How much do hurricane shutters cost?
Hurricane shutters cost $35 to $350 per window installed on HomeGuide's published table, or $2,000 to $8,000 for an average Florida house.
The spread is that wide because the word covers nine different products, from a sheet of plywood to a motorised roll-down. The type you pick decides almost everything about the price, so the table below is the page.
Published cost by shutter type
| Type | Per square foot | Per 24" x 42" window | Temporary or permanent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plywood shutters | $2 – $5 | $15 – $35 | Temporary |
| Aluminium or metal storm panel | $5 – $15 | $35 – $105 | Either |
| Fabric screen | $5 – $30 | $35 – $210 | Either |
| Clear polycarbonate panel | $10 – $20 | $70 – $140 | Either |
| Accordion shutters | $15 – $25 | $105 – $175 | Permanent |
| Bahama shutters | $20 – $50 | $140 – $350 | Permanent |
| Colonial shutters | $20 – $50 | $140 – $350 | Permanent |
| Roll-up or roll-down shutters | $20 – $50 | $140 – $350 | Permanent |
| Motorised or electric roll-down | $50 – $175 | $350 – $1,225 | Permanent |
| Steel mesh storm screen | $85 – $150 | $595 – $1,050 | Permanent |
Source: HomeGuide
What moves the number inside a type
HomeGuide names the drivers without turning them into multipliers. Window size and shape, and whether any of them are odd shapes that have to be cut to fit. Remote or smart operation on motorised units. Permits at $50 to $200, which it says most coastal states require. And an electrician at $40 to $100 an hour to wire a motorised shutter and its wall switch. Nobody publishes a factor for any of those, so none is applied to a total here.
Source: HomeGuide
The ratings that decide whether a product counts
HomeGuide says to choose shutters tested and rated to at least one of the recognised storm standards, and names them: the Florida Building Code, Miami-Dade TAS 201, 202 and 203 for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, ASTM International E 1886 and E 1996, and AAMA 506. It adds that homeowners inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone should choose products approved specifically for it, because ASTM testing alone is not enough there. Ask for the approval number in writing and check it before you sign.
Source: HomeGuide
What the cheap options give up
HomeGuide lists plywood at $2 to $5 per square foot and marks it with no insurance discounts. Panels of any kind have to be carried, fitted and stored, and it describes them as labour-intensive and cumbersome depending on the material. That is the trade the price is buying: the cheapest protection costs somebody a day of work before every storm, and it is the option least likely to earn anything back from an insurer.
Source: HomeGuide
Shutters or windows
On the same publisher's table, impact windows run $40 to $70 per square foot against shutters at $2 to $175, and return 80% to 86% against 40% to 50%. HomeGuide also says shutters are not needed once impact windows are installed. The full comparison, including what each side is like to live with, is on our impact windows and hurricane shutters page.
Source: HomeGuide
This is general information, not a quote and not a code ruling. Approval requirements differ by county, and the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone rules are stricter than the state-wide ones.
Questions people ask next
- What are the cheapest hurricane shutters?
- Plywood, on HomeGuide's table, at $2 to $5 per square foot or $15 to $35 per 24-inch by 42-inch window — and the same table marks plywood as earning no insurance discounts. The cheapest permanent option HomeGuide prices is accordion shutters at $15 to $25 per square foot.
- How much do electric hurricane shutters cost?
- HomeGuide prices motorised or electric roll-down shutters at $50 to $175 per square foot installed, or $350 to $1,225 per window, and adds an electrician at $40 to $100 an hour to wire the unit and its switch. It recommends a battery backup or a manual crank.
- Do I need hurricane shutters on every window?
- HomeGuide says all windows need hurricane protection of some kind and that some building codes, Florida's among them, require it — while noting that not every side of a house needs the most expensive treatment. One broken window is what lets the house pressurise, which is the reason the rule exists.
Written for homeowners by Most Recommended Impact Windows, which measures which impact window companies AI assistants actually recommend. Nobody can pay to be on those lists. How we measure.