Impact windows in South Florida

An impact window is a hurricane-rated window with laminated glass and a reinforced frame. If flying debris hits it, the glass can crack, but it stays in the frame and keeps wind and rain out of the house. It's tested to Miami-Dade or Florida standards, so you don't need shutters.

Republic's installed prices start from about $900 per window. About $900 for a 37×50 fixed window, $1,100 for a 37×63 single-hung, $1,250 for a 53×50 horizontal roller, and $1,300 for a 37×50 casement, on average; some windows can cost $3,000+ depending on brand and model. A whole house is often $35,000 or more. Size, type, glass, the design pressure at each opening, and the county all move the price. Miami-Dade and Broward usually cost more because they're in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. The in-home estimate is free.

Match the window to the room. Single-hung is the budget choice for bedrooms and hallways. Horizontal rollers suit wide openings and pool decks. Casements give the most air and are easiest for bedroom escape. Fixed and picture windows give the biggest view for the money. Most houses use a mix.

No. Approved impact windows are the hurricane protection, so there's nothing to put up before a storm. The house still needs every opening protected (doors, skylights, and the garage door too) to get the full insurance credit.

A Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) is Miami-Dade County's product approval. Florida Product Approval is the state's. In Miami-Dade and Broward, a product needs an NOA or a Florida approval rated for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Elsewhere, Florida Product Approval is standard, and most building departments also accept an NOA.

The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) is Miami-Dade and Broward counties. It has Florida's toughest window rules: products must pass Miami-Dade's tests (TAS 201, 202, and 203) and carry a Miami-Dade NOA or an HVHZ-rated Florida Product Approval.

Design pressure is the wind load, in pounds per square foot, a window is rated to resist. Every opening needs its own number based on wind speed, height, exposure, and how close it is to a corner. A window rated below its opening's number fails the permit, so we match each one.

Large-missile glass is tested against a 2×4 fired at the window, and it's required for openings within 30 feet of the ground. Small-missile glass is tested with steel balls and is allowed only higher than 30 feet, such as upper floors of a condo tower.

Wind-mitigation credits apply to the windstorm part of the premium, and full credit usually needs every opening protected. A licensed inspector records it on form OIR-B1-1802 after the job. The final number is up to your insurer and policy, and it's not a guarantee.

It can. The state program pays up to $10,000 toward impact windows and doors for eligible homesteads built before 2008 and insured for $700,000 or less, after a free wind-mitigation visit. Funding opens and closes with the state budget, so check mysafeflhome.com.

The free estimate is usually back within 24–48 hours. After you sign, the permit review and the factory building your windows take the longest. The installation itself is the short part. We give you the schedule with the contract.

Yes. Florida code requires a bedroom escape opening of at least 5.7 square feet (5.0 on the ground floor), at least 24 inches high and 20 inches wide, with the sill no higher than 44 inches. We check every bedroom when we measure.

Both work. Aluminum handles the largest sizes and highest pressures with slimmer frames, so choose a quality powder-coat or anodized finish on the coast. Vinyl insulates better and won't corrode, but it's bulkier and has lower size limits.

The glass can crack, but it stays bonded in the frame and keeps the house sealed. That's the job. After the storm, the cracked glass gets replaced.

Lifetime labor warranty for the original owner. It doesn't transfer if you sell. The glass, frame, and hardware carry the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by brand and line.

There's no single published lifespan for impact windows. The manufacturer's written warranty is the best guide: PGT covers the frame and panel for life while you own and live in the home, the insulated glass seal for 20 years and laminated glass delamination for 10 years, and Custom Window Systems covers laminated glass for 10 years. The terms for each brand are on our warranty page.

PGT, ES Windows, ECO Window Systems, and Custom Window Systems. We pick the line by county, opening size, design pressure, and budget. ES Windows is made in Colombia. Not every product is made in the USA.

In 12 Florida counties: Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie on the Atlantic side, and Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough, and Pinellas on the Gulf side. Our office is at 2901 SW 3rd Ave STE 1B, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315.