Reading everyone’s experiences has been super helpful. I’ll contribute mine: Tampa Bay area, 1995-built house, 11 windows + 1 sliding patio door. I got a bunch of quotes earlier this year:
Company A (local): $11,000 for non-impact Simonton windows, or $18,500 for Simonton StormBreaker Plus (impact) windows. Slider door non-impact $2k extra, impact slider $3.5k extra.
Company B (Karoly Windows & Doors): $19,200 total for all impact (Simonton too, I believe) including the slider. They highlighted their installation expertise and longer labor warranty. I’d heard good things, so this was actually tempting.
Company C (some national chain): Ridiculous $28,000 quote for impact, using their own brand window. They gave a “sign today” discount to bring it to $22k, but I was turned off.
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We decided to go with Karoly Windows & Doors (Company B). They weren’t the absolute cheapest, but their reputation in the area is excellent. They scheduled us about 6 weeks out (they’re busy). The install took 3 days, and they were super professional – covered floors, cleaned up each day. All 11 windows and the slider are now impact rated.
Impressions 6 months later:
House feels more solid. During summer thunderstorms, no more rattling sounds.
The AC runs less; we upgraded from single-pane to modern Low-E impact, so that’s expected.
We did run into one minor issue: one window wasn’t locking smoothly. Karoly’s team came back and adjusted it within a week. Good service.
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For anyone on the fence: I’d say if you plan to stay in your home 5+ years and it’s within budget, go impact for that peace of mind. If you think you might move soon or money is tight, good non-impact windows plus shutters (or even just keeping existing shutters if you have them) can suffice. A prospective buyer in Florida will likely appreciate impact windows, though, so there’s some return on investment there in resale appeal.
Question for those who have done it: How disruptive was the full-home window installation? My house is from 1998 with original windows, and I’m gearing up to do 20 windows (probably impact). I work from home and have pets.
Did you all have to vacate the house during install? How many days did it take? And any tips to prepare (like moving furniture, taking down curtains, etc.)?
@breeze_wright Great question – I just finished a whole-house window replacement (house built ‘99). We had 15 windows replaced with impact-resistant ones. Sharing my experience on the installation process:
Timeline: It took a crew of 4 guys about 2.5 days to do all 15 windows. They worked from 8am to 5pm. Day 1 they did the upstairs, Day 2 downstairs, Day 3 morning finished up details and an inspection.
Staying Home: We stayed in the house. It was noisy at times (hammering, drilling), so working from home was challenging without noise-cancelling headphones. If you have pets, maybe crate them or keep them in a closed room because workers will be going in and out and windows wide open (escape risk).
Prep: Definitely remove your curtains, blinds, any alarm sensors on windows beforehand if you can (our installers actually helped remove some and they put them back). Move furniture at least a few feet away from windows. They put down drop cloths but there will be some dust and caulk smell.
During Install: It gets hot (or cold) inside since windows are open during replacement. We did this in spring, so not too bad. If you do it in summer, prepare for some AC loss while they work.
Post-install: We had to touch up a bit of paint where old window trim came out. Also, the caulk smell took a couple days to dissipate.
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Overall, not a terrible experience, just a few days of inconvenience. The end result is worth it. The house immediately felt different (in a good way). If you work from home, maybe see if you can work from a coffee shop or a friend’s place for those core installation hours, especially the day they do your office windows.
Adding my story: late 90s house in South Carolina, not required to have impact windows by code, but hurricanes do threaten here occasionally (remember Hugo, though that was earlier). We replaced our windows two years ago and actually went with fiberglass impact windows (HTL, a Canadian brand rated for hurricanes).
Cost: For 10 windows, we paid about $14k. Fiberglass frames were pricier than vinyl but we liked the look (they resemble wood). Non-impact vinyl quotes we got were around
8k−
8k−
9k for comparison.
Why impact in SC? Honestly, it was partly a personal preference – I liked the idea of never messing with storm prep for windows. I already have to secure other stuff, so one less thing. Plus, the security and noise benefits that others mentioned are real. We live near a golf course and a stray golf ball cracked one of our old windows once; with impact glass hopefully that kind of thing just bounces off or spiderwebs without a hole.
