Impact Windows vs. Hurricane Screens: Cost, Protection and Convenience

Fabric hurricane screens cost far less than impact windows: our Florida planning range is about $9–$15 per square foot of opening, against roughly $900–$1,800 for each standard impact window. A screen whose Florida product approval covers your openings can serve as debris protection, but only after someone puts it up or lowers it before the storm. Impact windows protect whenever they're shut, so the choice usually comes down to budget, whether you're home during hurricane season, and how big your largest openings are.

This guide covers fabric and roll-down screens. For storm panels, accordion shutters and metal roll-downs, see impact windows vs. hurricane shutters.

What hurricane screens are

Hurricane screens are storm coverings made of coated fabric or metal mesh instead of solid metal or plastic panels.

• Fabric storm panels attach to anchors fixed around each window or door and are stored between storms. They're lighter than steel or aluminum panels and easier to store, but someone still has to put each one up before a storm and take it down afterward.
• Roll-down (retractable) screens work like a roll-down shutter with fabric or mesh in place of metal slats. The screen stays in a housing above the opening and comes down when a storm threatens. Some manufacturers market retractable hurricane screens that also work as everyday shade screens.
• Framed mesh panels are a third form. One Florida approval, for example, covers an aluminum-framed stainless-steel mesh screen.

How a screen protects, and what it doesn't

• It stops debris before it reaches the glass. Approved screens are tested for large-missile impact and cyclic wind pressure, and approvals like the examples below list the impact level and wind zone they cover.
• It flexes when struck. Fabric and mesh give when debris hits them, so they have to sit far enough from the glass. Installation drawings filed with some screen approvals (FL8363 and FL17734, for example) set a minimum separation between the screen and the glass for certain installations. Ask your installer how far each screen will sit from your windows and whether your approval requires a minimum gap.
• It isn't a promise that rain stays out. We found no independent test data on how much wind-driven rain gets through a deployed screen. If a seller says its fabric keeps rain out, ask for the test results.
• It only works when it's deployed. A panel in the closet or a screen rolled into its housing protects nothing.

How impact windows differ

An impact window is the protection. Its laminated glass is tested to stay in the frame when struck, even if it cracks, and each unit, glass and frame together, is approved for a design pressure at its size. There's nothing to put up, store or remember.

Impact windows also replace your existing windows, so you pay for new units, removal and finishing at each opening. A screen leaves your windows in place. If the windows are due for replacement anyway, the cost gap matters less; if they're in good shape, a screen protects them without replacing them.

Impact windows vs. hurricane screens at a glance

What each option costs

Screens are priced per square foot of the opening they cover, and impact windows per opening. A 3 × 5 ft window is 15 sq. ft., and an 8 ft wide, 7 ft tall sliding door is 56 sq. ft.

Installed hurricane shutter cost (per sq. ft. of window or door opening covered)

Item	Estimated range	What affects it
Storm panels (steel or aluminum)	$7–$15per sq. ft.	The lowest-cost option. Panels are stored and put up before each storm.
Accordion shutters	$15–$35per sq. ft.	Permanently mounted and closed by hand. Popular for second-floor windows and lanais.
Roll-down shutters, manual	$25–$60per sq. ft.	Stored in a box above the opening and lowered with a crank or strap.
Roll-down shutters, motorized	$50–$120per sq. ft.	Push-button operation. Large openings and premium systems can cost more.
Hurricane fabric screens	$9–$15per sq. ft.	Coated fabric panels anchored over openings before a storm. Limited published data; Florida sellers list about $9 to $15 installed. Check the product approval.

Installed impact window and door cost (per opening; removing the old unit, installation and standard finishing included)

Item	Estimated range	What affects it
Standard impact window (single-hung or horizontal roller, up to about 3 × 5 ft)	$900–$1,800per window	Entry-level aluminum and vinyl frames sit at the low end.
Large, specialty or premium-line impact window	$1,800–$3,800per window	Picture windows, casements, tall units and premium brands.
Impact sliding glass door, 2 panels (about 6–8 ft)	$2,500–$6,000per door	Width, glass options and frame material drive the range.
Impact sliding glass door, 3 panels (about 9–12 ft)	$5,000–$9,000per door	Large multi-panel and pocketing systems can cost $15,000–$40,000 or more.
Impact front entry door (single)	$2,500–$5,000per door	Double doors, sidelights and decorative glass often run $5,000–$12,000.

The fabric row rests on limited published data. One Florida seller of fabric screens lists installed prices of generally $9–$14 per sq. ft. for one product and $10–$15 for another, with do-it-yourself prices from $5.59 and $6.59 per sq. ft. Its page doesn't show a date.

