Hurricane protection for Florida homes

Both satisfy code and the insurance credit when properly rated. Shutters cost less per opening, but you have to put them up before every storm. Impact glass protects every day with no preparation, and adds security and quieter rooms. Many homes mix them, with impact glass on the main living areas and shutters on secondary openings. We quote both paths in one visit.

Florida's opening-protection insurance credit is all or nothing. Every window, every exterior door, every skylight and the garage door must carry rated products. One unprotected opening disqualifies the entire home. It's the first thing we map in an assessment, because it changes how you should phase the work.

It can. Opening protection and roof condition are the two largest levers on a Florida windstorm premium. The exact amount depends on your insurer and policy. The credits are claimed through a wind mitigation inspection (Form OIR-B1-1802), and we provide every document that inspection needs.

Florida requires every hurricane-protection product to carry a state product approval. Inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone the bar is higher. Products need a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. That is proof they passed the toughest impact and pressure testing in the country. Every product we install carries the approval its county requires, and the paperwork is part of your closing package.

It is arguably the biggest piece. Roof age, deck attachment and a sealed secondary water barrier are major wind mitigation factors. Since 2007, Florida re-roofs must include that sealed barrier. If your roof is near the end of its life, replace it first. That often makes the rest of the plan cheaper to insure.

Yes. The plan matters more than the pace. Protect the garage door and the largest glass first, and time the roof by its condition. Finish every opening after that, because the insurance credit only applies once they are all covered. Each phase is permitted and documented as it finishes.

From measurement to installed protection usually takes a few weeks to a couple of months. Product lead times and county permit review drive that. Shutters are generally fastest and full impact-window packages longest. Installation itself is usually days, not weeks. Ordering off-season keeps every step on the short end.