Protect your home before the next system forms.
Licensed, insured storm-shutter installers building accordion, rolldown, Bahama, colonial, panel and screen systems across the Caribbean for over 20 years.
Anyone can bolt a panel to a wall. The credentials below are what separate an installation that holds design pressure, passes inspection and earns an insurance credit from one that fails at the anchors.
A current contractor license, a certificate of insurance naming you or your association, and the product approval or Notice of Acceptance for the exact system being quoted.
OSHA-30 safety certification
OSHA-30 is a 30-hour construction safety program covering fall protection, ladder and scaffold safety, electrical hazards and site management. Shutter work happens on ladders and lifts, over balconies and around live circuits — a crew trained to OSHA-30 is measurably less likely to injure someone or damage your property, and most resorts and condo associations now require it before granting site access.
Licensing and insurance
- A current contractor license in the territory where your property sits, not a neighboring one.
- General liability insurance with the owner or association named as additional insured.
- Workers' compensation for every person on your property — including subcontractors.
- A written warranty on both product and labor, with the labor term stated in years.
Product approvals and engineering
The system on your quote should carry a Florida Product Approval number or a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, tested to ASTM E1886/E1996. Ask for the anchor schedule too: the approval is only valid when the fastener type, size, spacing and edge distance match the tested assembly. A contractor who cannot produce the anchor schedule is guessing.
Installer training and in-house crews
We use in-house crews, not day labor or subcontracted panels. Every installer is trained on each manufacturer's system and works from the engineered anchor schedule for your specific openings. That is also why we can service what we install years later — the same team knows how the building was fastened.
Questions to ask any shutter contractor
- Which system are you quoting, and what is its approval number?
- What Design Pressure did you calculate for each opening?
- What fastener are you using, at what spacing, into what substrate?
- Who does the install — your employees or a subcontractor?
- What is the labor warranty, and who services the shutters in five years?
- Will you file the wind-mitigation documentation with my insurer?
Red flags
- A price per window with no site visit and no measurement.
- No product approval number anywhere on the quote.
- Large deposits demanded in cash before permits are filed.
- Storm-season pressure selling with a same-day discount.
- No local presence to service the system after the sale.
FAQ
Indirectly but importantly. Insurers require a permitted installation of an approved product; a licensed contractor who files the documentation is what makes that credit stick.
Increasingly yes, along with a certificate of insurance naming the association and a schedule that limits noisy work to set hours.
The number appears on the manufacturer's approval document and can be looked up in the issuing authority's public database. We include the documents with every quote.
Motorized rolldown shutters close an entire house from one wall switch, a remote or a phone. This guide covers how the motors work, what integrates with a smart home, and the non-negotiable question everyone should ask: what happens when the power goes out?
A crank, an override loop or a battery backup. If a supplier cannot show you how a shutter closes with no power, do not buy it in the islands.
How electric hurricane shutters work
A tubular motor sits inside the roller tube in the housing above the opening. Pressing the switch rotates the tube, unrolling an interlocking slat curtain down two side tracks until it seats in the sill. Upper and lower travel limits are set at commissioning so the curtain stops in exactly the same place every cycle. The whole run takes 15 to 30 seconds per opening and can be ganged so one command closes a group or the entire building.
Control options
- Hardwired wall switch — the most reliable option, one per opening or one per group.
- Handheld RF remote — single-channel or multi-channel, typically 1 to 15 channels.
- Wall-mounted keypad with scenes for whole-house, bedroom-only or storm mode.
- Wi-Fi or hub bridge for phone control from anywhere, with schedules and sun sensors.
- Dry-contact input so a building management system or alarm panel can trigger a storm close.
Smart-home integration
With a bridge, motorized shutters appear alongside lights and locks in the same app. The practical wins for island properties are scheduling shutters to close against afternoon sun on west elevations, closing everything from the airport when a system forms, and getting a confirmation that each shutter reached its lower limit. Most systems integrate with the common voice and automation platforms through the manufacturer's hub.
The non-negotiable: power failure
- Manual crank override — a removable crank engages the motor head and closes the shutter by hand.
- Override loop or hand chain on larger commercial curtains.
- Battery backup unit that holds enough charge to cycle the shutters several times after an outage.
- Solar-charged motors for openings where running power is impractical, common on villa retrofits.
Best for vacation homes and rentals
Remote shutters solve the absentee-owner problem. A property manager or the owner can close the building from anywhere hours before a storm, without a crew climbing ladders on a second floor. For rentals, a keypad with a limited scene lets guests use shade mode without touching storm limits, and you keep a log of what closed and when.
Costs and what drives them
- Motorization adds roughly $700 per opening over a manual rolldown.
- Battery backup, hub bridges and multi-channel keypads are add-ons priced per system, not per opening.
- Wide openings need a larger tube and motor, which increases both housing size and price.
- Retrofits that require new circuits add electrical cost; ganging several openings to one circuit reduces it.
FAQ
Close the shutters before the storm arrives, which is the normal sequence. If you are caught out, every system we install has a manual crank or override, and we can add a battery backup that cycles the shutters without mains power.
Yes. A rolldown retrofit is the usual path — the housing mounts above the opening and the tracks fasten to the jambs. Accordion and panel systems cannot be motorized.
About the same as a garage door opener, and quieter on the way down than up. Insulated foam-filled slats are noticeably quieter than roll-formed aluminum.
