Hurricane Business Supply List 2026 — What Every Coastal Business Needs

Why Code Compliance Matters More Step 1 — Find the Product Approv Step 2 — Verify the Product Appr Step 3 — Check the Permit Record Step 4 — Confirm Your Wind Zone What to Do If Your Shutters Aren Get a Wind Mitigation Inspection ❓ FAQ

Quick summary

You have hurricane shutters. But are they actually code-compliant? Old shutters, shutters installed without permits, or shutters that were compliant under old codes but not the current ones can give you a false sense of security — and cost you at insurance renewal time or when you try to sell your home.

Why Code Compliance Matters More Than You Think

Hurricane shutter code compliance affects three things that cost real money:

Insurance discounts — your insurer's wind mitigation credit only applies to code-compliant, permitted protection. Non-compliant shutters may disqualify you from discounts worth hundreds or thousands of dollars per year.
Home sale — unpermitted or non-compliant shutters must be disclosed at sale and can kill deals or require remediation at your expense before closing.
Actual storm protection — shutters that don't meet current wind zone requirements for your address may fail in a storm that compliant protection would have survived.

Step 1 — Find the Product Approval Number

Look for a label, sticker, or stamp on your shutters. Every code-compliant product installed in Florida has an FL approval number (format: FL followed by numbers, e.g. FL12345). In Miami-Dade and Broward, look for an NOA number instead.

Where to look:

Accordion shutters — check the bottom track or inside of the housing box
Roll-down shutters — check the housing box lid or the motor housing
Storm panels — check the face of the panel itself (often stamped near the top)
Impact windows — check the glass edge or the frame edge (look for a small label)

If you can't find a label, look for documentation from the original installation — permit paperwork, warranty cards, or the original contract often lists the product model and approval number.

Step 2 — Verify the Product Approval Is Still Valid

Product approvals can expire or be modified. A product that was code-compliant when installed may have had its approval revoked or modified since.

To check Florida Product Approvals: go to floridabuilding.org and search by your FL number. The result will show:

Whether the approval is currently active
The maximum design wind speed covered
The approved size ranges — if your openings fall outside these, the installation may not be compliant even if the product is approved
The installation requirements — fastener type, spacing, substrate

⚠️ If your shutters were installed before 2002, they were installed under a different version of the Florida Building Code. Post-2002 code changes significantly raised standards in many counties. Pre-2002 shutters should be evaluated by a licensed contractor.

Step 3 — Check the Permit Record

Contact your county building department and search for permit records by your property address. You're looking for:

A permit was issued for the shutter installation
A final inspection was completed and passed

Most counties now have online permit search tools. Search "[your county] permit search" to find it. If no permit exists for your shutters, they may have been installed without one — which creates insurance and sale complications.

No permit doesn't automatically mean the shutters are non-compliant — but it means they haven't been inspected and there's no official record they meet code.

Step 4 — Confirm Your Wind Zone Hasn't Changed

Wind zone maps are updated periodically as meteorological modeling improves and storm data accumulates. A home that was in a lower wind zone 15 years ago may now be in a higher one requiring stronger products.

Check your current wind zone at your county building department or use our cost calculator which automatically loads current wind zone data by county. Compare this to the maximum wind speed listed on your product's approval.

If your product was approved for 140 mph and your county now requires 150 mph protection, your shutters are no longer compliant for new construction standards — though existing installations may be grandfathered in some jurisdictions.

What to Do If Your Shutters Aren't Up to Code

Your options depend on the specific compliance issue:

Issue	What to Do	Approximate Cost
No permit record	Apply for retroactive permit — contractor files, inspector evaluates existing work	$200–$600 permit fee + contractor time
Product approval expired	Consult licensed contractor — product may still meet current standards under a newer approval	$0–$500 for evaluation
Wind zone upgrade required	Replace with product meeting new wind zone — full replacement	Full replacement cost
Installation defects	Contractor remediation — correct fastening, track repair, gap sealing	$500–$3,000 depending on scope
Pre-2002 product	Wind mitigation inspection to assess current effectiveness — may need replacement	$150–$200 inspection + replacement if needed

Get a Wind Mitigation Inspection

The fastest way to get a definitive answer on your shutters' compliance is to hire a licensed wind mitigation inspector. For $150–$200 they will:

Document the type and condition of all storm protection on your home
Verify product approval numbers
Complete a standardized wind mitigation report your insurance company accepts
Flag any compliance issues

This inspection is not the same as a building code compliance inspection — it's an insurance-focused evaluation. But it will surface most compliance issues and the resulting report either saves you money on insurance or tells you exactly what needs to be fixed.

The scenarios below are illustrative composites based on documented market patterns, FEMA post-storm data, and OIR wind mitigation discount schedules. They represent realistic outcomes, not specific individuals.

