Hurricane Shutter Types: Panels, Accordion, Roll-Down and Fixed
Broward's building code lets each glazed opening either carry impact-rated glass or sit behind an approved external protection device. Shutters are the second route. They differ in cost, in who has to put them up, and in what stays on the wall all year.
Storm panels (aluminum, steel and clear)
Panels are temporary: they're stored most of the year and fixed by track or bolts before a storm, with corrugated sheets overlapping for strength. HomeGuide describes steel as strong and thin but heavy, aluminum as thicker and lighter, and clear polycarbonate as about as strong as aluminum while letting light in. The trade-off it lists: panels are economical and leave the house unchanged when stored, but they take time and effort to put up and need somewhere to live the rest of the year.
- Storm panels (HomeGuide): $5 to $20 a square foot installed, $35 to $140 per window.
- Clear panels: $10 to $20 a square foot.
Accordion shutters
Accordion shutters stay mounted in a track beside the opening and unfold across it. HomeGuide prices them at $15 to $25 a square foot installed, and they're a common choice for sliding glass doors. Whole-house costs and sizing are on the accordion shutters page.
Roll-down shutters
Roll-downs live in a box above the opening. HomeGuide puts manual roll-up shutters at $20 to $50 a square foot and electric ones at $50 to $175, and says a motorized shutter should have a battery backup or manual crank. More on the roll-down shutters page.
Bahama shutters
Bahama shutters are permanently mounted, hinged at the top and propped out at a 45-degree angle like an awning. HomeGuide prices them at $20 to $50 a square foot installed, or $140 to $350 a window, in aluminum or wood.
Colonial shutters
Colonial shutters hinge at the sides and fold together across the window for a storm, and add a decorative element the rest of the year. HomeGuide lists them at the same $20 to $50 a square foot, $140 to $350 per window, usually in aluminum, in louvered and board-and-batten styles.
Fabric storm screens
Fabric screens use Kevlar, PVC or UV-resistant coated material. HomeGuide prices removable fabric panels at $5 to $15 a square foot installed and permanently mounted roll-down fabric at $25 to $50. They're light to store and put up in about 30 minutes each.
Hurricane shutter costs compared
HomeGuide's installed prices for each shutter type above, per square foot, and whether the shutter stays on the wall between storms:
| Shutter type | Installed, per sq ft (HomeGuide) | Stays on the house? |
|---|---|---|
| Storm panels | $5 to $20 | No, stored between storms |
| Clear storm panels | $10 to $20 | No, stored between storms |
| Accordion | $15 to $25 | Yes, folded beside the opening |
| Roll-down, manual | $20 to $50 | Yes, in a box above the opening |
| Roll-down, electric | $50 to $175 | Yes, in a box above the opening |
| Bahama | $20 to $50 | Yes, hinged at the top |
| Colonial | $20 to $50 | Yes, hinged at the sides |
| Fabric screen, removable | $5 to $15 | No, stored between storms |
| Fabric screen, roll-down | $25 to $50 | Yes, permanently mounted |
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
Hurricane Shutters and the Wind Mitigation Form
Florida law requires residential property insurers' rate filings to include discounts, credits or deductible reductions for windstorm mitigation, and it names "opening protection, and window, door, and skylight strength" among the features that count (F.S. 627.0629). The insurer learns what's on your house from the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802, revised 04/26.
Question 9 of the form grades the weakest protection on any glazed opening: windows, entry and garage doors, sliding glass doors, skylights and glass block. Non-glazed entry and garage doors get their own column.
Level A
every glazed opening protected by products listed in the Florida or Miami-Dade approval system that pass cyclic pressure and the 9 lb large missile, for example TAS 201, 202 and 203 or ASTM E 1886 and E 1996. Rated "Hurricane" in the factor table.Level C
plywood or OSB panels meeting Table 1609.1.2 of the 2007 Florida Building Code.Level N
shutters that don't meet A, B or C, or look like A or B but have no documentation. Rated "Ordinary".Level X
one or more glazed openings with no protection. Rated "None".Condition
every window, door and skylight must be in good condition; openings that need replacement disqualify the house from the rate credits.
The form must be certified by a qualified inspector: a home inspector licensed under s. 468.8314 with hurricane mitigation training, a building code inspector, a general, building or residential contractor licensed under s. 489.111, a professional engineer, a professional architect, or another person the insurer recognizes under s. 627.711(2). It's valid for up to five years if no material changes are made. The installer you're referred to doesn't issue this form; book the inspection separately once the shutters and their approval paperwork are in hand.
My Safe Florida Home: Status for Shutters
Florida's My Safe Florida Home program has paid for opening protection, but whether it will in 2026 is unconfirmed.
Grant size
the state pays $2 for every $1 from the homeowner, up to $10,000 of state money; low-income applicants can receive up to $10,000 with no match (F.S. 215.5586).Eligible homes
homestead-exempt, insured for $700,000 or less, and built before January 1, 2008. Work must be permitted and done by licensed contractors, and "opening protection improvements" are on the list.Status
the last round funded $184.9 million for 18,490 grants. The program's FAQ says new inspection applications are paused and that grant applications were expected to run "through August", without a year, and its homepage now collects contact details "as the Legislature considers new opportunities".
Treat it as a possible bonus, not part of the budget, until the program announces a new round.
Shutters or Impact Glass?
Broward's code accepts either one, so the choice is cost, effort and looks. Shutters cover existing glass for less: HomeGuide's $2,000 to $8,000 for a Florida house sits well below the impact window figures on the homepage. It also notes shutters aren't needed over impact windows, though both together give the most protection at the highest cost, and that installation can cost less outside hurricane season. Count every opening before you choose. The wind form grades the weakest one, so a house shuttered everywhere except one slider still lands in Level X, with no opening protection credit. Before work starts, confirm the permit requirement with the City of Pompano Beach Building Department (954-786-4669).
See accordion shutters.