Impact Windows: Cost, Florida Building Code, Miami-Dade NOA and Insurance Credits

Impact window prices by size of job and style

HomeGuide's national figures for hurricane impact windows:

Style changes the price per opening:

Labor alone runs $100 to $400 per window. The installer normally pulls the permit, which HomeGuide puts at $50 to $200. Swapping out existing windows costs about $25 to $50 more per opening than setting impact units in a new build, because the old units have to come out first.

For comparison with standard windows, here is the national per-window price table by frame material:

US national averages for 2026, labor and standard materials included, from published cost guides (sources at the end of this page). Local prices differ: see the city table below, or enter your ZIP code in the calculator.

What makes a window impact-rated

An impact window pairs a heavy-duty frame with impact-resistant glass. ENERGY STAR lists laminated glass for impact resistance among the premium options that push a window toward the top of its price range. The idea is that when debris hits, the glass may crack but the opening stays closed, so wind cannot rush in and pressurize the house.

The rating covers the whole assembly: glass, frame, anchors and installation. A window with laminated glass that has not passed the required tests, or that is installed without the tested anchoring, does not count as protection under the code.

Where code requires impact protection

Wind-borne debris regions

The building codes tie the requirement to the design wind speed at your site. The Florida Building Code defines a wind-borne debris region as any area within a hurricane-prone region that is:

1. Within 1 mile of the coastal mean high water line where the ultimate design wind speed is 130 mph or more, or
2. Anywhere the ultimate design wind speed is 140 mph or more.

Under section R301.2.1.2 of the International Residential Code, exterior glazing in a windborne debris region must be protected from windborne debris, and that protection must pass the large missile test of ASTM E1886 and ASTM E1996. Your local building department can tell you the design wind speed and whether your lot sits inside the region.

What counts as protection

The Florida Building Code accepts either impact-resistant glazed openings or an impact-resistant covering over standard windows. Accepted test standards include ASTM E1996 with ASTM E1886, the Miami-Dade TAS 201, 202 and 203 protocols, SSTD 12 and AAMA 506.

The IRC also allows a low-cost exception: wood structural panels at least 7/16 inch thick, spanning no more than 8 feet, precut and predrilled to fit each opening, with permanent corrosion-resistant anchors installed on the building. Panels cost little, but someone has to put them up before every storm.

ASTM E1996 and ASTM E1886 explained

These two standards work as a pair. ASTM E1886 is the test method: a lab fires a missile at a window or shutter, then runs the sample through cycles of positive and negative air pressure that mimic gusting hurricane winds. ASTM E1996 is the specification: it sets which missile, how many hits and how much pressure cycling a product must survive, based on the building and its wind zone.

The missile levels in E1996, as summarized in Florida Building Commission training material:

The same material notes that glazed openings within 30 feet of grade must pass the large missile test, while openings higher than 30 feet may use the small missile test. For homes under the residential code, the large missile test is a 4.5 lb 2x4 at 40 feet per second on three samples, followed by 4,500 positive and 4,500 negative pressure cycles. Garage doors and rolling doors are tested under a separate standard, ANSI/DASMA 115, so check our door guide for those openings.

Florida Product Approval and Miami-Dade NOA

Florida adds a product approval layer on top of the test standards.

• Florida Product Approval is the statewide route. Building officials must accept Florida Product Approvals.
• Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) is issued by the county's Product Control Section, and only to manufacturers and their private labelers. It is based on the TAS 201 (large missile impact), TAS 202 (static air pressure, water and forced entry) and TAS 203 (cyclic pressure) protocols.
• The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone covers Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Florida Building Commission training material notes that the ASTM E1996 approval route used elsewhere in the state is not acceptable in this zone, which is why window lines sold there carry an NOA.

Florida law also bars advertising or selling a product as hurricane, windstorm or impact protection unless it holds a state or local approval. Ask for the approval or NOA number on your quote and check that the design pressure printed there meets or beats the pressure your permit calls for at each opening.

Impact windows vs. shutters, panels and storm windows

Prices are from HomeGuide. Impact windows cost the most up front, but they work while you are away and need no setup when a storm is coming. Shutters and panels are cheaper and still meet the code where they are approved, as long as someone puts them in place.

Insurance and wind mitigation credits in Florida

Section 627.0629 of the Florida Statutes requires residential property insurers to include actuarially reasonable discounts, credits or deductible reductions for construction features that reduce windstorm loss. Opening protection and window, door and skylight strength are named in the law.

To get credit, have a qualified inspector complete the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation adopted a new version of the form that took effect April 1, 2026. A completed form is valid for up to five years, as long as the house has no material changes. Insurers must also explain their hurricane mitigation discounts on their websites, a rule in place since October 1, 2023.

The size of the credit depends on your insurer and on whether every glazed opening is protected, so ask your agent before you buy. Keep the approval numbers, permit and final inspection for each opening, since the inspector will ask for proof.

Frames, glass and lifespan

HomeGuide's unit prices for impact windows by frame, before installation:

Aluminum windows are the lightest and least costly but insulate poorly. Vinyl windows and fiberglass windows cost more and insulate better, and wood windows are the least common choice for coastal impact work. Adding low-E glass costs 10% to 25% more than standard glass, per HomeGuide. Our energy-efficient windows guide explains the ratings to compare.

HomeGuide puts the life of impact windows at 10 to 40 years, depending on glass and material quality, with windows in hot, sunny spots tending to break down sooner.

Use the window calculator to price your openings by size and style.