In contrast, I kept grids on the front-facing windows of my house because of HOA rules (and to maintain the look). The grid option added about $50 per window for the manufacturer to include them within the glass. Not too bad. And the HOA is happy because the house looks the same style as before from the street. So, grid or no grid is a personal/HOA choice – most companies can do either. Just know it can have a minor cost impact either way.
Thank you all for the insights!
Reporting my costs: I'm in Apollo Beach (Hillsborough). Did 6 windows (all bedrooms) with impact glass, PGT brand. Cost was $7,000 flat. Smaller project, but price per window was around $1,166 on average. We plan to do the rest of the house next year. So far, very happy with the ones we replaced – especially notice the difference in the kids’ rooms (quieter and cooler).
I’m up in Land O’ Lakes (Pasco County). We’re a bit farther from the coast, so many neighbors go non-impact + shutters. I ended up doing impact anyway for convenience. My permit process was actually faster than I expected – Pasco County turned it around in a few days. The whole job (11 windows) cost me $10,800 with a local contractor. If anyone in Pasco wants details, I’m happy to share more, but generally the info in this thread still applies. Prices here aren’t much different from Tampa proper.
For those in the City of Tampa: be aware the city’s permitting can be a tad slower than the county. My contractor mentioned that City of Tampa permits sometimes take a week or two longer due to backlogs. I experienced a slight delay getting inspection scheduled as well. Nothing too bad, but just don’t panic if it takes a bit longer in city limits. In the end it all got done, just a minor patience test.
I had a great experience with a small family-run company in Pinellas. No big brand name, just a father-and-son team. They installed CWS impact windows for me, 8 windows for $9k. Sometimes those smaller outfits give you a very personal touch. They even helped fix one of my stuck old shutters for free while they were there. 😅 So not all smaller companies are sketchy – do your homework on them, but there are gems out there.
Did anyone here replace their entry doors as part of the project? I have an old front door with side glass panels. Wondering if it’s worth doing those to impact as well or just stick to windows. My quotes for windows alone are already high, and adding doors might blow the budget. I know doors can be pricy too, especially with decorative glass.
I included one exterior door (with a half-glass) in my project. Impact doors with glass are indeed expensive – my single front door with an impact glass insert was about $2,500 by itself. If budget is an issue, you could do windows now and doors later. Doors don't have as much surface area as windows, so from an energy standpoint, windows make a bigger difference first. For hurricane protection, if your front door glass isn't impact, you would need to cover it or eventually upgrade it to consider your home fully protected. But plenty of people do windows first and tackle doors later when funds allow. My advice: if the door is old or leaking, include it; if it's still solid and you have shutters/coverings for any glass in it, you can wait.
I only had 4 windows to replace (townhouse in Tampa). I opted for non-impact double-pane because we have HOA-provided hurricane shutters. Total cost was $2,800. Small job but I'm glad I did it - the old aluminum sliders were awful. Now the bedrooms are cooler and quieter. So even if you have a small number of windows, it’s worth doing.
Our project was on the other end of the spectrum - 22 windows and 3 sliding doors (large two-story home in Carrollwood). We knew it would be expensive, and it was: about $45k total for all impact (mix of fixed, single-hung, and sliders). We used PGT for everything. It was a massive job that took a full week. Painful on the wallet, but now the whole house is buttoned up and our insurance actually dropped by almost $1000/year after getting full credit for opening protection. So, over the long term, we’ll recoup some of that cost. And the house feels like a fortress now.