Got 5 Hurricane Shutter Quotes

Why Quotes Are So Different The Comparison Framework Red Flags in Quotes What the Price Per Square Fo How to Make the Final Decisi FAQ

Quick summary

You did the right thing — you got multiple quotes. Now you have five different numbers, five different product names, and five contractors all telling you they are the best choice. Here is the systematic way to compare them so you actually make the right decision.

Why Quotes Are So Different

A 40% price spread between the lowest and highest quote for the same job is completely normal. Here is why:

Different products — Quote A might be for 6061-T6 aluminum accordion shutters rated for 160 mph. Quote B might be for a lower-grade product rated for 130 mph. Same description, very different product.
Different labor quality — an experienced installer who has done 500 jobs charges more than one who has done 50. That experience difference shows up in how the job goes and how it holds up.
Permit included or not — some quotes include permit fees, some don't. Permit fees run $150–$500 depending on county and project scope.
Business overhead — a legitimate contractor with insurance, licensing fees, workers comp, and a physical location costs more to operate than a one-man operation working out of a pickup truck.
Margin and desperation — contractors adjust pricing based on how busy they are. A slow contractor quotes lower. A busy one quotes higher.

The Comparison Framework

To compare quotes fairly, normalize them to the same basis. Create a simple comparison using these columns:

Item	Quote A	Quote B	Quote C
Product manufacturer	Ask	Ask	Ask
FL approval number	Ask	Ask	Ask
Wind speed rating	Ask	Ask	Ask
Total sq ft covered	Ask	Ask	Ask
Price per sq ft	Calculate	Calculate	Calculate
Permit included?	Ask	Ask	Ask
Warranty — labor	Ask	Ask	Ask
Warranty — product	Ask	Ask	Ask
License verified	Verify	Verify	Verify
Total apples-to-apples	Calculate	Calculate	Calculate

Once you have the FL approval numbers, look them up at floridabuilding.org and confirm all quotes are for products rated for your wind zone. This step alone often eliminates one or two quotes.

Red Flags in Quotes

Walk away from any quote that includes these:

No product name or FL number — "accordion shutters" is not a product specification. Demand the manufacturer name and FL approval number.
Significantly lower than all others — more than 25% below the next lowest quote. Either the product is inferior or the contractor is planning to cut corners.
Full payment upfront — legitimate contractors take a deposit (10–30%) and balance on completion after inspection.
No permit mentioned — a contractor who doesn't mention the permit is either planning to skip it or hasn't factored it in.
Pressure to sign immediately — "this price is only good today." Legitimate contractors give you time to make a decision.

What the Price Per Square Foot Should Tell You

Once you calculate the price per square foot for each quote, compare to these 2026 market ranges:

Product	Below Market	Market Rate	Above Market
Storm Panels	Below $12	$15–$25	Above $30
Accordion Shutters	Below $20	$25–$35	Above $42
Roll-Down Manual	Below $38	$45–$65	Above $75
Roll-Down Motorized	Below $55	$65–$100	Above $115
Impact Windows	Below $35	$40–$80	Above $100

A quote significantly below market is not a deal — it is a warning. Use our cost by state guide for state-specific price ranges.

How to Make the Final Decision

After normalizing all quotes to the same basis, you typically find:

One or two quotes get eliminated for product compliance or red flag issues
One or two are at market rate with comparable products
One is the highest — often for the best product or most experienced contractor

The right choice is rarely the lowest. It is the best combination of verified license, compliant product, clear contract, fair payment terms, and reasonable price. A $500 difference on a $15,000 job is 3% — not worth choosing the contractor you trust less to save it.

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.

Palm Beach County — The Quote That Was Too Good

When Richard got four quotes for accordion shutters in 2022, three came in between $13,800 and $15,400. The fourth was $9,200 — 35% below the next lowest. The low-bidding contractor was responsive, professional-seeming, and had a polished website.

Richard asked for the product name and FL approval number. The contractor provided a number. Richard looked it up at floridabuilding.org. The approval was valid — but it was rated for 120 mph, while Palm Beach County's design wind speed required 140 mph-rated products. The product was genuinely less expensive because it was genuinely less capable.

