Broward County Certificate of Competency 20-WD-21968-X
Hurricane Shutters in Franklin Park, FL
Hurricane Shutters (accordion, roll-down, storm panels) for homes in Franklin Park and the rest of Broward County. Free estimate.
Franklin Park 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 is dominated by modest single-family homes built roughly from the 1950s through the 1970s, almost all concrete block with stucco, and many of them predate current Florida Building Code wind standards. Shutters are the most direct way to bring the openings on an older block house up to a windborne-debris standard without replacing every window and door.
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 approval for the HVHZ — usually a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. We also repair existing shutters, pull the permit when the work needs one, schedule the inspections and see the permit closed out. Estimates are free; call (954) 906-1715 or use the form on this page.
Franklin Park is one of several small unincorporated Broward communities wedged between Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes and Oakland Park, and the Atlantic sits about five miles east. That salt-laden air, combined with year-round humidity and a May–October rainy season, is hard on exterior metal: shutter tracks, bottom rails, locks and fasteners pit and seize the same way original steel garage doors and wrought-iron gates in this area do. Wind-borne debris is the dominant hazard here rather than hail or wildfire, so a shutter system is judged on two things — whether the product itself is approved for the HVHZ, and whether the anchors are installed into concrete, block or frame exactly as the approval details require.
Problems to watch for in Franklin Park
Corroded tracks and locks
Salt-laden air drifting in from the Atlantic and constant humidity cause pitting on accordion carriers, roll-down bottom rails and panel track bolts. A shutter that will not close or lock is not providing opening protection.
Panels that are hard to store or put up
Removable aluminum or steel panels have to be carried, lined up and bolted before a storm, which is a real limitation on older homes with small lots and limited garage or carport space. Accordion or roll-down systems stay in place and deploy from the opening itself.
No HVHZ product approval on existing shutters
Older panels installed before current code may not carry a Miami-Dade NOA or Florida Product Approval valid for the HVHZ with large- and small-missile impact and cyclic loading approval. Without that documentation, the system may not be credited as approved protection.
Anchors into the wrong substrate
Franklin Park homes are almost all concrete block with stucco, sometimes with framed additions or converted garage walls. Approvals specify different anchors and spacing for concrete, block and frame, and mixing them up undermines the whole installation.
Unprotected openings left out
On the wind-mitigation form, opening protection is evaluated across all openings — windows, doors, skylights and garage doors. A house with shutters on the front windows only is still judged by whatever is left unprotected.
Bedroom egress overlooked
Emergency escape and rescue opening requirements still have to be satisfied for bedrooms, which affects how a shutter over a bedroom window is specified and operated from inside.
Work left without a closed permit
Shutter work that attaches to the structure generally needs a permit. An open or missing permit can surface later during a sale or an insurance review.
What we do
- Accordion shuttersPermanently mounted accordion systems that stay on the opening and close from the side, approved for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. A practical choice on older block homes where storing panels is a problem.
- Roll-down shutters, manual and motorizedRoll-down housings with crank or motor operation for windows, sliders and covered openings. We review the opening, the substrate and the approval details before quoting.
- Removable storm panels with mounted tracksAluminum or steel panels with permanently anchored tracks and headers, installed to the approved anchoring pattern. The anchors are the permitted part of the work.
- Repairs to existing shuttersSeized locks, bent bottom rails, worn carriers and corroded fasteners on systems already on the house. Where parts are no longer available or the product has no HVHZ approval, we will say so.
- Permits, inspections and closeoutWe pull the permit when the work needs one, schedule the inspections and see the permit closed out. Verify city-specific submittal requirements with the building department that has jurisdiction over your address.
Permits, codes and licensing in Franklin Park
Shutter installation is permitted work in Florida and should be performed by a 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 also 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 generally required for permanent accordion, roll-down, Bahama and colonial systems, and for the anchors on removable panel systems, because attachment to the structure is involved; permits come from the municipal building department or from Broward County Building Code Services in unincorporated areas — verify with the building department for your address, since Franklin Park is an older unincorporated pocket. Where a condominium or homeowners association applies, board approval for appearance and attachment is commonly required in addition to the permit. Products must carry a Miami-Dade NOA or Florida Product Approval valid for the HVHZ with large- and small-missile impact and cyclic loading approval, installed per the approved anchoring details.
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 this part of Broward climbs sharply from April through early June and spikes whenever a storm enters the forecast cone, with a secondary bump from November through April as seasonal residents return and schedule deferred repairs. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, so the cooler, drier months are the easier time to schedule measuring, approvals and inspections without a calendar crunch. Call (954) 906-1715 or request a free estimate using the form on this page.
We serve Franklin Park and nearby Broward communities including Boulevard Gardens, Roosevelt Gardens, Washington Park, Melrose Park, Broadview Park, Lauderdale Manors, Rock Island, Dorsey-Riverbend, Oakland Park and Lauderdale Lakes.
Hurricane Shutters in Franklin Park: questions we hear
- Do shutters in Franklin Park need a Miami-Dade NOA?
- Franklin Park is in Broward County, which is inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so shutters and panels need an approval valid for the HVHZ — usually a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, though a Florida Product Approval covering the HVHZ can also apply. The approval must include large- and small-missile impact and cyclic loading.
- Does a shutter job need a permit here?
- A permit is generally required for permanent systems and for the anchors on removable panels, because the work attaches to the structure. In unincorporated areas the permit comes from Broward County Building Code Services; verify with the building department that covers your address, and check whether any association approval applies.
- How do shutters relate to the wind-mitigation form?
- Florida's uniform mitigation verification form OIR-B1-1802 has seven categories: building code, roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall attachment, roof geometry, secondary water resistance and opening protection. Shutters fall under opening protection, which is evaluated across all openings, so leaving some unprotected affects how the home is recorded. A licensed inspector completes the form; we do not perform wind-mitigation inspections.
- Will shutters lower my insurance?
- Florida law requires insurers to offer discounts or credits for wind-loss-mitigation features under s. 627.0629, Florida Statutes, but amounts vary by insurer and no credit can be promised. You can use the free Wind Mitigation Credit Checker on this site to see which features the form looks at.
- Will shutters hold up to the salt air near Franklin Park?
- The Atlantic is roughly five miles east and salt-laden air with year-round humidity drives corrosion on tracks, locks and fasteners throughout this area. Rinsing tracks, keeping locks lubricated and cycling the shutters periodically make a noticeable difference, and corroded hardware can usually be replaced without redoing the whole system.
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