Broward County Certificate of Competency 20-WD-21968-X
Impact Windows in Lazy Lake, FL
Impact Windows for homes in Lazy Lake and the rest of Broward County. Free estimate.
Lazy Lake is one of Florida's smallest incorporated municipalities — roughly a dozen homes on a single lane around a private lake, completely surrounded by Wilton Manors — and like the rest of Broward County it sits inside the Florida Building Code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. That means windows here have to be built and anchored for the highest design wind pressures and windborne-debris protection in the state. The village's houses are mid-century concrete block and stucco ranches from the 1940s through the 1960s, and many still carry original jalousie windows or earlier impact-replacement units in those same openings.
Cat 5 Home Shield installs impact-rated single-hung, horizontal-roller, casement and fixed windows approved for the HVHZ, usually under a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. We measure each opening individually, match the product to the design pressures at that opening, install and anchor to the approval, pull the permit, schedule the inspections and see the permit closed out. Estimates are free.
Lazy Lake sits only a few miles inland from the Atlantic and beside the tidal Middle River canals, so homes get enough salt-laden air to pit unprotected aluminum frames, tracks and lock hardware years faster than they would inland. Add a May–October wet season of near-daily thunderstorms and intense wind-driven rain, and the weak point on a 1950s block ranch is usually the perimeter of an aging window frame rather than the glass itself. In a strong storm, an opening without approved protection can admit wind-borne debris and the driving rain that follows it, which is why opening protection is evaluated across all openings and not one window at a time.
Problems to watch for in Lazy Lake
Original jalousie windows
Jalousie units are common in the 1940s–1960s block houses in and around the village, and they are not impact-rated. Replacing them means a product with a current HVHZ approval sized to that specific opening.
Corroded aluminum frames
Brackish canal air near the Middle River and year-round humidity pit older aluminum frames, fasteners and hardware. Corrosion at the anchors matters as much as the condition of the glass.
Water intrusion around old openings
Wind-driven rain during the May–October rainy season finds failed sealant and tired perimeter detailing in mid-century stucco walls. A new window only performs if the opening is prepared and flashed correctly.
Products without HVHZ approval
A window that is approved elsewhere in Florida is not automatically acceptable in Broward. HVHZ products must carry a Miami-Dade NOA or a Florida Product Approval valid for the HVHZ, with large- and small-missile impact and cyclic pressure testing.
Partial opening protection
Florida's uniform mitigation verification form OIR-B1-1802 evaluates opening protection across all openings, so one unprotected window can change how the category is recorded. Plan the whole house even if the work is phased.
Egress, fall protection and safety glazing
Bedroom egress, fall protection and safety glazing rules still apply alongside the wind requirements. These are easy to miss when a smaller jalousie opening is being reworked.
Lead times
Impact windows are made to order, and manufacturing lead times often mean ordering months ahead. Winter dry season is typically the shortest lead-time window.
What we do
- Measure every openingEach opening is measured and matched to the design pressures required at that location. Mid-century houses rarely have two openings exactly alike.
- Select HVHZ-approved productsWe specify impact-rated single-hung, horizontal-roller, casement and fixed windows approved for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, usually under a Miami-Dade NOA, and supply the approval documents with the permit application.
- Install and anchor to the approvalAnchors, spacing and substrate conditions follow the product approval and the engineering details submitted. In block-and-stucco walls that detail is what makes the rating real.
- Permits, inspections and close-outWe pull the permit when the work needs one, schedule the inspections and see the permit closed out. An open permit can complicate a later sale or insurance review.
- Free estimateCall or use the form on this page for a free estimate on the openings you want addressed, whole-house or phased.
Permits, codes and licensing in Lazy Lake
Impact window installation is permitted construction work in Florida 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 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, covering windows, doors, shutters and garage doors. A permit is required for window replacement, including like-for-like impact replacements and any change in opening size; permits are issued by the local municipal building department, and product approval documentation plus engineering and attachment details are typically required with the application. Current Florida Building Code with HVHZ provisions applies countywide. Verify permit specifics with the city's building department, and verify any 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 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 winter dry season is usually the shortest lead-time window. In Lazy Lake and the surrounding blocks, winter is also when seasonal residents return and open up long-closed houses, which is a practical time to look at tired frames. Call (954) 906-1715 or request a quote with the form on this page.
We serve Lazy Lake and nearby Broward County areas including Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, Middle River Terrace, Poinsettia Heights, Lake Ridge, Victoria Park, Coral Ridge, Imperial Point, Colee Hammock and the Wilton Drive district.
Impact Windows in Lazy Lake: questions we hear
- Do I need a permit for impact windows in Lazy Lake?
- Yes. A permit is required for window replacement, including like-for-like impact replacements, and for any change in opening size. Lazy Lake is a very small municipality, so confirm who reviews and inspects your permit with the city's building department before work starts.
- Does the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone really apply to a village this small?
- It does. The entire county sits in the HVHZ, so windows must carry a Miami-Dade NOA or a Florida Product Approval valid for the HVHZ, including large- and small-missile impact and cyclic pressure testing. The product also has to be rated for the design pressures at the specific opening.
- Can you replace the jalousie windows in a 1950s block house?
- Yes — that is standard work on the mid-century concrete block and stucco ranches here. Jalousie openings often need attention to the perimeter and the anchoring substrate, and if the opening size changes the permit has to reflect that.
- Will impact windows 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 the home's features on form OIR-B1-1802, where opening protection is one of seven categories and is evaluated across all openings. We do not perform wind-mitigation inspections; you can start with the free Wind Mitigation Credit Checker on this site.
- How far ahead should I order?
- Impact windows are made to order and manufacturing lead times often mean ordering months ahead. If you want the work finished before hurricane season begins on June 1, starting in the winter dry season gives you the most room.
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