Broward County, Florida — The Home Sale That Almost Didn't Close

Helen had lived in her Pompano Beach home for 22 years. She had accordion shutters installed in 1998, four years before the Florida Building Code was comprehensively revised following Hurricane Andrew's lessons. When she listed the home in 2023 and accepted an offer, the buyer's home inspector searched for the permit record on the Broward County permit portal.

There was no permit for the shutters. The inspector also noted that the shutters didn't have visible product approval stickers, and the manufacturer name — stamped on the bottom track — corresponded to a company that had been acquired and whose product approvals had expired. The buyer's lender required resolution before funding.

Helen paid $840 for a licensed shutter contractor to assess the installation. His determination: the shutters were physically sound but the product approval was no longer valid for Broward County's HVHZ designation. They needed to be replaced or the property needed to be sold at a price that reflected the buyer taking on the cost. Helen negotiated a $12,000 credit and closed. 'I had assumed my shutters were fine because they were there,' she said. 'I never thought about whether they were legal.'

What this means for your home: Shutters that were code-compliant when installed may no longer meet current requirements — especially in Broward and Miami-Dade counties where the HVHZ standard is more stringent. Before listing a home, or before assuming your protection is insurance-eligible, verify that the product approval is still valid and that a permit and final inspection are on record.

Mississippi Gulf Coast — The Insurance Claim That Was Denied

When Hurricane Zeta made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana on October 28, 2020 and tracked northeast, it still produced 70+ mph winds across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Thomas's home in Pass Christian sustained significant window damage on the south exposure — windows that had no storm protection on them.

Thomas filed a wind damage claim with his homeowner's insurer. During the claims investigation, the adjuster discovered that Thomas's wind mitigation report from 2019 had claimed 'accordion shutters on all openings' and had reduced his premium by $780 annually for four years. The inspector had made an error — the south-exposure windows had never been protected.

The insurer denied the wind damage claim on those windows, citing the discrepancy between the wind mitigation report and actual conditions. They also sought recovery of the $3,120 in premium discounts paid over four years. Thomas hired an attorney; the matter was eventually settled, but the process took 18 months. 'The inspector marked something down that wasn't true, and I paid for it,' he said.

What this means for your home: Your wind mitigation report must accurately reflect actual conditions. After installation, have the wind mitigation inspection done by a separate licensed inspector — not your shutter contractor. Verify the report yourself by walking every opening it claims is protected before submitting it to your insurer. An error on that document creates liability that follows you.

Pinellas County, Florida — The Pre-1994 Problem

William bought his St. Petersburg home in 2018 without knowing it had been built in 1987. The accordion shutters were there when he bought it, described in the listing as 'hurricane protection throughout.' His insurance agent accepted the existing wind mitigation report from the prior owners.

When William's insurer non-renewed his policy in 2022 and he sought new coverage, the new carrier required a fresh wind mitigation inspection. The inspector noted that the shutters had no product approval numbers visible, and the manufacturer name corresponded to a company whose Florida approvals had all been issued before 2002 and had expired.

The new insurer declined to offer the wind mitigation discount, pricing his policy at full wind rate — $2,400 more per year than he had been paying. A licensed shutter contractor assessed the installation and confirmed that while the shutters were mechanically sound, they had no current FL approval for Pinellas County's wind zone. Replacement with a currently-approved product cost $14,200. 'I had been paying for a discount I was never legally entitled to,' William said.

What this means for your home: Shutters installed before 2002 predate the modern Florida Building Code product approval system. If your home has pre-2002 shutters, have them assessed by a licensed contractor before your next wind mitigation inspection. You may be receiving — or claiming — insurance discounts for protection that doesn't legally qualify.

Sources: Broward County Building Division permit records; Florida OIR wind mitigation inspection requirements; FEMA Zeta damage assessments; Florida wind mitigation inspector continuing education materials.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

My shutters are 20 years old. Do I need to replace them?

Not necessarily — age alone doesn't determine compliance. A 20-year-old accordion shutter with a valid product approval, proper permit history, and good physical condition may be perfectly compliant. A wind mitigation inspection will tell you definitively. If the product's approval was revoked or your wind zone requirements have increased significantly, replacement may be warranted.

What happens if I sell my house with unpermitted shutters?

In Florida and most coastal states, unpermitted work must be disclosed at sale. The buyer's lender or inspector may require the work to be permitted and inspected before closing, or may require removal. The cost of retroactive permitting or replacement typically falls on the seller unless negotiated otherwise.

My insurance company is asking for a wind mitigation report. What does that mean?

A wind mitigation report is a standardized form completed by a licensed inspector documenting all hurricane protection features of your home. Your insurer uses it to calculate your wind insurance discount. If you have storm protection but no report on file, you may be paying full rate for wind insurance without getting the discount your protection entitles you to.