Can a hurricane-rated garage door lower my Florida home insurance?
Short answer
It can. Florida's wind mitigation form (OIR-B1-1802) gives opening-protection credit based on all of a home's openings together. An impact-rated garage door can complete that protection; a non-impact door with glass windows can hold the rating down. A solid door rated only for wind load generally neither earns nor removes the credit. Ask your agent what your policy applies.
What is a wind mitigation inspection?
Florida insurers give credits on the windstorm part of a home insurance premium for features that help a house resist hurricanes. A wind mitigation inspector documents those features on the state’s Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802. The form covers things like the building code the home was built to, roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall attachment, roof shape, secondary water resistance and opening protection: windows, doors, skylights and the garage door.
How is the garage door rated?
According to DASMA’s guidance for Florida homeowners, opening-protection credits are based on all openings considered together, not each one alone. The garage door is one of those openings.
| Your garage door | Effect on the opening-protection rating |
|---|---|
| Impact-rated (passed large-missile and cyclic pressure tests), solid or with impact glass | Can count as protected; needed for the top rating when every other opening also qualifies |
| Solid, wind-load rated only, not impact rated | Generally doesn’t earn the credit, and doesn’t remove it either |
| Has glass windows that are not impact rated | Can pull the whole home’s rating down |
| Unknown rating, no label or paperwork | The inspector may not be able to give credit |
Doors with a Miami-Dade NOA or a Florida Product Approval listed as impact resistant have been tested for both missile impact and cyclic pressure. See what a Miami-Dade NOA is.
When does upgrading the garage door make financial sense?
- Every other opening is already protected (impact windows and doors, or approved shutters), and the garage door is the last gap.
- Your garage door has non-impact glass windows. Replacing it can remove the weak link.
- Your insurer is requiring opening protection to renew or to write the policy.
- You’re replacing the door anyway because of age or damage. Ask us to quote both a wind-rated solid door and an impact door so you can compare them side by side with your agent’s numbers.
If your windows aren’t protected yet, a new garage door alone usually won’t unlock the credit. Ask your agent for a quote with the credit applied before you decide.
What paperwork should I keep?
- The door’s NOA or Florida Product Approval (number and expiry date)
- The building permit and final inspection
- A photo of the approval label on the door
- Your invoice, showing model and size
Every SolvTek door quote shows the NOA number and expiry date, and every door is permitted through our general contractor partner.
What affects the cost of a hurricane-rated door?
Every door is quoted individually, with the permit included, and every quote states whether the door and its glass are impact rated. What changes the cost:
- Size. A single door versus a 16-foot double, and any non-standard height or width.
- Impact rating. A solid wind-rated steel door, an impact-rated solid door, impact windows, or full-view impact glass.
- The wind pressure your home needs, which depends on the opening size and where the house sits.
- Style, color and insulation, and whether you add a new opener.
Not sure what your current door is rated? Our tune-up and safety inspection includes a written report on the door’s hurricane rating. Or WhatsApp us a photo of the door and any label, or call (561) 724-0724, and we’ll tell you what it is and quote the options.
Can I get help paying for it?
The state’s My Safe Florida Home program offers no-cost mitigation inspections and, when funded, matching grants for improvements the inspection recommends. Florida law lists exterior doors, including garage doors, among the eligible improvements. Check current funding and rules on the program’s site before signing a contract.