We don't publish a planning range for roll-down screens because we found no reliable Florida price data. The only figure we could tie to a source came from a South Carolina installer: about $44 per sq. ft. for motorized stainless-mesh hurricane screens, plus about $700 per opening for the motor. Brevard prices may differ, so treat that as a reason to get written quotes, not as a budget.

Example 1: a one-story home

This illustrative scenario uses only our planning ranges. The totals are estimates, not quotes, rounded the way our calculators round.

Assumptions: ten standard windows of about 3 × 5 ft (10 × 15 = 150 sq. ft.) and one two-panel sliding glass door of about 8 × 7 ft (56 sq. ft.), for 206 sq. ft. of openings. It leaves out the entry door, the garage door, permit fees and any repairs.

Fabric screens and metal storm panels land in about the same range, so the choice between them is about weight and storage more than price. A full budget also has to cover the entry and garage doors; our planning range for a single impact entry door is $2,500–$5,000 (see impact front door cost).

Example 2: one large sliding door

Assumptions: a three-panel sliding door onto the lanai, about 12 ft wide and 8 ft tall (12 × 8 = 96 sq. ft.). Estimates only.

Big openings are where a screen saves the most, and large multi-panel or pocketing impact doors can cost $15,000–$40,000 or more. The motorized metal roll-down is the closest push-button option we have a range for; other shutter types are priced in our hurricane shutter cost guide. Check that any screen's approval covers an opening this wide. Whole-house impact budgets are in impact window cost in Brevard County.

Product approval: what to ask for

Windows, doors and storm coverings need a Florida product approval (an FL number) or a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA), and the approval sets where and how the product can be used. Brevard County isn't in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), which is only Miami-Dade and Broward, so a note that a screen is "not for use in the HVHZ" doesn't rule it out on the Space Coast. What matters here is that the approval covers your openings and the design pressures at your address.

Two examples from the state's approval records show what to look for:

• FL12830: an aluminum-framed stainless-steel mesh screen rated Large Missile Impact Level E, Wind Zone 4, and not rated for the HVHZ. A related fixed version is rated for it.
• FL47844: a hurricane screen protection line rated Large Missile Impact Level D, Wind Zone 4.

These are examples, not recommendations, and we didn't check whether each approval is still current or confirm an approval number for the fabric screens commonly sold on the Space Coast. One fabric seller says its products are rated for large-missile impact and earn an "A-1" wind mitigation rating; that's its own claim. Before you sign:

1. Ask for the FL number (or NOA) for the exact product and look it up on the Florida Building Commission's product approval search. Listings sometimes print both a Florida and a Miami-Dade number, so check each one.
2. Check that the approval covers each opening's width and height, the design pressure your home needs, and how the anchors fasten to your walls.
3. Note the impact level and wind zone, and whether your installation needs a minimum gap from the glass.
4. Get the manufacturer's installation instructions. Brevard County's permit application asks for them.

The 9th Edition of the Florida Building Code takes effect December 31, 2026. If your permit will be submitted near that date, ask whether the product is approved under the edition that will apply. Our guide to hurricane codes and product approval explains the terms.

Need a contractor for this project?Request an impact window estimate

Insurance credits for screens

The state's wind mitigation form records opening protection, and a revised version took effect April 1, 2026. My Safe Florida Home's explanation of the form, which may describe the earlier version, rates opening protection by the tested impact rating of every opening, including whether the solid entry doors and garage door are verified as rated for wind pressure. For screens, that means:

• A screen counts only for the openings it covers, and only at the level its tested rating supports.
• Screens on every window don't help with an unrated front door or garage door.
• We haven't found an official statement that screens always earn the same credit as impact glass, and credit amounts vary by insurer.

My Safe Florida Home advises asking your insurer whether it needs an A.1 or A.2 rating for its discounts. Do that before you choose, keep the approval numbers and final inspection record, and schedule a wind mitigation inspection after the work. The paperwork is covered in do hurricane shutters lower insurance costs?

Space Coast considerations

Seasonal residents and second homes

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. If you spend summers elsewhere, a screen protects the house only if someone else deploys it. Fabric panels need a named person with access, panels labeled by opening and a backup plan for when the same storm threatens that person's home; roll-downs are faster but still need someone who knows the controls and manual override. Put the arrangement in writing, and check the manufacturer's instructions and HOA rules before leaving screens up for weeks. This is where impact windows make their strongest case; see are impact windows worth it on the Space Coast?

Barrier island and salt air

On the barrier island, from Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach to Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic and Melbourne Beach, screen anchors, housings, tracks and motors sit in salt air all year even when the fabric is stored inside.

