Independent measurement · July 2026
The impact window companies AI actually recommends.
Before hurricane season, homeowners used to search. Now they ask AI who should protect their home. So we measured the answer: we asked for the best impact and hurricane window companies in 16 coastal metros — from Tampa to Virginia Beach — 4 different ways each, 64 checks in all, and recorded every company it named.
Only 1 in 6
of the 184 coastal window companies we benchmarked ever came up — just 16%. These are the ones homeowners are told to call.
184
coastal window companies checked
64
AI questions asked
16
metros across 7 states
16%
ever get recommended
The national brands don't own the answer. Local installers do.
Of the 191 companies AI recommended across these 16 metros, 165 — 86% — were named in just one market. Only a handful of brands were recommended across state lines. When a homeowner asks who should put impact windows on their house, AI overwhelmingly answers with local and regional installers, not national chains. This list is their scoreboard.
The most recommended impact window companies, metro by metro
Every metro below was benchmarked the same way: 4 homeowner-style questions, every answer recorded. Pick your city to see the full measured list.
AI's answer moves between checks, so we publish how many of the 4 checks named each one instead of a rank that would change if we asked again.
Tampa, FL
9 listedNamed in all 4 checks: ARMORVUE Window & Door, Guardian Shield Windows and Doors and Karoly Windows & Doors
See the Tampa list →
St. Petersburg, FL
8 listedNamed in all 4 checks: A1 Windows & Doors and Karoly Windows & Doors
See the St. Petersburg list →
Sarasota, FL
6 listedNamed in 3 of 4 checks: ARMORVUE
See the Sarasota list →
Fort Myers, FL
6 listedNamed in all 4 checks: Access Doors & Windows and Caner Impact Windows
See the Fort Myers list →
Miami, FL
7 listedNamed in all 4 checks: ASP Windows & Doors and Prime Window & Door
See the Miami list →
Fort Lauderdale, FL
10 listedNamed in all 4 checks: Florida Impact Windows and Doors
See the Fort Lauderdale list →
West Palm Beach, FL
8 listedNamed in all 4 checks: LockTight Impact Windows & Doors and Storm Tight Windows
See the West Palm Beach list →
Jacksonville, FL
7 listedNamed in all 4 checks: ArmorGuard Exteriors
See the Jacksonville list →
Pensacola, FL
8 listedNamed in all 4 checks: Hometown Contractors, Inc., NewSouth Window Solutions and Window World of Pensacola
See the Pensacola list →
Houston, TX
10 listedNamed in all 4 checks: Advanced Window Products (AWP), Storm Tight Windows of Texas and Window Source Houston
See the Houston list →
Corpus Christi, TX
9 listedNamed in all 4 checks: Nueces Construction, The Window Shop and Window World of Corpus Christi
See the Corpus Christi list →
New Orleans, LA
4 listedNamed in all 4 checks: LAS Shutters + Windows and Window World of New Orleans
See the New Orleans list →
Mobile, AL
5 listedNamed in all 4 checks: Acadian Windows & Siding, MaxHome and Window World of Gulf Coast
See the Mobile list →
Charleston, SC
5 listedNamed in all 4 checks: EcoView Windows and Doors Charleston, Muhler Windows and Doors and New Beginnings Construction and 2 more
See the Charleston list →
Wilmington, NC
6 listedNamed in all 4 checks: Wallaby Windows and Window World of the Port City
See the Wilmington list →
Virginia Beach, VA
7 listedNamed in all 4 checks: Better View Windows and More
See the Virginia Beach list →
Measured, never sold.
No window company can pay to appear on these lists. A company is listed only because AI actually recommended it when we asked — more than once. We publish how many of the checks named each one, not a place, because the count holds up when we ask again and a place doesn't. That's the whole formula.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
How did you measure which impact window companies AI recommends?
We asked leading AI assistants the questions real homeowners ask — like "Who is the best impact window company in my city?" and "I want hurricane windows installed on my house. Who should I hire?" — 4 different ways in each of 16 coastal metros, and recorded every company it recommended. A company is listed only if more than one check named it, and we publish how many checks named it rather than a place in a ranking — ask again and the top name often changes, but the count holds. That came to 64 checks for this edition, compared against the 184 coastal window companies in our tracked dataset. Each business AI names is credited to exactly one company — when we can't tell for certain which local company it meant, no one gets the credit.
Can a window company pay to be on this list?
No. This list is measured, never sold. A company appears on it only if AI actually recommended it when we asked. Money cannot buy a place on this list. Sponsored blocks are labeled advertising and sit outside the ranked list.
What are impact windows, and why do people ask about them?
Impact windows — often called hurricane windows — use laminated glass and reinforced frames built to stand up to windborne debris, so a storm doesn't turn a broken window into a destroyed home. They're one of the biggest storm-protection upgrades a coastal homeowner can make, and many insurers offer wind-mitigation discounts for impact-rated windows — Florida insurers are required to offer those credits — so it's worth asking your insurer what qualifies.
What does it mean if a company is NOT on this list?
It means that when we asked leading AI assistants for an impact window company in that company's metro, that company never came up. That says nothing about the quality of their installs — only that homeowners who ask AI for a recommendation are being sent somewhere else.
How often is this updated?
We re-run the same benchmark quarterly with the same methodology, so companies that improve their AI visibility can appear in the next update. This edition was measured in July 2026.
Before you call anyone
What the work costs, what homeowners ask us most, and tools that give you a number in about a minute. Nothing here is a sales page and nothing asks for your phone number.
What things cost
Real price ranges for the work homeowners ask about most, with every figure traced back to a named source.
- How much do impact windows cost?Published prices for impact windows per window, per square foot and for a whole house, with the two figures that disagree printed side by side.
- Impact windows or hurricane shutters — which costs less?The published cost per window, the published return on investment and the practical trade-offs between impact windows and every type of hurricane shutter.
- How much do hurricane shutters cost?What each kind of hurricane shutter costs per square foot and per window, what a whole Florida house runs, and what the permit adds.
- How much does it cost to replace windows in Florida?What replacing windows in Florida costs on published national bands, why the code pushes you towards impact glass, and what the state grant pays.
Common questions
Straight answers, written for the person paying — not a lead form and not a sales page.
- What are the negatives of impact windows?The honest downsides of impact windows, with every price traced to a named source and the two figures nobody publishes named out loud.
- Are impact windows worth the money?What impact windows return, what Florida law makes your insurer give you, what the state grant pays and what the tax credit no longer covers.
Free tools
Work out a number before you call anyone, or check a quote you already have.
Do you install impact windows?
If your company isn't on these lists, homeowners who ask AI for hurricane protection are being sent to someone else. Find out where you stand — free.
See if AI recommends you