Hurricane screens, accordion shutters, storm panels, and impact windows installed across Florida’s Gulf Coast since 1976.
Hurricane protection in Florida means code-rated systems that protect windows and doors from windborne debris and storm-driven rain. The four main options are hurricane screens (best for lanais and large openings), accordion shutters (best for smaller windows and side doors), storm panels (the most affordable), and impact windows (permanent, no deployment required). Mr. Build installs all four across Bradenton, Sarasota, and the Gulf Coast.
Florida’s Gulf Coast faces some of the most demanding hurricane conditions in the United States. Coastal homes deal with sustained tropical storm winds, hurricane-force gusts, and the kind of windborne debris that turns an unprotected window into the failure point for an entire home.
The right storm protection system depends on the opening, the home’s wind exposure, the homeowner’s lifestyle, and the local Florida Building Code requirements. Mr. Build has installed hurricane protection on the Gulf Coast since 1976 and offers all four major system types.
Most homeowners researching storm protection start with the same question: which system is right for my home? The table below summarizes the four main options across the factors that matter most when comparing them. Each system has its place, and the right answer for any given home is usually a combination of two or more.
Feature | Hurricane Screens | Accordion Shutters | Storm Panels | Impact Windows |
Convenience | One-touch deploy | Manual, ~1 min/opening | Install before each storm | Always in place |
Protection Level | FBC, Miami-Dade options | FBC, Miami-Dade | FBC approved | FBC, Miami-Dade, highest |
Best For | Lanais, large openings, sliding doors | Smaller windows, side doors, security | Budget whole-home or awkward openings | Permanent, daily-use windows |
Year-Round Visibility | Hidden when retracted | Visible track beside window | No (panels off-site) | Always clear glass |
Insurance Discount Eligible | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
All four systems are Florida Building Code rated when installed properly. All four qualify for wind mitigation insurance credits, though impact windows typically earn the largest discount because they protect the opening permanently and require no homeowner action before a storm.
Not sure which system fits your home? Mr. Build has installed storm protection on the Gulf Coast since 1976. Free in-home estimates with no obligation. Call (941) 746-5838.
Hurricane screens are retractable, code-rated barriers built from Kevlar-reinforced fabric that protect lanais, sliding glass doors, pool cages, and large openings from windborne debris and storm-driven rain. They mount discreetly above the opening, roll down in seconds when a storm is forecast, and retract back into a slim header the rest of the year. Motorized systems deploy with a wall switch, remote, or smartphone app; manual systems use a removable hand crank.
Hurricane screens are the default storm protection for Gulf Coast homes with wide outdoor living spaces. A single screen can span a twenty-foot lanai with no center post, and the entire system disappears into the header when not in use. Top-rated systems are tested to withstand sustained wind loads of 150 to 200-plus miles per hour and meet Florida Building Code requirements, with Miami-Dade approved options available for high-velocity hurricane zones.
Accordion hurricane shutters are rigid aluminum panels that fold open and closed along a track mounted beside the window. They are permanently installed, deploy by hand in under a minute per opening, and lock with a key. For smaller windows, side entry doors, and homeowners who want a visible mechanical layer of security year-round, accordion shutters often make more sense than screens. They are Miami-Dade approved across most configurations and require no power, no fabric replacement, and minimal maintenance over their service life.
Mr. Build installs accordion shutters as the primary system for street-facing windows, as a complement to roll-down screens on the rest of the home, and as a security upgrade for vacation properties where the owner wants the home buttoned up between visits.
Storm panels are rigid aluminum, steel, or clear polycarbonate sections that bolt over the opening when a storm is forecast and come down once the threat passes. They are the most affordable storm protection product on a square-foot basis, and well-maintained panels can last the lifetime of the home. The tradeoff is storage and deployment. Panels need somewhere to live the rest of the year, and putting them up before a storm is a multi-hour job that often falls on the homeowner.
Storm panels work best as budget-conscious whole-home protection or as a code-compliant solution for an awkward opening that does not suit a roll-down screen or shutter system. Aluminum panels carry the highest wind ratings in the panel category; clear polycarbonate panels let natural light through during a multi-day storm.
Impact windows are laminated glass units engineered to absorb hurricane-force impacts without the homeowner deploying anything. The glass cracks but does not breach, keeping the wind, rain, and debris outside the home where they belong. Because they permanently protect openings and require no action before a storm, impact windows typically earn the largest wind mitigation insurance credit on the OIR-B1-1802 form, and they also serve as a daily-use upgrade for noise reduction, UV protection, and security.
Impact windows are the highest-cost option in the storm protection decision tree, but also the most convenient. For new construction, full-home remodels, and homeowners planning to stay in the home for many hurricane seasons, the long-term math often favors impact windows over deployable systems.
Certified products built to endure severe wind loads, flying debris, and high pressure.
Protects both structure and interior.
Storm protection that is rated and certified (Florida Building Code and, where applicable, Miami‑Dade or other high‑velocity endorsements) can help homes pass inspections and may reduce insurance premiums.
Professional installation ensures proper anchoring, hardware, and fit.
Knowing your home is protected gives you confidence during storm season.
We offer styles, colors, finishes, and profiles so protection does not mean compromise.
Many systems stay hidden or retract when not in use.
Well‑installed storm protection preserves home condition, reduces damage risk, and can be a feature buyers value.
Impact windows are the highest-protection, lowest-effort option and earn the largest insurance credit. Hurricane screens are best for lanais and large openings; accordion shutters are best for smaller windows and side doors; storm panels are the most affordable. Most Gulf Coast homes use a combination.
Cost depends on the system, the size and number of openings, and the home’s wind zone. Storm panels are the most affordable per square foot; impact windows are the most expensive but require no deployment. Mr. Build provides free in-home measurements and written estimates before any work begins.
Yes, when every opening is protected by a code-rated system and the home passes a wind mitigation inspection. Florida insurance discounts on the wind portion of the premium typically range from 15% to 45%, depending on the carrier, the system installed, and the home’s other wind mitigation features.
Hurricane screens are better for large openings, lanais, pool cages, and sliding glass doors. Shutters are better for smaller windows and security-sensitive openings. Most Gulf Coast homes use a combination, with screens across the back of the home and accordion shutters on street-facing windows.
For homes in high-velocity hurricane zones along the immediate coast, yes. For homes further inland in Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, or eastern Sarasota County, standard Florida Building Code-rated products are usually sufficient. Mr. Build pulls the appropriate rating based on the home’s wind zone.
Yes. Mr. Build has installed storm protection on the Gulf Coast since 1976. The service area covers Bradenton, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, Parrish, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Siesta Key, Venice, and North Port.
Yes. Mr. Build has installed storm protection on Florida’s Gulf Coast since 1976. The service area covers Bradenton, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, Parrish, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Siesta Key, Venice, and North Port.
Florida’s hurricane season runs from June through November, and the right time to install storm protection is before the first named storm of the year forms in the Atlantic. Mr. Build is family-owned and has served Gulf Coast homeowners since 1976. Owner Joe Long is a licensed Florida General Contractor with a Mechanical Engineering degree and more than 25 years of construction experience. Every specified product is rated to the current Florida Building Code; every installation is permitted locally; every homeowner receives the documentation needed for wind mitigation insurance credits.
Contact Mr. Build today to request a free in-home estimate.
