Impact Windows in Fontainebleau, FL

In Fontainebleau, buying impact windows usually involves an association. In the 1970s Trafalgar Developers built Fontainebleau Park as a set of subdivided villages around two 18-hole golf courses, with condominiums and apartments on the eastern half and Village Homes, single-family houses, Garden Homes and townhomes on the western side. Both courses have since closed and been built on, but the village structure and its associations remain.

Condos: whose windows are they?

In many condominiums the association, not the owner, controls the exterior, and it may set a standard product, frame color and glass tint so the building looks uniform. Before you collect quotes, ask the association for its window and shutter specifications and its approval form. We price to that standard and give you the product approvals and drawings the board needs.

Shutters in a condo or townhome community

Miami-Dade's windows, shutters and doors page sets out two rules that matter here:

• Permanent storm shutters require a homeowners association attestation before a permit is issued.
• Commercial buildings, including condominiums and apartments, need zoning review and approval to install, repair or replace permanent shutters.

Removable panels and accordion shutters have their own permit categories, and every system needs a current Notice of Acceptance. If your association already has an approved accordion or roll-down style, matching it keeps the facade consistent.

Impact glass versus shutters

Shutters are often the lower-cost way to protect a condo, but someone has to close them before every storm, including when you are traveling. Impact windows protect the opening all the time and need nothing done on storm day. A common middle path is impact glass on the openings you use most and shutters on the rest until the next phase.

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Single-family Village Homes

Owners of the detached homes on the western side have more freedom, though many are still in a village association with exterior guidelines. Fontainebleau is unincorporated, so the permit goes through Miami-Dade County. The county asks for a current NOA for each window, door, shutter or panel type, and glass type, thickness and options must appear on the plans or the NOA.

Townhome end units and corners

In the townhome and Garden Home sections, end units and corner homes have more exterior wall and usually more windows than interior units. They also catch wind from more directions. If you own an end unit, expect a longer opening schedule and possibly higher design pressures on the exposed side. We list each opening separately so you can see where the extra cost comes from and phase the work if needed.

What we check on site

We measure every opening, note which ones face open areas where the old fairways were and which are sheltered by neighboring buildings, and confirm that the products' design pressures fit. Then you get a written estimate showing each opening, product and approval. Call (786) 699-6948 to schedule.