Impact Front Door Types and Materials
The front door is usually the only hinged opening facing the street, and it's judged twice: once by the building inspector against its product approval, and again by the wind mitigation inspector. These are the common choices.
Fiberglass and steel single entry doors
Most single impact doors are fiberglass or steel. HomeGuide's exterior door guide puts fiberglass entry doors at $200 to $3,800 and steel at $100 to $400 for the door, and notes that fiberglass won't rust while steel can rust if its paint isn't kept up. One approved impact steel-edge door spells out the same concern for the HVHZ: its steel must be protected as FBC Section 2222.6 specifies.
- Rated pressure on that approval: +50/-50 psf for a 37.5 by 98 inch inswing frame and a 37.75 by 96.5 inch outswing frame.
- Basic single replacement labor (HomeGuide): $300 to $500 where no framing repair is needed.
- Pre-hung or slab: HomeGuide says a pre-hung door, built into its own frame, costs more than a bare slab but installs faster.
Double impact entry doors
Double doors fill openings HomeGuide puts at 5 to 8 feet wide. Its front door guide prices double entrances at $1,500 to $6,500 or more installed; the exterior door guide's average is $1,500 to $5,000. Ask whether the inactive leaf's bolts and the center astragal appear on the same approval drawing as the active door, and whether the design pressure quoted is for the pair at your opening size.
Entry doors with sidelights and a transom
Sidelights and a transom turn the door into a wider glazed assembly. HomeGuide prices a replacement door with sidelights and a transom at $1,700 to $3,600, before any impact upgrade. Sidelight glass beside the door can need safety glazing, and the whole unit needs its own labeled HVHZ approval.
Full-glass and glass-insert front doors
Decorative or full-height glass adds $100 to $1,000 or more over a solid door in HomeGuide's figures. On the state wind mitigation form, a door with glass is graded with the glazed openings, so the glass itself has to carry the impact rating or be covered. A solid door is graded in a separate non-glazed column. If you want privacy glass, ask for the textured or frosted option inside the same approved glass build-up rather than a film added later.
Wood-look and wrought iron entry doors
Iron and wood doors are the top of the price range. HomeGuide puts wrought iron front doors at $2,000 to $12,000 and notes they usually come pre-hung, with glass, sidelights or transoms. Wood needs sealing to fight warping and rot, which matters on a door that faces summer rain. Whatever the look, ask whether the exact model and size carry a Florida or Miami-Dade approval for the HVHZ; a door sold as hurricane protection without one breaks Florida's deceptive trade practices law.
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
Lien Law and the Notice of Commencement on a Door Contract
Two Florida statutes govern the paperwork on a front door job, and both come into play at prices a double door with sidelights can easily reach.
Lien-law notice (F.S. 713.015). Any direct contract above $2,500 between an owner and a contractor for work on a home of up to four units must carry a set warning, printed in capitalized bold type of at least 12 points, on the contract's front page or a separate page the owner signs and dates. The warning says people owed money on the job "MAY LOOK TO YOUR PROPERTY FOR PAYMENT, EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY PAID YOUR CONTRACTOR IN FULL." It advises writing into the contract that, before any payment, the contractor gives you a written release of lien from anyone who sent you a "Notice to Owner".
Notice of commencement (F.S. 713.135). When the direct contract is above $5,000, a copy of the recorded notice of commencement has to be filed with the permit office before the first inspection.
Under $2,500
neither notice is required by these statutes.$2,500 to $5,000
the lien-law notice belongs in the contract.Over $5,000
both, the notice in the contract and the notice of commencement before the first inspection.
If a contract over $2,500 arrives without that boxed notice, ask for it before signing. And if a "Notice to Owner" from a supplier lands in your mailbox, keep it: that's the name to collect a lien release from before the final payment.
From Order to Final Inspection
A front door swap is short on site and longer on paper. After the measure, the permit application goes to the city while the door is built; Fixr estimates 2 to 4 weeks for a Broward permit, and the factory wait depends on the maker. The install itself takes HomeGuide's 3 to 8 hours: the old door and frame come out, the opening is checked, and the new unit is anchored to the approved detail for your wall type.
The door's temporary label stays on until the building official's final approval, so leave it alone even if it spoils the look for a week. If your contract is over $5,000, the inspector will expect the notice of commencement on file before that first visit.
What to Check on an Impact Front Door Quote
Approval and pressure
The product approval number and the positive and negative design pressure for your door size.Swing and sill
Inswing or outswing, and which sill the approval requires for HVHZ water infiltration.Removal and frame
HomeGuide adds $75 to $200 to remove the old door and $75 to $200 or more if the existing frame needs repair.Finish
Many doors arrive unfinished; HomeGuide prices professional painting at $125 to $225.Permit
Every exterior door swap needs a city permit, and a deposit above 10% falls under the deposit rule.
See impact French doors.