Storm Panels Installation

Not every home needs a full impact window replacement to be ready for hurricane season. Storm panels have been protecting Miami homes for decades, and they remain the most affordable way to get real, code-compliant wind protection on every opening in your house. If you’ve been putting off storm protection because the price tag on impact windows or motorized shutters felt out of reach, panels are exactly where you should be looking. We’re Guinn & Sons Hurricane Protection — a father-and-son team backed by over 30 years of hands-on installation experience across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe County. This page covers everything you need to know about storm panels: the different types, how installation works, what permitting looks like, and what kind of insurance savings you can expect once they’re up.

Why Miami Homeowners Choose Storm Panels

Storm panels are flat or corrugated sheets — usually aluminum, steel, or polycarbonate — that mount over your windows and doors using a bolt-on or track system. You install the mounting hardware permanently on your home, and before a storm rolls in, you slide or bolt the panels into place. When the weather passes, you take them down and stack them in your garage until next time.

There’s a reason these have been a staple of hurricane season window protection in South Florida for as long as anyone can remember. They work. They meet Florida building code requirements for wind mitigation, they’re impact-rated when properly specified and installed, and they cost a fraction of what you’d spend on accordion shutters or impact windows. For homeowners across Kendall, Homestead, Coral Gables, and up through Fort Lauderdale, storm panels offer the most coverage per dollar of any storm protection option on the market. And when the season’s over, they stack flat and stay out of your way — no permanent change to how your home looks day to day.

Types of Storm Panels We Install

Aluminum Storm Panels

This is the classic option most people think of. Corrugated aluminum panels are lightweight, easy to handle, and stackable for compact storage in a garage or shed. They mount using either a bolt-on system or a permanent header and sill track that the panels slide into. For whole-home coverage on a budget, aluminum storm panels are hard to beat. They’ve been tested against Miami-Dade’s strict building codes and have a long track record of holding up in serious storms.

Steel Storm Panels

For homeowners who want something heavier-duty — or for larger commercial openings where you need extra strength — steel panels are the way to go. They’re thicker and stronger than aluminum, which makes them a solid fit for oversized windows, sliding glass door openings, or storefronts. We recommend corrosion-resistant coatings for any installation near the coast, since South Florida’s salt air can be tough on unprotected metal over time.

Clear Polycarbonate Panels

These are a newer option that’s gotten really popular, and we understand why. Polycarbonate panels are transparent, so they let natural light into your home even while they’re deployed. You get the same impact-rated protection as aluminum or steel, but you’re not sitting in a dark house during the storm. They’re especially popular with homeowners in the Keys and coastal areas of Palm Beach County who sometimes leave panels up for extended stretches during an active season.

Every panel we install comes from safety-tested manufacturers. We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach — we’ll look at your property, your budget, and your priorities, then recommend the panel type that makes the most sense.

Our Panel Installation Process

Free Estimate and Assessment

It starts with a visit to your home. One of our technicians will measure every window, door, and opening that needs coverage. We pay close attention to the construction of your home — older Miami houses built in the 1950s and ’60s have different framing and wall materials than newer CBS construction, and that affects how we mount the hardware. We’ll talk through your budget, figure out which openings are highest priority, and recommend the right panel type for your situation.

Permitting and Code Compliance

Storm panel installation in Miami-Dade County requires a permit. We handle the entire permit process so you never have to set foot in the building department. Every product we use carries a Notice of Acceptance (NOA) for Miami-Dade compliance, and every installation meets or exceeds Florida building code for storm protection panels. This matters for two reasons: your protection actually performs as rated during a hurricane, and you qualify for the insurance benefits that come with permitted work.

Professional Installation

On install day, our crew secures the permanent mounting hardware — tracks, bolts, and anchors — directly to your home’s structure. Each panel is custom-fitted to its opening. Most residential installations wrap up in one to two days, depending on the size of the home and the number of openings. When we’re done, we clean up and walk you through exactly how to deploy and store your panels yourself. That walkthrough matters — the whole point of storm panels is that you can put them up quickly and confidently when a storm watch is issued.

Professional installation isn’t just about convenience. DIY panel jobs often don’t meet code, which means they won’t qualify for insurance credits and may not actually protect your home the way you’re counting on. If you’re ready to get your home covered before the season heats up, give us a call at 1-305-781-3909 — we’ll get an estimate on the books.

Wind Mitigation and Insurance Benefits

Here’s where storm panels really start to pay for themselves. Properly permitted and installed storm protection panels qualify you for wind mitigation credits on your homeowners insurance. In Miami-Dade and Broward County, those credits can knock hundreds of dollars off your annual premium — sometimes more, depending on your carrier and your home’s other features. After installation, a wind mitigation inspection documents the upgrade, and your insurance company applies the discount.

This makes storm panels one of the fastest-return home improvements you can make in Florida. The panels protect your home during a hurricane, and they reduce what you’re paying every single month in the meantime. They’re also a meaningful piece of a broader hurricane preparedness home protection strategy, especially when paired with a reinforced garage door or impact-rated entry door.

Storm Panels vs. Accordion and Roll-Down Shutters

We install all three, so we’ll give you the honest rundown. Storm panels have the lowest upfront cost and store out of sight when you don’t need them. The trade-off is setup time — figure 30 to 60 minutes for an average-sized home with two people. If you’re comfortable with that, panels are a smart, economical choice. They’re especially popular with seasonal residents who want protection in place without a big permanent installation.

Accordion shutters mount permanently beside your windows and fold closed when a storm approaches. They’re faster to deploy — just walk the perimeter and lock each one — and they sit at a mid-range price point. Roll-down shutters offer the most convenience, with some models running on motors, but they’re also the most expensive option and change the look of your home year-round.

We’re happy to walk you through all three options during your estimate. You can also check out our hurricane shutters page for more detail on accordion and roll-down systems.

Get Ready Before Hurricane Season

Miami’s hurricane season runs June through November, and here’s the pattern we see every single year: contractor schedules are wide open in January through April, and completely packed by the time the first tropical system shows up on the radar. If you wait until a storm is named, you’re competing with every other homeowner in South Florida for the same limited installation slots.

Getting your storm panels installed during the off-season means shorter lead times, a less rushed process, and the peace of mind that you’re ready to go when a watch is issued. While your neighbors are scrambling to find plywood, you’ll be sliding panels into tracks.

Schedule Your Free Estimate

Whether you’re protecting your first home in Hialeah or finally upgrading storm coverage on a property you’ve owned for years, we make this process simple. We handle everything — measurement, product selection, permitting, installation, and a full walkthrough so you know exactly how your panels work. We’re a family-owned crew that’s been doing this for over three decades, and we believe in fair pricing and honest communication from the first phone call to the final bolt.

Call us at 1-305-781-3909 Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, or Contact Us online to request your free estimate. We serve Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe County.