Free in-home measure and quote - PGT, CGI and CWS impact lines compared on your actual openings, style by style
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterHurricane-Proof Front & Entry Doors in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Hurricane-proof front and entry doors in Fort Lauderdale are impact-rated steel or fiberglass units built to meet Florida Building Code requirements for high-velocity hurricane zones – most are tested to withstand wind loads of 150 mph or higher and the debris impact that comes with them. If your current front door was installed before Florida’s post-Andrew code changes or is a standard hollow-core unit, it is not protecting your home the way you think it is. At Winslow Windows & Doors, we’ve been installing impact-rated entry doors across Fort Lauderdale since 2011, and Ed Winslow personally stands behind every one.
This page is part of our broader Door Installation in Fort Lauderdale service. If you want to talk through your front door before reading further, call us at (904) 747-8989 – a real person answers, any hour of the day.
Fort Lauderdale sits in Broward County’s Wind-Borne Debris Region. That’s not a technicality – it means every exterior door on a home here is legally required to be impact-rated or protected by an approved shutter system. A lot of homeowners in neighborhoods like Rio Vista, Coral Ridge, and Lauderdale Manors are still living with doors that were grandfathered in under older permits. The first time those doors face a serious storm, the gap between code-compliant and “good enough” becomes very clear, very fast.
When You Need Hurricane-Proof Front & Entry Doors
- Your front door was installed before 2002. Post-Hurricane Andrew code reforms reshaped what Florida considers an acceptable exterior door. Doors installed before Broward County adopted its current wind-load standards may look fine on the outside but fail catastrophically under pressure. If you don’t have a Florida Product Approval number on file for your door, assume it doesn’t meet current standards.
- You’re insuring a home in Fort Lauderdale and your premium keeps climbing. Several major Florida carriers now require documentation of impact-rated openings before they’ll issue or renew a policy at reasonable rates. A new CGI or CWS impact entry door with a valid Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) can be the difference between an insurable home and one that gets dropped at renewal. We can provide the product documentation your insurer asks for.
- You’re selling, and a home inspection flagged the front door. This comes up constantly in Fort Lauderdale real estate transactions. Buyers – especially those from out of state – are asking inspectors to verify impact compliance on all openings. A non-compliant entry door can hold up a closing or knock real money off the sale price.
- You’ve had visible storm damage – even “minor” dents or frame warping. After a tropical event, a door that “still closes” is not necessarily a door that will hold. Impact doors depend on the integrity of both the panel and the frame-to-wall connection. Even minor frame displacement after a storm means the door won’t perform as rated under the next one.
- Your door leaks air, water, or both during heavy rain. Fort Lauderdale’s summer squalls are brutal – sustained rain at 40-50 mph is a regular occurrence from June through November. If water is coming in around the door frame or you can feel air movement around the threshold, the weatherstripping and seal system has failed. On a non-impact door, that also means the structural connection is suspect.
- You’re doing a full exterior renovation and want everything to match. Homeowners in Victoria Park and Coral Ridge who are replacing impact windows often realize mid-project that the front door is the weak link. A mismatched entry door – aesthetically or structurally – undercuts the whole investment. We install doors that complement the window line and meet the same impact standards.
Our Hurricane-Proof Front & Entry Doors Process
- Free on-site assessment and upfront pricing. We come to your Fort Lauderdale home, measure the rough opening, assess the existing frame condition, and talk through what you want the door to do – aesthetically, functionally, and in terms of Florida Building Code compliance. You get a written, line-item quote before we leave. No vague ranges. No “we’ll figure it out when we’re there.” Upfront pricing is how Ed runs this company, and that’s not changing.
- Product selection and permit filing. We help you choose the right impact door from our authorized brand lineup – whether that’s a CWS steel unit for maximum strength, a fiberglass door from our catalog for coastal salt-air resistance, or an ES Windows entry system for a custom aesthetic. Once you sign off on the product and scope, we pull the required Broward County building permit. Yes, we pull the permit. Every time. A door installed without a permit isn’t covered by the Florida Product Approval that makes it valid for insurance purposes.
- Inspection-ready installation day. Our background-checked, uniformed technicians remove the existing door and frame, inspect the rough opening for rot, moisture intrusion, or structural compromise (common in Fort Lauderdale homes within a mile of the Intracoastal due to humidity and salt exposure), and install the new frame and door panel to manufacturer specification. This includes proper flashing, sealant application at all penetrations, and threshold setting to current water-infiltration standards.
