Are impact windows better than hurricane shutters?
For most South Florida homes, yes. Impact windows protect every opening 24/7 with nothing to deploy and add everyday UV, noise and security benefits. Shutters cost less upfront but only protect once someone closes or installs them.
Are impact windows worth it?
Usually, yes, if you plan to stay. On our 12-window example, $13,500 spread over 20 years is about $675 a year, before any insurance credit or grant, for protection that never needs deploying.
Are accordion shutters or impact windows better?
Accordion shutters are the cheaper permanent shutter, but someone must slide them closed and lock them at every opening before a storm, and they stay visible on the house. Impact windows need no action and look like ordinary windows.
Are hurricane shutters cheaper than impact windows?
Yes, upfront. Shutters protect the windows you already have, while impact windows replace them. No official source publishes installed shutter prices, so get a written price from any shutter installer and compare it with our free quote.
Do impact windows and shutters both lower insurance?
Both can. Form OIR-B1-1802 rates the weakest protection on the house. Verified large-missile products earn level A or B; shutters with no documentation fall to level N. Florida law requires insurers to offer the discount, and your insurer sets the amount.
Which question on the wind-mitigation form covers windows and shutters?
The Opening Protection question. On the current Rev. 04/26 edition of OIR-B1-1802 it is question 9, and it covers windows, doors, sliding glass doors, skylights and garage doors.
Do I need every opening protected for the insurance credit?
For the top rating, yes. The form rates the weakest opening, so one unprotected window or a weaker garage door lowers the rating for the whole house.
Does My Safe Florida Home pay for shutters?
Yes, if the program's inspection recommends opening protection. As of October 2026, the program's Homeowner's Guide says an applicant may be recommended to "install impact-rated windows or shutters." Only the openings named in your Initial Inspection Report are eligible. If your home already has compliant hurricane shutters, the grant will not pay to replace them with impact windows, because it "cannot be used to exchange one type of opening protection for another." Eligible homeowners can get $2 for every $1 they pay, up to $10,000, when funding is open.
Do I need shutters if I have impact windows?
No. Rated impact windows are the opening protection, so there's nothing to add before a storm.
Do shutters and impact windows need approval in Miami-Dade and Broward?
Yes. Both counties are in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so either product needs a Miami-Dade NOA or an HVHZ-rated Florida Product Approval and must pass the large-missile and cyclic-pressure tests.
Can my HOA or condo stop me from installing impact windows?
Not if they meet the board's hurricane protection specifications. Florida law requires boards to adopt specifications and bars them from denying a conforming application, though they can set color, style and a unified look.
What if I'm away when a hurricane comes?
Impact windows protect the house the same whether you're there or not. Shutters need you, a neighbor or a paid service to close or hang them in time.
Do impact windows help with energy bills?
They can. PGT says its laminated glass interlayer filters about 99% of UV and reduces heat buildup, and Low-E coatings cut window energy loss by as much as 40%. Actual savings depend on your house.
When do hurricane shutters make more sense?
When the upfront budget only covers shutters, your current windows are in good shape, you're selling soon, or someone is always home to deploy them on ground-floor openings.
Can I finance impact windows?
Yes. Financing is available at 6.99% APR with $0 down, about $116 a month per $10,000 over 10 years, subject to credit approval.
