Your home’s windows are among the many openings that make your property highly vulnerable to any potential risk, more so with a broken window or shattered glass. Therefore we recommend having hurricane shutters or impact windows installed considering the role they can play in protecting your home from hurricanes.
It is also important to note that having storm panels, hurricane shutters or impact windows and doors installed on your home does not only provide protection for your home but also saves you money on your homeowners insurance.
Some aspects of insurance can be confusing… So we wrote this article to help you better understand how storm panels, hurricane shutters and impact windows and doors can help you receive a wind mitigation discount on your homeowners insurance.
Insurance providers in areas where risks of hurricanes and natural disasters are at their highest have policies specifically for those instances. Thus, they offer homeowners discounts on their insurance for installing hurricane protection.
In Florida, homeowners insurance companies are required to offer wind mitigation discounts. The requirements for coverage and the discount amounts, however, differ for each insurance company. Therefore, you should contact your insurance company prior to gathering estimates for shutters, panels, or impact-resistant windows and doors to learn which parts of your home must be protected in order to receive the wind mitigation discount.
Contrary to popular belief, the discount you receive on your homeowners insurance for wind mitigation is typically the same whether you have storm panels, accordion shutters, rolling shutters, or impact windows and doors.
The amount you can save from having storm panels, hurricane shutters or impact windows and doors installed greatly depends on your insurance provider. But generally, having either option installed on your home allows you to save hundreds of dollars each month or thousands each year.
Be sure to contact your homeowners insurance provider to ask them about the wind mitigation discount and all the requirements needed to benefit from the discount. It will help you determine which openings must be protected from hurricanes and which ones do not need it.
For instance, some homeowners insurance companies do not require panels or shutters for non-glass doors that open out. Typically all windows and all doors that contain glass require protection.
According to NBC News, installing impact windows and accordion shutters can cost an average of over $4,000. They affirm that homeowners “who live in wind-prone areas could see a 10-15% credit on their policy for wind protection upgrades.”
It is important to keep in mind that accordion shutters and impact windows are limited expenses. If they are well-maintained then they can last several years. For the most part impact windows will last longer than shutters but in the event that they get damaged, they will have to be replaced whereas shutters can typically be repaired.
When considering the number of years shutters or impact windows and doors last they are a small yet smart investment. Plus they help you benefit from a wind mitigation discount on your homeowners insurance year after year.
Interested in learning more about having shutters or impact windows installed on your home?
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