- Hardware and security fitting. Impact doors are only as good as their locking systems. We install multi-point locking hardware as standard on entry doors – single-point deadbolts are not adequate for an impact-rated unit under positive and negative wind pressure cycles. We also verify that the door swing, handle height, and strike plate placement meet ADA clearance requirements where applicable.
- City or county inspection. We schedule and pass the required Broward County inspection before we consider the job closed. The inspector verifies installation to the approved permit drawings and the door’s Florida Product Approval. You get a passed inspection on record – which is what your insurance carrier actually wants to see.
- Final walkthrough and the 36500-Day Done Right Promise. Ed’s 36500-Day Done Right Promise means that if it’s not right, we come back and make it right – no time limit tied to a contractor’s fiscal year, no “that’s a manufacturer issue.” We walk you through the door operation, the locking sequence, and the weatherseal inspection process before we leave your driveway. If something isn’t right, you call (904) 747-8989 and someone answers.
Hurricane-Proof Front & Entry Doors Pricing in Fort Lauderdale
Hurricane-proof entry door installation in Fort Lauderdale typically runs between $1,800 and $5,500 fully installed, including product, labor, permit, and disposal of the old door. That’s a wide range, and the gap between the low and high end is real – here’s what drives it.
| Door Type / Scenario | Installed Price Range |
|---|---|
| Single fiberglass impact entry door (standard size, existing frame reusable) | $1,800 – $2,600 |
| Single steel impact entry door with multi-point locking hardware | $2,200 – $3,200 |
| Single door with sidelights (impact-rated glass panels) | $2,800 – $4,200 |
| Double entry door (pair), fiberglass or steel impact-rated | $3,500 – $5,500 |
| Frame replacement (rot, damage, non-standard rough opening) | Add $400 – $900 to any above |
| Broward County permit | Included in all quotes |
What affects the final number:
- Frame condition. In Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods close to the water – Sailboat Bend, Tarpon River, and along the Middle River – wood frame rot is common even in homes that look fine from the street. If we open up the wall and find rot, we address it before the door goes in. We tell you upfront what we’re likely to find based on the home’s age and location, and we build a contingency range into the quote if there’s a real chance of frame work.
- Door configuration. A single door without sidelights is the most straightforward installation. Add sidelights with impact-rated laminated glass, a transom window above, or a double-door configuration, and both product cost and installation complexity go up accordingly.
- Impact rating level. Doors are tested to different Design Pressure (DP) ratings. A DP-50 door handles most Fort Lauderdale wind loads. Homes in coastal areas or elevated on a ridge may benefit from a DP-70 or higher product – which typically costs more but also carries stronger insurance documentation value.
- Hardware and finish selections. Entry-level hardware is included in our base pricing. Upgraded handles, electronic keypads, or decorative glass inserts add to the product cost. We’ll show you the options without pressuring you toward anything you don’t need.
Seniors and veterans get a permanent 10% discount on all work – that applies to impact door installation without exception. If you’ve received a written estimate from another contractor, we’ll give you a free second opinion so you have a real basis for comparison. Call (904) 747-8989 for a free, no-trip-charge estimate. Someone will answer.
FAQs – Hurricane-Proof Front & Entry Doors in Fort Lauderdale
Do I actually need a permit to replace my front door in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes – replacing an exterior door in Fort Lauderdale requires a Broward County building permit, and skipping that step creates real problems. Without a permit, the installation isn’t tied to a Florida Product Approval number in the county’s system, which means your insurance carrier may not recognize the door as a qualifying impact opening. If you ever sell the home, an unpermitted door replacement surfaces in title searches and can hold up or kill the transaction. We pull every permit ourselves and schedule the county inspection as a standard part of the job – that’s not optional for us, even if a homeowner asks us to skip it.
How much does a hurricane-proof front door cost in Fort Lauderdale?
A single impact-rated entry door installed in Fort Lauderdale typically costs between $1,800 and $3,200, depending on material (fiberglass vs. steel), frame condition, and hardware selection. Doors with sidelights or double-door configurations run $2,800 to $5,500 installed. The permit is included in every Winslow quote – we don’t add it as a surprise line at the end. Call (904) 747-8989 for a free on-site estimate with exact pricing for your specific door opening.
Will a new impact front door lower my homeowner’s insurance in Fort Lauderdale?
