Vacant and Commercial Property Securing in Eden Prairie, MN
Empty buildings, units between tenants, and commercial premises that need to stay closed.
Vacant property securing is planned rather than reactive, which makes it a different job from an emergency board-up. The building is not open because something happened today; it is open because it has been empty for a while and things have been happening slowly.
What this service covers
- Securing buildings that will be empty for an extended period
- Units between tenants and property awaiting sale or development
- Commercial premises and storefronts
- Re-securing property that has been repeatedly opened
- Assessment of all access points, not just the obvious one
- Securing designed to last the expected vacancy period
Signs to watch for
- Openings that have clearly been there for some time
- Evidence of previous entry or attempted entry
- Deteriorating previous board-up or covering
- Ground-floor and basement access points left unsecured
- Roof or upper-level access from adjoining structures
- Utilities still live in an unoccupied building
Common causes
- Extended vacancy between tenants or owners
- Property awaiting redevelopment or demolition
- Buildings left after a loss while a claim is settled
- Seasonal or intermittent occupancy
- Commercial units withdrawn from use
- Previous securing that has failed or been defeated
What to do first
- Walk the full perimeter, including the rear and any adjoining access.
- Check whether utilities should be isolated for the vacancy period.
- In winter, drain the water system if the building will be unheated.
- Document the condition of the building before securing.
- Confirm with your insurer what a vacancy means for your cover.
Before anyone arrives: do not go near an opening if the structure above it looks compromised, and never climb onto a damaged roof. A vehicle impact or fire can leave a wall standing that is no longer carrying load.
Secure the perimeter, not the opening
Emergency board-up deals with the opening that just appeared. Vacant property securing has to deal with every way into the building, because there is nobody there to notice a new one. That means a full walk of the perimeter including the rear, basement lights, roof access from adjoining structures, and service entries.
A building secured only at the point that was found open will typically be entered somewhere else within weeks. It is worth doing the whole thing once.
Vacancy usually changes your insurance position
Most property policies treat a building differently once it has been unoccupied beyond a defined period — commonly thirty or sixty days, though it varies considerably by policy. Cover can narrow substantially, and some perils can be excluded entirely.
This is worth checking directly with your insurer rather than assuming, because it affects how much securing is worth doing and what documentation you need to keep. It is a conversation nobody has until after something happens.
What a provider may assess on site
- Every access point around the full perimeter
- Whether previous securing is still effective
- How long the building is expected to stay empty
- Whether the property has been entered before
- Whether upper levels are reachable from adjoining structures
- What material and method suits the expected duration
What gets secured depends on how many openings there are and whether the surrounding structure will hold a fixing. Nothing starts until a provider confirms scope and terms with you.
Related services
Vacant & Commercial Property Securing by community
Property open right now?
Tell us what is open and where. A coordinator can review the request against the type of opening and what securing capacity looks like right now.