Accordion Shutter Types
Accordion shutters stay mounted beside the opening and unfold along a track when a storm is coming. Fixr describes two layouts: one section on one side, or two pieces, one on either side. Fixr's 2025 guide costs a typical job at about $5,200, covering 18 to 22 windows and a sliding glass door on a 2,500 square foot one-story house. The layout depends on the opening.
One-Way Accordions
A single section is fixed to one side of the opening and pulls across to lock at the other. Fixr notes one person can close a track-and-wheel accordion, and that it can be locked for security.
- Installed: $15 to $25 per square foot (HomeGuide)
- About 30 to 45 minutes per window to install (Fixr)
Bi-Parting Accordions with a Center Mate
Two sections, one on each side, close toward each other and meet at a center mate or locking bar. Florida code puts the approval label on the bottom of that bar or mate, facing out. Check that it's there before the final inspection.
Accordions for Sliding Glass Doors and Balconies
Accordions and roll-downs are the two most common shutters for sliding doors, in Fixr's guide. HomeGuide lists accordions for balconies, windows and sliders, and notes they can lock from inside or outside.
- Patio door shutters: $10 to $55 per square foot installed, by type (HomeGuide)
- Accordions on sliders: $15 to $25 per square foot (HomeGuide)
Aluminum and Steel Accordion Blades
HomeGuide says accordion shutters come in aluminum or steel; Fixr says most are aluminum. Either way, the system has to be installed to its product approval. Ask for the approval document and the installation instructions for the exact series quoted.
Why Pompano Beach homeowners call Pompano Windows
- One independent installer calls back, not a list of five
- The request costs you nothing
- Ask for approval numbers and design pressures on the quote
- Permit, removal and stucco patching priced in writing
What Florida Code Asks of an Accordion Shutter
Broward is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so glass that isn't impact-rated needs an external protection device that passes the same impact tests.
State approval
Florida law lists shutters among the products that need state product approval, and bars selling unapproved products as hurricane protection. HomeGuide adds that in the HVHZ, ASTM testing alone is not enough; look for the TAS 201, 202 and 203 tests.Gap to the glass
Under the large-missile test, a shutter must not deflect into the glass it protects. The code's deflection table calls for a closed storm shutter to keep 1 to 2 inches of clear space from the glass at its maximum permitted deflection.Label and instructions
Every impact-resistant covering carries a permanent label with its Florida or Miami-Dade approval number. It has to be installed per the approval and the maker's instructions, which must be on site for the inspector.Bedroom windows
Code allows shutters to close over egress windows while a storm threatens, as long as one way out remains on the first floor.Paperwork for insurance
Shutters that look compliant but have no documentation are graded lower on the wind mitigation form. Keep the approval and final inspection.
Fixr notes that building permits for shutters are required throughout Florida; ask who applies for it.
What an Accordion Shutter Quote Should Show
Each opening's size
Accordions are priced by the square foot, $15 to $30 installed in Fixr's guide, so every opening's width and height belongs on the quote.The approval number
The Florida or Miami-Dade approval for the exact series being sold.Layout per opening
One-way or bi-parting, and which side each stack sits on.Locking
From inside, outside or both.Permit
Who applies, and whether the fee is in the price.
Keeping Accordions Ready for Storm Season
Fixr's maintenance list is short: clean the tracks so the blades don't jam, lubricate locking rods and thumbscrews with spray silicone at least once a year, and run each shutter once or twice a year. Its guide also notes the wheels can wear over time. HomeGuide adds that installation may cost less outside hurricane season.