Frequently Asked Questions

Existing homes are not forced to upgrade, but new work is held to the code. If you replace windows, the new ones must be approved for the HVHZ, and Miami-Dade rules say that replacing more than 25% of the glazed openings means every replaced glazed opening must be impact rated or covered by an approved protection device.

Angi puts a typical impact window at $700 to $2,875 installed, depending on size and frame, with about $1,800 for a medium double-hung. A house with 10 windows runs roughly $7,000 to $28,750 on that scale. Your written estimate is the actual price.

They can. Florida's wind mitigation form includes opening protection, and when every opening is protected the inspection can document it. The 2026 version of the form also removes that credit if an opening is damaged. Ask your agent what the discount would be on your policy before you decide.

Both show that a product passed testing for hurricane wind and impact. A Miami-Dade NOA is issued by the county, and a Florida Product Approval is issued by the state. Miami-Dade accepts both, as long as the approval is current and covers the HVHZ, the size and the design pressure of your opening.

The install itself is usually a few days for a typical house. The longer parts are the permit review and the factory lead time, since impact units are made to size. We give you an expected timeline with the quote and update it once the permit is issued.

No. Impact glass is the protection, so nothing has to go up before a storm. Shutters make sense for openings you are not replacing yet, or as a lower-cost way to protect the whole house now.

The program has offered grants up to $10,000 for impact windows, doors and garage door reinforcement after a free inspection, with income and insurance requirements. Funding changes each year, so check mysafeflhome.com for the current status first.

Yes. Replacing a few openings is common. Keep in mind the Miami-Dade rule that once more than 25% of the glazed openings are replaced, all replaced glazed openings have to meet impact requirements, so most homeowners choose impact glass from the start.

Usually, yes. The laminated interlayer dampens sound better than a single pane of ordinary glass, and insulated impact units add an air space as well. The difference is most noticeable compared with old jalousies or awning windows that never sealed.

Some patching is normal where the old frame comes out. Large stucco repairs are uncommon in block homes, but if we find rotted wood bucks or damaged block, we show you and price the repair before going further.

The glass can crack, but it is designed to stay in the frame and keep the opening closed. A cracked impact pane should be replaced, and the 2026 wind mitigation form treats damaged openings as unprotected for the insurance credit.

A new exterior door in Miami-Dade must have a current approval for the HVHZ and go through a permit. Whether glass in that door must be impact rated depends on the overall project, so we confirm it with the building department for your specific job.

Usually not. Impact doors are approved and tested as a complete unit with their own frame, threshold and anchors, so the whole assembly is replaced.

Many do. The glass is laminated like an impact window, and you can choose clear, frosted or decorative patterns for privacy.

Most single entry doors go in within a day. Double doors or doors with sidelites can take longer, especially if stucco or tile at the threshold needs work.

The panels are heavier than ordinary glass, but good rollers on a level sill keep them easy to slide. If your old door was hard to move, the track or sill was often the cause, and we fix that during install.

Possibly, but widening means cutting the wall and adding a header, which needs engineered drawings and a different permit than a straight replacement. We can tell you after seeing the wall whether it is practical.

Impact sliders are tested for water resistance as well as impact, and higher sill risers help. Very heavy wind-driven rain can still push some water into the track, which is designed to drain it back outside.

Yes, if you prefer. An accordion or roll-down shutter over an existing slider is a lower-cost way to protect it, though someone has to close it before each storm.

Usually by a wide margin. HomeGuide puts accordion shutters at $15 to $25 per square foot installed, while Angi shows impact windows at $700 to $2,875 each. Shutters cost less up front but need to be closed for every storm.

Yes. Miami-Dade requires a permit and an approved product for shutters and storm panels, with drawings showing the protected openings. Permanent shutters in an HOA community also need association approval first.

Motorized roll-downs should have a manual override, such as a crank, so they can be opened or closed without power. We show you where it is and how to use it.

Plywood is a last-minute stopgap, not a tested product with an NOA or Florida approval, and wind mitigation inspectors look for approved protection on each opening. Approved panels cost little more and are cut to fit your openings exactly.

It depends on the door and the overall protection plan. A solid door with no glass may meet requirements with a wind-load approval, while doors with windows need impact-rated glass. We check the approval against your opening and tell you what the permit will require.

Some doors have approved reinforcement kits, and the My Safe Florida Home program lists garage door reinforcement as an eligible upgrade. If your door is old or damaged, replacement is often the more practical choice.

It is heavier, but correctly sized springs carry the weight, so it should feel similar to open by hand. The opener may need to be upgraded if the old one is small or worn.

Yes. The opening protection section of the wind mitigation form includes garage doors, so an unprotected garage door can keep the house from getting the full credit.

Yes. A single window still needs a permit and an HVHZ-approved product, but as long as your total stays at or under 25% of the glazed openings, the rest of the house is not affected.

In most cases, yes. Jalousies cannot seal tightly, offer no storm protection and usually cannot meet bedroom egress in their current form. A single-hung, horizontal roller or casement fits the same opening.

HomeGuide lists installed standard windows at $300 to $2,100 for single-hung and $400 to $3,000 for casement. Impact-rated windows cost more. Your written estimate is the price for your home.

Yes. The city's windows and doors checklist covers the application, floor plan, window and door schedule, wind load chart, product approvals and, for jobs over $5,000, a recorded Notice of Commencement.