So far, we love them. One hurricane scare since then (Dorian brushed by) and we felt secure. Neighbors were nailing plywood and we were just watching calmly. 😅
Regional considerations: I will say, not every window company here carries true impact products. A couple places looked at me funny for asking about impact windows in SC. I had to find a dealer that worked with coastal-rated products. So depending on your area, selection might be more limited if impact glass isn’t common there.
This is super informative. Thanks, everyone. I’m in Southwest Florida (Cape Coral), 2000-built house (so just at the cusp of new codes). I have a mix of some old windows that are actually small impact glass units (the previous owner did the bedrooms to get insurance credits) and the rest are original builder grade with accordion shutters.
I’m planning to replace the remaining 8 windows and a big patio slider. Considering just doing all impact for consistency. But reading @musician55 and @lpaws72 about mixing, I had a thought: I could do the front three windows impact (for break-in security and curb appeal) and maybe leave the side/back ones as is (they already have shutters). That could save money.
However, does anyone know if having even one or two unprotected openings disqualifies you from the insurance discount? My gut says yes – usually insurance wants 100% of openings protected. So maybe I should just bite the bullet and do them all impact, or else I won’t get any credit and still have to use some shutters.
Also, my slider door… one quote I got was $5k for an impact slider (12-foot, 3-panel). That’s almost a third of my total! Debating if I keep the existing slider and just add a drop-in storm shutter for it. But it’s old and drafty, so probably needs replacing too.
Ugh, the costs add up quick. I’m hovering around $18k quotes for everything impact (8 windows + slider). If I did non-impact windows plus shutters, it’d be like $12k for windows + maybe $3k for accordion shutters on those windows = $15k. Not a huge difference, and shutters are a pain. Leaning impact, but it’s helpful to hear everyone’s rationale.
@yoga674 I can answer the insurance part: In Florida, to get the wind mitigation credit for opening protection, all openings (windows, entry doors with glass, garage door, skylights, etc.) must be protected to a certain standard. If even one window is not impact or has no shutter, you typically don’t get the full credit. Some insurers might give partial, but most want all or nothing. So yeah, if that credit matters to you, go all impact or plan to have shutters for anything not impact.
On the slider: I feel you, those things are pricey. I had a similar 3-panel slider quote around $4,500 (PGT brand). I ended up doing it though, because my old slider was so bad (it was original to 1995, aluminum single-pane, the track was wearing out). The new impact slider is awesome – heavy but it slides smooth, has a multi-point lock, and you can really feel the difference in heat reduction. No more rain water seeping in either.
One more thing: consider financing options if the cost is a lot at once. Some window companies or even local credit unions offer low-interest loans for hurricane improvements. I used a state-backed program in Florida called “PACE” for part of mine (I’m actually paying it via my property tax bill over 10 years). It made the cost more manageable.
I’m a bit late to the party, but here’s my perspective as someone who did non-impact windows with shutters in a 1996 home in coastal Alabama:
I had 14 windows replaced with good quality vinyl double-pane (non-impact) for
9,000.ThenIspentanother
9,000.ThenIspentanother
4,000 on custom-fitted aluminum corrugated panels for all those windows (including the mounting hardware). So about $13k total.
This was 3 years ago. Since then:
We’ve had two hurricane warnings. Putting up the panels was a 2-3 hour job for me and my wife. It’s doable, but not fun. We’re in our 50s and I can see this getting harder as we age.
The non-impact windows are holding up fine, but one cracked (small crack) from what I suspect was a lawn maintenance incident (maybe a rock kicked up). If it were impact, likely wouldn’t have cracked. I had to pay ~$250 to get that pane replaced.
No insurance discount because we never got around to a wind mitigation inspection after the project (oops, that’s on me).
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Looking back, I somewhat regret not spending more for impact windows. We tried to save money at the time. If I could redo it, I’d either do impact windows or at least invest in accordion shutters instead of those removable panels. The convenience factor is huge.