• Anchors and hardware. FEMA's coastal corrosion bulletin says Type 316 stainless steel is more corrosion-resistant than Type 304, so ask what the anchors and hardware are made of. The Florida Building Commission's summary of the 2026 code also describes new corrosion-resistance requirements for certain fasteners and connectors within 3,000 ft of a saltwater coastline; ask whether they apply to your anchors.
• Warranties. Some window warranties exclude salt damage or shorten coverage near salt water. Get the coastal terms in writing for whichever product you choose.
• Design pressure. Brevard County's wind speed map gives your address's design wind speed, and lots facing open water can need higher design pressures, so confirm what each screen's approval must cover.

More in protecting a Space Coast home from salt-air corrosion.

Lanai openings and large sliders

Wide sliders and lanai openings are where screens are most tempting, as Example 2 shows. Confirm that the approval covers the opening's width and height. If the screen would span the outside of a lanai rather than cover the doors themselves, ask the building department and a wind mitigation inspector whether it counts as protection for the doors behind it, and confirm its approval covers what it fastens to; we didn't find a rule that answers this. A retractable screen that doubles as a shade screen can also earn its keep year-round. Planning a screened lanai too? See screened patio cost in Melbourne.

HOA rules

Under section 720.3035(6), Florida Statutes, a homeowners' association must adopt hurricane protection specifications and can't deny an application that conforms to them. The summaries of the 2024 law we read don't name fabric or mesh screens, so check whether your association's specifications cover them and get written approval before you order. Condo associations follow a different chapter of Florida law. See HOA approval in Florida.

Permits in Brevard County and its cities

• Unincorporated Brevard, including Viera, Suntree and Merritt Island: the county's doors, windows and shutters permit lists hurricane shutters, so ask the county whether your screen goes under it. Expect to supply the same documents as for shutters: the product approval, the manufacturer's installation instructions and a floor plan of the openings.
• Cities and towns. Melbourne, Palm Bay, West Melbourne, Indian Harbour Beach, Melbourne Beach and Cocoa Beach run their own building departments; ask yours what it needs for screens (Melbourne's process is in window replacement permits in Melbourne). Satellite Beach's Community Development Department handles permits; ask it about the process. In Indialantic and other towns, ask town hall who reviews permits.
• The $7,500 exemption. Florida's 2026 law lets you request, in writing, an exemption for some single-family work under $7,500. It excludes structural work and homes in flood hazard areas, and wiring a motorized screen is electrical work that still needs a permit. We found no Brevard County page on how the county handles requests. See the $7,500 permit exemption and building permits in Brevard County.

Fabric screens are sold for do-it-yourself installation, but the anchors are part of the approved installation, so follow the approval's instructions exactly and check the permit requirements first.

Which option suits whom

Impact windows tend to suit you if:

• you're away for part of hurricane season, or the house is a second home or rental
• you can't safely put up panels, or the home has many upper-floor windows
• your windows are due for replacement anyway

Fabric screens tend to suit you if:

• you're home during the season and able to put them up, with help if needed
• your windows are in good condition
• budget comes first and you'd rather handle light fabric than heavy metal panels

Roll-down screens tend to suit you if:

• you have large sliders or lanai openings and want to protect them quickly
• you'd also use them as everyday shade screens
• you're willing to collect written quotes, since we have no planning range

A mix tends to suit you if:

• you want impact windows on most of the house, but a big slider would cost far more in impact glass than under a screen (in Example 1, that mix is an estimated $9,500–$19,000)
• you're replacing some windows now and others later

Common mistakes

• Buying on "hurricane rated" alone. Get the FL number for the exact product and check its sizes, design pressures and wind zone.
• Mounting too close to the glass. Ask about the required separation before anchors go in.
• Forgetting the doors. Screens on every window still leave an unrated entry or garage door as a weak point, on the inspection form and in a storm.
• No deployment plan. Label panels by opening, keep hardware with them, and do a practice run early in the season so you know how long it takes.
• Motorized screens with no manual override. If the power goes out, you still need a way to lower and raise them.
• Treating a screen as watertight. Plan for some wind-driven rain reaching the window.
• Ordering before HOA approval. Get the specifications and written approval first.

Next steps

1. Find out who issues your permit: Brevard County, or your city or town.
2. List every opening with its width and height, and mark the large sliders and lanai openings.
3. If you have an HOA, get its hurricane protection specifications and check whether screens are covered.
4. Ask your insurance agent whether approved screens would earn a credit on your policy, and whether your insurer needs an A.1 or A.2 rating.
5. Get written quotes that name the product and approval number, impact level, design pressure, separation from the glass, anchor material and coastal warranty terms for every opening. Check each contractor's license with our contractor checklist, and compare quotes line by line using why contractor quotes differ.
6. After the final inspection, keep each screen's approval documents with the permit record, then schedule a wind mitigation inspection and send the report to your insurer.