Door Buying Guide
Impact Doors In Florida:
What Code Requires
HVHZ, NOA, FL#, design pressure — the alphabet soup on a Florida permit, explained, plus how to pick an impact-rated entry that passes inspection the first time.
Why Florida doors are different
The Florida Building Code requires exterior openings in wind-borne debris regions — most of the coast, and all of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe and the Gulf coast counties — to be either impact-rated or protected by approved shutters. Miami-Dade and Broward sit in the stricter High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), where the product itself must carry a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA).
An impact door is not just a heavy door. It is a tested system: slab, frame, glazing, hardware and the anchoring schedule, all tested together to survive a 9-pound 2×4 fired at it (the large-missile test) and then thousands of pressure cycles.
The approvals your inspector will ask for
| Document | Who issues it | Where it is required |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade NOA | Miami-Dade County Product Control | HVHZ: Miami-Dade and Broward; accepted statewide |
| Florida Product Approval (FL#) | Florida Building Commission | Everywhere in Florida outside HVHZ |
| Installation instructions | The manufacturer, referenced in the NOA/FL# | Every permit — anchor size, spacing, buck type |
| Design pressure (DP) rating | From the approval | Must meet or exceed the pressure on your permit drawings |
Every impact unit we quote ships with its NOA or FL# and the installation instructions, so the paperwork goes to the permit desk with the door.
Choosing the unit
- Fiberglass entry doors (ThermaTru, Plastpro, Masonite) — the standard for houses and townhomes: paintable or stainable, will not rust or dent, full-lite and half-lite impact glass options.
- Steel entry doors — lowest cost impact-rated option for garages, side entries and utility rooms; paint grade only.
- Hollow-metal doors and frames — commercial exits, stair towers, mechanical rooms; 45/60/90-minute fire ratings available on quote.
- French and sliding units — impact glass in aluminum or fiberglass frames for patios; quoted per project.
- Garage-to-house door — usually not impact (it is interior to the envelope) but often needs a 20-minute fire rating and self-closing hinges.
Installation is part of the rating
The approval assumes a specific buck (wood or concrete), anchor type, embedment and spacing. Change any of them and the door is no longer an approved assembly, no matter how good the slab is. That is why we ask about the wall — CBS block with a wood buck is the South Florida norm, frame construction is common inland, and each has its own anchoring schedule.
Insurance: many Florida carriers give a wind-mitigation credit when all openings are impact-rated or shuttered. Keep the NOA/FL# paperwork; the inspector filling out the Form 1802 will want it.
What to send the desk
Opening size, swing, wall type, whether it is HVHZ, the design pressure on your drawings if you have them, and the look you want. Send the elevation or a photo and we will return a quoted unit with its approval number.
FAQ
Impact Door
Questions
Do I need an impact door if I have shutters?
Not by code — approved shutters satisfy the opening-protection requirement. Most buyers still choose impact doors because they protect the house when nobody is home to put shutters up.
Is a Miami-Dade NOA valid in Palm Beach or Orlando?
Yes. An NOA is the strictest approval in the state and is accepted everywhere. The reverse is not true: an FL# without HVHZ approval is not enough in Miami-Dade or Broward.
Can an existing door be made impact-rated?
No. Impact rating is a tested assembly. Films and add-on bars do not count; the whole unit is replaced.
How long do impact doors take?
Lead times depend on the manufacturer, size, glass and finish — common fiberglass units are measured in weeks, custom glass and colors in months. We confirm a real date on the quote. Order before the season.
Do impact doors need special hardware?
The lockset must be part of the tested assembly or listed as equivalent, and most require a multi-point or heavy-duty deadbolt. We spec the hardware with the door so the approval holds.
More Door Guides
Keep
Reading
Guide
Prehung vs. Slab Doors
Which one to buy, and why almost every new opening in Florida gets a prehung unit.
Guide
Solid Core vs. Hollow Core
Sound, weight, cost and where each core belongs in a house or a building.
Guide
How To Measure For A Door
Slab width, rough opening, jamb depth and handing — the four numbers the desk needs.
Guide
Impact Doors In Florida
HVHZ, Miami-Dade NOA, Florida Product Approval and what your inspector will ask for.
The Counter Is Open
Need An
Impact-Rated Opening?
Send the opening size and wall type. We return a quoted unit with its Miami-Dade NOA or Florida Product Approval.