For anyone still deciding: if you can comfortably afford impact, do it. If not, there’s nothing wrong with non-impact + shutters, just be realistic about the effort when a storm comes. And plan for occasional broken glass replacement (from random accidents) – impact glass is less likely to break from day-to-day hazards.
I have an interesting case: my house (built 1994) came with impact windows on the front installed by a previous owner (after the 2004 hurricanes, they upgraded a few). The rest are old original windows with shutters. So I literally have a mix right now.
When I went for quotes to finish the job:
Companies obviously recommended doing everything impact for consistency. The quotes were around $12k for the remaining 8 windows.
One company actually suggested a cheaper route: replace the 8 old ones with new non-impact windows (about $6k) and keep using shutters, since I already have them. They argued since I already have shutters stored and fitted, why pay double for impact glass? That was an honest take, I appreciated it.
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I’m still torn. Having lived with both types:
The rooms with impact windows are quieter and feel sturdier. And I don’t worry about those at all during storms (I leave their shutters open, just trust the glass).
The rooms with original windows + shutters: the shutters make it pitch dark inside when up, you feel like you’re in a cave during a storm. And the old windows themselves are drafty.
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If I go non-impact new windows + shutters, it’ll solve the draftiness and improve energy efficiency, but I’ll still have to put shutters up. If I go impact, big money but best overall outcome.
Since this thread seems to be unanimous that impact is nice if affordable, I’m leaning that way now. Might do a home equity loan to swing it. Also, because my front already is impact, for insurance I currently get zero credit (again the all or nothing issue). If I do the rest impact, I’ll finally get that discount too.
Joining in from New Orleans. We know a thing or two about hurricanes here too. My home was built in 1999, and I replaced windows two years ago. Oddly, in LA there’s no strict code requiring impact windows like Florida, but many people use them after going through Katrina and Ida.
I opted for impact windows all around. The cost was painful: about $20,000 for 12 windows and 1 big arched window (that one alone was like $3k). This was using a local company that sells Window World’s impact line (I think it’s called “StormBreaker Plus” similar to Simonton’s name).
A few neighbors went with regular windows and rely on either plywood or nothing. After Ida (2021), one neighbor’s brand new non-impact window got blown out by debris, while ours held up. That neighbor is now converting to impact glass, having learned the hard way.
One more aspect to throw in: Glass vs frame strength. Impact windows have strong glass, but you also want a good sturdy frame (reinforced uPVC or aluminum) that’s well anchored. A cheap vinyl window even with impact glass could still fail if the frame bends or blows out. So choose a quality product, not just any window labeled “impact”. Look for ones that meet Miami-Dade or at least Florida Building Code standards if you’re in hurricane land.
In NOLA, I didn’t get an insurance discount at all – my insurer said they only give it if you have proof of Miami-Dade rated products AND if all openings including doors are impact. I didn’t replace my doors yet (just have metal hurricane panels for them), so no discount until I maybe do impact doors later.
At least our home is safer and we can evacuate without worrying as much about coming home to blown-out windows. Sleep better at night too.
From a different angle: I’m in California (1998 home) and obviously we don’t have hurricanes, but I was researching impact glass for wildfire areas (to withstand flying embers and extreme heat). Some people out here consider laminated glass windows for that reason.
Cost-wise, one company showed me that adding laminated glass (similar to impact windows) would add about 50% to the window cost. I ended up not doing it because our area isn’t high-risk for wildfire and I had budget constraints.
Instead, I got good quality double-pane windows with tempered glass on the exterior pane (which is standard now here for safety anyway).
While not the main topic of hurricane vs non, I thought it’s interesting that the same technology (laminated impact glass) has other benefits like fire resistance, noise reduction, and security that can apply even in places like CA.
Everyone here focusing on hurricanes – totally makes sense. If I were in Florida, I’d be doing exactly what many of you did. For me, the cost wasn’t worth the marginal benefit for wildfires, but I did glean a lot of info about impact windows in the process and have a healthy respect for their toughness.