Broward County Certificate of Competency 20-WD-21968-X
Hurricane Shutters in Boulevard Gardens, FL
Hurricane Shutters (accordion, roll-down, storm panels) for homes in Boulevard Gardens and the rest of Broward County. Free estimate.
Boulevard Gardens sits inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, the part of the Florida Building Code that applies to Broward and Miami-Dade counties and sets the state's highest design wind pressures and windborne-debris requirements. Local housing stock is mostly modest postwar single-family homes built from the 1940s through the 1960s, concrete block and stucco, with jalousie or single-hung windows (many since replaced with impact units) and low-slope or shallow-gable roofs. Openings on homes of that age were often built long before current wind-load rules, so shutters are one of the more straightforward ways to bring opening protection up to the HVHZ standard without replacing every window.
Cat 5 Home Shield installs accordion shutters, manual and motorized roll-down shutters, and removable aluminum or steel storm panels on mounted tracks, all carrying an approval valid for the HVHZ — usually a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA). We also repair existing shutters, pull the permit when the work needs one, schedule the inspections, and see that the permit is closed out. Estimates are free; call (954) 906-1715 or use the quote form on this page.
This is one of Broward County's older unincorporated pockets, where a large share of homes still carry original or first-replacement hardware that predates modern Florida wind-load codes. The area sits about five miles inland from the Atlantic, and salt-laden air combined with year-round humidity steadily corrodes shutter tracks, fasteners, bottom rails and lock cylinders — which is why older panel sets here often bind, seize, or lose their anchors well before the shutter slats themselves wear out. Carports are at least as common as enclosed garages in this community, so protection planning usually centers on windows, entry doors and any sliding glass openings rather than a garage door.
Problems to watch for in Boulevard Gardens
Corroded tracks and locks
Inland salt air and constant humidity attack aluminum tracks, steel fasteners and lock cylinders on older shutter systems. Accordion shutters that no longer glide or latch are frequently a hardware and corrosion problem rather than a reason to replace the whole system.
Panels that are hard to store or put up
Removable steel and aluminum panels have to be stored somewhere dry and carried out opening by opening. On the compact postwar lots common here, homeowners often move to accordion or roll-down systems so protection can be closed without handling loose panels.
Older openings with no approved protection
Many homes from the 1940s–1960s still have original single-hung or jalousie units on at least some openings. In the HVHZ, unprotected glazing can be a weak point in a strong storm, and shutters give those openings an approved covering.
Shutters without HVHZ product approval
Older or online-purchased systems may not carry a Miami-Dade NOA or a Florida Product Approval valid for the HVHZ with large- and small-missile impact and cyclic loading. Without that approval and the matching anchoring details, the installation is unlikely to pass inspection.
Anchors set for the wrong substrate
Walls here are predominantly concrete block and stucco, sometimes with wood-framed additions or second stories. Approved products have specific anchor patterns for concrete, block and frame, and using the wrong detail undermines the approval.
Bedroom escape openings blocked
Emergency escape and rescue opening requirements still have to be satisfied for bedrooms, so shutter type and release hardware matter at those windows. We plan those openings during the estimate rather than after installation.
Partial coverage
Florida's uniform mitigation form evaluates opening protection across all openings, not just a few. Leaving one window or door uncovered changes how the home is documented on that form.
What we do
- Accordion shuttersPermanently mounted accordion systems that stay on the opening and close by hand, approved for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. A practical choice for windows and sliding glass doors on block-wall homes.
- Roll-down shutters, manual and motorizedRoll-down systems operate with a crank or a motor and are useful for wide openings or hard-to-reach windows. Products are specified with an approval valid for the HVHZ and installed to the approved anchoring details.
- Removable storm panelsAluminum or steel panels with permanently mounted tracks and headers, an economical way to cover multiple openings. Anchors attach to the structure, so this work generally needs a permit as well.
- Repairs to existing shuttersTrack cleaning and realignment, replacement of corroded fasteners, bottom rails, wheels and locks on accordion and roll-down systems. Repair is often the right first step on hardware worn by inland salt air.
- Permits, inspections and close-outWe pull the permit when the work needs one, schedule inspections and see the permit closed out. A closed permit is what documents that the installation was inspected.
Permits, codes and licensing in Boulevard Gardens
Shutter installation is permitted work in Florida and should be performed by a licensed contractor; it is frequently done under a specialty classification covering shutters and related products, or by a general, building or residential contractor. Contractor licensing is overseen by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation through the Construction Industry Licensing Board, with qualification and local registration also handled through the Broward County Central Examining Boards, and code administration overseen by the Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals. Cat 5 Home Shield holds Broward County Certificate of Competency 20-WD-21968-X, which covers windows, doors, shutters and garage doors. A permit is generally required for permanent systems — accordion, roll-down, Bahama, colonial — and for anchors on removable panel systems, because the product attaches to the structure; permits come from the municipal building department, or from Broward County Building Code Services in unincorporated areas. Boulevard Gardens is a long-established unincorporated community, so confirm which office has jurisdiction over your address and verify submittal and inspection details with that building department before work starts. Where a condominium or association applies, board approval for appearance and attachment is also commonly required.
Hurricane Shutters (accordion, roll-down, storm panels) work is done under Broward County Certificate of Competency 20-WD-21968-X.
When to call
Demand in Broward climbs sharply from April through early June and spikes whenever a storm enters the forecast cone; hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30. The quieter stretch from late fall through winter — the dry season here, roughly November to April — is usually the easier time to schedule measuring, product approval paperwork and inspections without a rush. Call (954) 906-1715 or send the form on this page for a free estimate.
We serve Boulevard Gardens and nearby Broward County areas including Washington Park, Franklin Park, Roosevelt Gardens, Rock Island, Lauderdale Manors, Broadview Park, Melrose Park, Dorsey-Riverbend, Golden Heights, the Sistrunk Boulevard corridor and Oakland Park.
Hurricane Shutters in Boulevard Gardens: questions we hear
- Do shutters in Boulevard Gardens need a Miami-Dade NOA?
- The whole of Broward County is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so shutters and panels need an approval valid for the HVHZ — usually a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, or a Florida Product Approval that covers HVHZ use. The approval should include large- and small-missile impact and cyclic loading, and the product has to be installed per the approved anchoring details for your wall type.
- Who issues the permit for an unincorporated address like Boulevard Gardens?
- Permits come from the municipal building department, or from Broward County Building Code Services in unincorporated areas. Because Boulevard Gardens is a long-established unincorporated pocket, verify jurisdiction and the specific inspection steps with the building department that covers your parcel.
- Will shutters affect my insurance?
- Florida law requires insurers to offer discounts or credits for wind-loss-mitigation features (s. 627.0629, Florida Statutes). A licensed inspector records those features on Florida's uniform mitigation verification form OIR-B1-1802, where opening protection is one of the categories and is evaluated across all openings. We do not perform wind-mitigation inspections, and amounts vary by insurer; you can use the free Wind Mitigation Credit Checker on this site to see which categories apply to your home.
- Can I keep shutters on bedroom windows?
- Emergency escape and rescue opening requirements still have to be met for bedrooms, so the shutter type and the way it releases from inside matter at those windows. We look at bedroom openings during the estimate and specify accordingly.
- Can you repair my existing shutters instead of replacing them?
- Often yes. In this inland-but-salty environment, failures are commonly corroded tracks, fasteners, wheels and locks rather than failed slats, and replacing that hardware can restore normal operation. If the existing system has no usable HVHZ approval or the anchors are unsound, we will say so.
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