Impact Doors & Windows in Miami
Architecturally diverse and fully inside the HVHZ — every home in Miami's 36 square miles needs impact-rated doors and windows that meet Miami-Dade NOA standards.
The City of Miami is one of the most architecturally diverse municipalities in South Florida. Within its 36 square miles you will find 1920s Mediterranean Revival bungalows in Shenandoah, mid-century concrete block homes in Little Havana, Art Deco-influenced structures near the Miami River, contemporary townhomes in Edgewater, and glass-walled towers rising over Downtown and Brickell. Each of these building types presents different challenges when it comes to selecting and installing impact-rated doors and windows, and understanding those differences is the first step toward a successful project.
Every property within the City of Miami falls inside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), which means all glazed openings must be protected with products that carry a valid Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance (NOA). There are no exceptions based on neighborhood, building age, or distance from the coast. Whether you own a duplex in Allapattah or a single-family home in Coconut Grove, the same testing and approval standards apply. You can read the full details in our Florida Building Code guide.
Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood Considerations
Miami's neighborhoods are not interchangeable when it comes to impact product selection. The wind exposure, building construction, and architectural character vary dramatically from one area to the next, and those differences directly affect what products you need and how they should be installed.
Common Home Styles and Product Recommendations
The City of Miami's housing stock spans nearly a century of architectural trends. Here is how the most common styles align with impact product choices.
Mediterranean Revival
Arched window and door openings, clay tile roofs, and stucco exteriors. Impact products with custom arch tops or radius headers are available from several manufacturers but carry premium pricing and longer lead times. Wood-clad or bronze-anodized aluminum frames complement the traditional aesthetic.
Art Deco-Influenced
Characterized by geometric patterns, eyebrow overhangs, and decorative glass block. Replacing glass block with impact-rated alternatives requires careful engineering because glass block walls are structural elements. Impact casement and awning windows can replicate the proportions of original Art Deco fenestration.
Mid-Century Modern
Open floor plans with large sliding glass door openings connecting to patios. These homes are ideal candidates for impact sliding glass doors, which provide the wide glass expanses the architecture demands while adding hurricane protection the originals lack.
Contemporary New Construction
Floor-to-ceiling glass, pivot entry doors, and multi-slide patio systems. These homes typically need the highest-performing products with maximum glass area and minimal frame profiles. Thermally broken aluminum systems from manufacturers like ES Windows are the most common choice.
For more on impact product types, see our impact windows and impact doors guides.
Hurricane History and Why It Matters
Hurricane Andrew in 1992 devastated southern Miami-Dade County, destroying over 25,000 homes and damaging another 100,000. Post-Andrew investigations revealed widespread building code failures, including doors and windows that blew out under wind pressures far below what a Category 5 storm produces. The current HVHZ requirements in the Florida Building Code are a direct response to those failures.
More recently, Hurricane Irma in 2017 tested Miami's upgraded building stock and confirmed that homes with code-compliant impact products performed dramatically better than those without them.
For homes built before the modern code took effect in 2002, upgrading to impact doors and windows is one of the most effective ways to bring the building envelope up to current standards. Beyond storm protection, this upgrade also qualifies homeowners for significant insurance premium reductions through the Florida wind mitigation inspection program.
City of Miami Permit Process
Plan review times vary but generally range from five to fifteen business days for straightforward replacements. After installation, the building department conducts a final inspection to verify the products match the permit and the installation follows the NOA specifications. If your home is in a historic district or overlay zone, additional review by the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board may be required, which adds time to the process.
Get a Free Estimate in Miami
National Glass serves Miami and all of Miami-Dade County. Contact us for a free, no-obligation estimate on impact doors and windows for your home.