It often does, and the documentation matters as much as the door itself. Florida insurers look for a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or a Florida Statewide Product Approval tied to a passed Broward County inspection. When we install an impact entry door and pass inspection, you have all three: the NOA on the product, the permit on record, and the inspection sign-off. That combination is what triggers the opening-protection discount with most carriers writing policies in Broward County. We’ve seen Fort Lauderdale homeowners reduce their wind-mitigation premium line by a meaningful amount after replacing a non-compliant front door – the actual savings depends on your carrier and current policy, so ask your agent for a quote comparison before and after.
How long does a hurricane-proof front door installation take in Fort Lauderdale?
The physical installation – removing the old door, setting the new frame, and hanging the replacement door – takes most of a working day for a standard single-door replacement. Double doors with sidelights typically run six to eight hours on-site. Permit lead time in Broward County is usually five to fifteen business days depending on current workload at the building department, so we factor that into the project schedule. We don’t start the installation until the permit is in hand. The county inspection is typically scheduled within a week of installation completion. From the day you sign the contract to a fully inspected, closed-out permit, most Fort Lauderdale entry door projects are complete within three to four weeks.
What brands of hurricane-proof entry doors does Winslow install in Fort Lauderdale?
We’re authorized installers for CGI and CWS impact entry doors, among others. CGI builds doors specifically for Florida’s coastal conditions – their frames are engineered to handle the salt-air exposure that causes premature failure in standard aluminum systems used in homes near the Intracoastal and the barrier islands. CWS is a strong choice for homeowners who want a heavier steel core with documented DP ratings at the higher end of the scale. We match the product to what your home actually needs rather than defaulting to whatever’s easiest to source. If you’re coming to us from a conversation with a big-box installer, we’re happy to do a free side-by-side comparison on what they quoted.
Why Fort Lauderdale Homeowners Choose Winslow
Ed Winslow started this company in 2011 because he saw too many Fort Lauderdale homeowners getting sold doors and windows by installers who were here for a season and gone before the first storm test. His name is on the business, which means his reputation is on every door we hang. That’s a different accountability structure than a national chain with a franchise number and a call center.
We’ve been doing this in Broward County long enough to know which neighborhoods have soil movement that shifts door frames over time (parts of Lauderdale Lakes and Tamarac), which older Fort Lauderdale homes near the New River tend to have wood rot behind the stucco that surprises contractors who don’t look, and which HOAs in Coral Ridge require specific door finishes to get architectural approval. That’s the kind of specific, local knowledge that makes the difference between an installation that passes inspection the first time and one that doesn’t.
If you’re replacing a front door in Fort Lauderdale and want it done with a permit, a real warranty, and someone accountable on the other end of the phone – that’s what we do. Call (904) 747-8989 for a free estimate. If you’re exploring everything involved in replacing exterior doors, our full Door Installation in Fort Lauderdale page covers the complete scope of what we offer.
And if you want to understand the full picture of what we do at Winslow – windows, doors, and roofing across South Florida – the home page is the best place to start.
Ready to Protect Your Fort Lauderdale Home’s Front Door?
A non-compliant front door is one of the most overlooked vulnerabilities in a Fort Lauderdale home’s storm envelope. It’s also one of the most fixable. We’ll come out, measure the opening, walk you through the right product for your home and your budget, pull the permit, and get it done right – or we come back until it is. That’s the 36500-Day Done Right Promise, and it’s not a marketing line. It’s how Ed runs this company.
Call (904) 747-8989 to schedule your free on-site estimate. Someone answers every call, around the clock. No voicemail. No callback window. Just a straight answer from a Fort Lauderdale company that’s been here since 2011 and plans to be here long after the next storm season ends.
Written by Ed Winslow, Owner at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Fort Lauderdale since 2011.
Six Reasons Homeowners Choose Winslow Windows & Doors
Impact systems engineered to design pressures up to +/-100, matched to your wind zone - your openings hold when the storm arrives.
Low-E insulated impact glass from our manufacturer lines commonly cuts monthly cooling bills 20-30%.
Laminated impact glass shuts out up to 40% of outside noise - traffic, neighbors, weather.
Monitoring services run $30-90 a month. Laminated impact glass resists forced entry around the clock, with no subscription.
Florida homeowners average around 25% savings on the windstorm portion of their policy after protecting every opening - some homes qualify for more.
A full impact package upgrades curb appeal, buyer confidence and appraised value in one project.