and the door and glass inspection once the season is over.

Roof and structural items are marked as work for licensed contractors. Write down what you find and hand it to whoever manages the roof.

The checklist

Hurricane door, glass and shutter checklist

Download the PDF to print

Before the season: openings and records

  • List every opening: windows, glazed doors, sliding doors, transoms and skylights.
  • Record each opening's location, size and glass type.
  • Note which openings have working shutters and which need boarding.
  • Photograph every opening, outside and inside, in daylight, dated.
  • Name two people who can approve board-up, with direct phone numbers.
  • Record how a technician gets in: doors, codes, keys, alarm details.
  • Keep a printed copy at the property and a second copy off site.

Before the season: shutters

  • Deploy every shutter fully and secure it as in a storm, then open it again.
  • Count the panels and fasteners against the openings.
  • Operate every lock, wing nut and pin.
  • Clear tracks of paint, grit and debris.
  • Replace corroded fasteners instead of freeing them.
  • Label every removable panel to its opening.
  • Store panels and fasteners together, where they can be reached.
  • Write the deployment plan: who, what order, which openings first.
  • Log what failed and what was corrected.

Before the season: doors, sealant and site

  • Check every exterior door closes and latches on its own.
  • Repair failed sealant at window and door perimeters.
  • Clear loose items from the yard.
  • Roof drains, flashing and rooftop fasteners: for a licensed contractor.

When a storm is forecast

  • Photograph every opening again to show its condition.
  • Deploy shutters or other protection, allowing far more time than you expect.
  • Call your board-up vendor and confirm the opening list and access details.
  • Secure or remove exterior furniture, signage and bins.
  • Move stock and equipment away from openings and off low floors.
  • Confirm who holds the keys and who decides.
  • Roof clearing and any roof or structural work: for a licensed contractor.

After the storm

  • Stay out until it is safe. Walk the perimeter and look up first.
  • Downed lines or standing water near electrical equipment: wait for the utility or a licensed contractor.
  • Photograph before touching anything: wide shots, then detail.
  • Secure broken glass, doors that will not close and missing shutters.
  • Arrange board-up for failed openings and photograph it before and after.
  • Check powered locks and readers. They may have failed open or closed.
  • Photograph and date stained or sagging ceiling tiles.
  • Keep receipts for everything bought in the first two days.
  • Roofing, structural and electrical damage: for a licensed contractor.

When the season is over

  • Open and close every exterior door, window, storefront and sliding unit.
  • Check the gap around each door leaf is even.
  • Check latches line up with their strikes.
  • Check hinges, closer arms, exit device fasteners and strike plates for rust or looseness.
  • Press a thumbnail into sealant. Replace it if rigid, crumbling or pulling away.
  • Check glazing gaskets and look for fogging between double panes.
  • Check shutter and sliding door tracks, rollers and locks.
  • Roof findings: photograph, note the location and pass to a licensed roofing contractor.
  • Record each opening: condition, what was found, what was done.

Where it comes from

Built from these pages

Common questions

Questions about this checklist

Who carries out the door and glass work on this list?

Board-up, glass repair and re-glazing of existing openings, and door and hardware repairs are done by our own technicians. Roofing, electrical work such as powered shutter motors, and anything that needs a permit go through licensed contractors, coordinated and documented by TrionX.

Does this checklist replace a professional inspection?

No. It tells you what to look at and what to record. Where you find a fault, such as a seized shutter track, a door that no longer latches or failed sealant, someone qualified should correct it.

Where should the completed list be kept?

Keep one printed copy at the property and one off site, with the dated photographs. A record that exists only on a machine inside the building is easy to lose.

More to print

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Want a second pair of eyes on the openings?

Tell us the property and we will walk the doors, glass and shutters with you, fix what our own technicians can fix and coordinate what needs a licensed contractor. We carry general liability and workers' compensation, and every job is photographed.

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