Broward County Certificate of Competency 20-WD-21968-X
Impact Windows in Boulevard Gardens, FL
Impact Windows 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 covers Broward and Miami-Dade counties and sets the state's highest design wind pressures and windborne-debris requirements. That matters here because the housing stock is mostly modest post-war single-family homes built from the 1940s through the 1960s, with concrete block and stucco walls and original jalousie or single-hung windows — many of which have already been swapped for impact units, and many of which have not.
We measure each opening individually, specify impact-rated single-hung, horizontal-roller, casement and fixed windows carrying an approval valid for the HVHZ (usually a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance), and install and anchor them to that approval. Because Boulevard Gardens is a long-established unincorporated community, permit applications generally go to Broward County Building Code Services rather than a city hall; we pull the permit when the work needs one, schedule inspections, and see the permit closed out. Verify jurisdiction-specific details with the building department that serves your address.
Sitting about five miles inland from the Atlantic, Boulevard Gardens still gets salt-laden air and relentless humidity, and that combination quietly corrodes older aluminum window frames and fasteners while intense UV and heat age sealants. Original jalousies and single-hungs from the 1940s–1960s predate current Florida wind-load provisions, so in a strong storm an unprotected opening can admit windborne debris and wind-driven rain. Replacing them with units rated for the design pressures at each specific opening addresses debris impact and the water intrusion that tends to show up around tired frames during the May–October rainy season.
Problems to watch for in Boulevard Gardens
Original jalousie windows
Jalousie units are common in Boulevard Gardens' 1940s–1960s homes and were never designed for HVHZ debris or pressure requirements. They also leak air and water around the slats during wind-driven rain.
Corroded aluminum frames
Inland salt air and year-round humidity pit and seize older aluminum frames, tracks and fasteners. Once corrosion reaches the anchors, the window's attachment to the block wall is no longer dependable.
Water intrusion at old openings
Decades-old caulk joints and failed perimeter sealant let the area's intense wind-driven rain travel into stucco and interior finishes. Replacement is the point at which the opening can be properly flashed and sealed again.
Unapproved or undocumented products
Windows installed in Broward need a Miami-Dade NOA or Florida Product Approval valid for the HVHZ, including large- and small-missile impact and cyclic pressure testing. Units without that paperwork can stall a permit or an inspection.
Partial opening protection
On Florida's wind-mitigation form OIR-B1-1802, opening protection is evaluated across all openings, not window by window. Leaving one unprotected window, door or skylight affects how the whole home is recorded.
Egress and safety glazing details
Bedroom egress sizing, fall protection and safety glazing rules still apply alongside the HVHZ pressure ratings. These are easy to miss when an older opening is resized or a window style is changed.
Mixed-use and duplex buildings
Small multi-family buildings and duplexes are mixed into the neighborhood, and ownership or approval requirements can differ from a single-family replacement. Confirm any association or owner approvals before ordering.
What we do
- Opening-by-opening measurementEvery opening is measured on site rather than assumed from a plan, which matters in older block homes where openings vary. Sizes and pressures are recorded for each location.
- HVHZ-approved product selectionWe specify impact-rated single-hung, horizontal-roller, casement and fixed windows with an approval valid for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, usually a Miami-Dade NOA. Products are matched to the design pressures at the specific opening.
- Installation anchored to the approvalAnchors, spacing and substrate are installed to the product approval and the engineering or attachment details submitted with the permit. Concrete block openings are prepared and sealed for the area's wind-driven rain.
- Permits and inspectionsWe submit product approval documentation with the permit application, schedule the required inspections, and follow through until the permit is closed out. In unincorporated Boulevard Gardens that generally means Broward County Building Code Services — verify with the building department for your address.
- Documentation for your recordsYou keep the product approval numbers and the closed permit, which is the paperwork a licensed inspector looks for when completing form OIR-B1-1802. We do not perform wind-mitigation inspections ourselves.
Permits, codes and licensing in Boulevard Gardens
Impact window installation in Florida is permitted construction work and should be performed by a properly licensed contractor. Contractor licensing is overseen by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation through the Construction Industry Licensing Board, while in Broward County contractor qualification and local registration run through the Broward County Central Examining Boards, and code administration is 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 required for window replacement, including like-for-like impact replacements, and for any change in opening size; product approval documentation plus engineering and attachment details are typically required with the application. Scopes and submittal rules vary, so verify a contractor's exact license category and standing with DBPR and the Broward County Central Examining Boards.
Impact Windows work is done under Broward County Certificate of Competency 20-WD-21968-X.
When to call
Orders and installs in Broward peak in spring and early summer as homeowners prepare for the June 1 start of hurricane season, with another surge after any storm threat; the dry season from December to April is usually the shortest lead-time window. Manufacturing lead times often mean ordering months ahead, so measuring early is worthwhile. Call (954) 906-1715 or request a quote with 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.
Impact Windows in Boulevard Gardens: questions we hear
- Do impact windows in Boulevard Gardens need a Miami-Dade NOA?
- Boulevard Gardens is in Broward County, which is inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so windows need an approval valid for the HVHZ — commonly a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, or a Florida Product Approval valid for the HVHZ. That approval covers large- and small-missile impact and cyclic pressure testing. The unit also has to be rated for the design pressures at your specific opening.
- Who issues the permit for an unincorporated address?
- Permits are issued by the local municipal building department, or by Broward County Building Code Services in unincorporated areas. Boulevard Gardens is a long-established unincorporated community, so county submittal is typical. Verify the correct jurisdiction and submittal requirements with the building department serving your address.
- Will replacing my jalousie windows help with insurance?
- Florida law requires insurers to offer discounts or credits for wind-loss-mitigation features (s. 627.0629, Florida Statutes), and a licensed inspector records those features on form OIR-B1-1802. Opening protection is one of its categories and is evaluated across all openings, so partial coverage is recorded differently than full coverage. You can use the free Wind Mitigation Credit Checker on this site to see how the categories work.
- Can I replace only a few windows at a time?
- Yes, phased replacement is possible, and each permitted phase still needs approved products and inspections. Keep in mind that the opening protection category on OIR-B1-1802 looks at all openings together, so partial work is reflected that way. We can measure the whole house and sequence the work with you.
- Does salt air really matter five miles inland?
- Yes. Boulevard Gardens sits roughly five miles inland from the Atlantic and still sees salt-laden air plus year-round humidity, which corrodes older frames, tracks and fasteners. Intense UV and heat also accelerate the aging of sealants around openings.
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