Richard chose the $13,800 quote — a properly-rated product at a fair market price. The low bidder's number wasn't fraud. It was a real quote for an inadequate product. 'He wasn't trying to rip me off,' Richard said. 'He was quoting me something that wouldn't pass inspection. The price difference was the product difference.'

What this means for your home: A quote significantly below market rate deserves investigation, not celebration. Look up the FL approval number the contractor provides and verify the product's rated wind speed against your county's design wind speed requirement. A product rated below your design wind speed is not code-compliant — it won't pass inspection and won't qualify for wind mitigation insurance credits. The price difference between a compliant and non-compliant product is real, and it's being passed to you as apparent savings.

Sarasota County — The Five Quotes That Converged

After getting one quote that seemed high, Linda got four more — five total. The range: $12,400 to $17,800 for whole-house accordion shutters. She was frustrated by the spread and didn't know how to compare them.

Linda created a comparison spreadsheet, asking each contractor for: product manufacturer and FL approval number, total square footage covered, permit included or extra, warranty terms and duration, and timeline from contract to permit approval to installation. Two quotes used the same product at very different prices — the higher one included a two-year labor warranty; the lower had a 90-day warranty and excluded the permit fee.

Normalized for the same product, same warranty, and permit included, three of the five quotes fell within $800 of each other. One was slightly above market with a premium contractor. One was below market with a contractor who had been in business 18 months. Linda chose the mid-range quote from the contractor with the longest track record. 'The spreadsheet turned five confusing numbers into three comparable ones,' she said.

What this means for your home: A quote comparison spreadsheet forces apples-to-apples evaluation. Create columns for: product and FL approval number, total sq ft covered, permit fee status, labor warranty duration and terms, years in business, and verified license status. Fill in every column for every quote before making any decision. Quotes that look different in price often look similar — or reveal disqualifying information — once you normalize for what they actually include.

Broward County — The Contractor Who Answered Every Question

When Carol got quotes for impact windows in 2021 — a significant investment at approximately $38,000 — she used the 20-question checklist from this site as a literal script, asking every contractor every question in sequence. One contractor answered all 20 questions fluently, provided documentation for each, and followed up in writing with a formal proposal that included every specification.

Two other contractors became visibly uncomfortable around question 7 — the product approval number — and gave vague or delayed responses. One said he'd get it to her later and never did. The fluent contractor's quote was not the lowest — $38,200 versus $34,400 from one of the vague contractors. But Carol chose the fluent one.

Her neighbor, who had hired the $34,400 contractor, called Carol six weeks after installation when the contractor stopped responding to a punch-list item. The neighbor's HVHZ inspection had flagged a fastening issue on two windows. The contractor disputed it, delayed, and ultimately had to be compelled through a DBPR complaint. Carol's installation passed first inspection. 'The 20 questions told me which contractor knew their job,' she said. 'The price difference was $3,800. The frustration difference was enormous.'

What this means for your home: A contractor who can fluently answer detailed technical questions — product approval numbers, permit process, warranty terms, reference contacts — is demonstrating competence through the answers themselves. A contractor who deflects, delays, or becomes vague on technical questions is telling you something important about how the job will go. The questions aren't just due diligence; they're a capability test. The contractor who passes is usually worth a modest premium over one who doesn't.

Sources: Palm Beach County FL approval wind speed requirements; Sarasota County contractor permit data; Broward County DBPR complaint statistics; Florida HVHZ inspection first-pass rates.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I tell contractors what other quotes I received?

You can tell them you have received other quotes and are comparing — that is normal and expected. You do not need to share specific numbers. Asking a contractor to beat a specific price can work, but a legitimate contractor who knows their costs will tell you what they can and cannot do rather than matching any number.

One contractor is 40% cheaper than the others. Should I take it?

Only if the product is identical (same manufacturer, same FL approval number, same wind rating), the permit is included, the contractor's license is verified and in good standing, the payment terms are normal (not full upfront), and you can find reviews or references. If any of those conditions isn't met, the cheap quote is a risk, not a deal.

All my quotes are within 10% of each other. How do I choose?

When quotes are close in price, choose on: verified license and years in business, specific product quality (FL approval rating), warranty terms, payment schedule flexibility, references from recent jobs in your county, and your read of the contractor in person. The intangibles matter more when price is similar.