Storm shutters are a permitted structural modification almost everywhere we work. This guide explains which codes apply, what a Design Pressure analysis is, how each territory handles permits, and what your insurer will want to see afterward.
Permits, product-approval packages and association architectural requests are part of every contract. Most clients never speak to a building department or board directly.
Do hurricane shutters require a permit?
In nearly every jurisdiction we serve, yes. Shutters anchor into the structure and change how the building resists wind load, so the work is permitted like any other structural attachment. Panels stored loose and installed only for a storm still require permitted tracks and anchors. Purely decorative shutters that are not rated and not anchored for load are the one common exception.
The codes that apply
- International Building Code and International Residential Code as adopted locally, which set the wind-borne debris regions.
- ASCE 7 for wind-load calculation, including exposure category, elevation, building geometry and opening size.
- ASTM E1886 and E1996 large- and small-missile impact testing, plus cyclic pressure testing.
- Product approval documentation — Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance is what most Caribbean building departments and insurers recognize.
What is Design Pressure analysis?
Design Pressure (DP) is the positive and negative wind pressure a specific opening must resist, measured in pounds per square foot. It is not a single number for your island — it changes opening by opening based on exposure, height above grade, roof geometry and whether the opening sits in a corner zone. We run an ASCE-based analysis for every opening, then select a system and fastener pattern whose tested rating exceeds the calculated load. Corner and upper-floor openings routinely need a stronger system than the same window on a protected ground-floor wall.
Permitting by territory
- US Virgin Islands: DPNR building permit with stamped product approval and an anchor schedule. Historic districts in Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted add a design review step.
- British Virgin Islands: Town and Country Planning / Building Authority submission, with additional review for coastal setback properties on Tortola and Virgin Gorda.
- Puerto Rico: OGPe permit through the Single Business Portal, plus municipal review. Old San Juan and other historic zones require ICP approval for anything visible from the street.
- Leeward Islands: island-specific Development Control Authority approval; resort and multi-building work is usually reviewed as a package.
HOA, condo and association rules
Associations rarely prohibit shutters, but most control color, projection and visible hardware. Typical requirements are a single approved color across the building, tracks and housings that match trim, no permanently visible panels, and a licensed and insured contractor with a certificate of insurance naming the association. We prepare the architectural modification request, product data sheets and color samples as part of your quote.
Insurance wind-mitigation credits
Once every glazed opening is protected by a rated system, most Caribbean insurers apply an opening-protection credit. The credit only applies when the whole building envelope is protected — one unprotected window usually voids it. We register your warranty and file the wind-mitigation documentation with photos, product approval numbers and the permit record so you can submit it directly to your carrier.
Grant and rebate programs
Territorial resilience grants, post-storm recovery funds and lender-required mitigation programs periodically cover part of an opening-protection project. Programs generally require an approved contractor, a rated product and an inspection before final payment — never buy or install first and apply later. We keep a current list and will tell you honestly whether your project qualifies before you sign.
FAQ
You can buy panels, but permitted anchoring into structural framing or masonry with an engineered fastener pattern is what makes them count for code and insurance. Self-installed systems typically do not qualify for wind-mitigation credit.
Usually one to two weeks for a residential project once the product approval package is complete. Historic districts and multi-building commercial projects run longer.
For code compliance in a wind-borne debris zone and for an insurance credit, yes — every glazed opening, including doors, skylights and gable vents, must be protected or built with impact-rated glazing.
Proper maintenance is the difference between a system that deploys in 90 seconds and one that jams when a storm is 24 hours out. This guide covers every system we install in the islands — follow it and your shutters will perform for 15 or more years.
Pressure washing strips the powder-coat finish and forces water into sealed housings, which accelerates corrosion. Use a garden hose and a soft brush only.
The four rules that apply to every system
- Operate every shutter at least monthly. Monthly use stops salt crystals from locking moving parts and lets you catch a problem months before storm season.
- Clean with dilute mild dish soap and a soft horsehair brush, microfiber towel or sponge, then rinse with a garden hose. One to two times a year, more often for oceanfront exposure.
- Lubricate with dry silicone (such as Super Lube with Syncolon). Never WD-40 or oil — they attract salt and dirt and degrade rubber seals.
- Apply anti-seize to all threaded hardware annually. Stainless fasteners in aluminum fittings will seize in salt air; treated thumbscrews stay turnable.
Aluminum storm panels
- Never leave clips, bolts or wing nuts in the tracks between seasons — store all hardware indoors so it cannot corrode and seize.
- Clean panels and tracks one to two times per year with dish soap and a soft brush, rinse with a hose.
- Inspect every panel edge after each storm season; bent or dented panels will not latch or seal correctly.
- Apply a thin coat of silicone to all track channels annually so panels slide in easily under pressure.
Clear polycarbonate panels
- Store panels vertically, out of direct sunlight, in a shaded and ventilated space — UV exposure yellows the sheet and reduces impact resistance.
- Wash with warm water, mild soap and a soft microfiber cloth. Abrasive pads or cleaners permanently scratch the surface.
- Dry with a soft cloth to avoid water spotting, and inspect annually for crazing, yellowing or impact marks.
Accordion shutters
- Use monthly. This is the single best thing you can do for an accordion system.
- With the shutter closed, the inside fold hinges open — hose or sponge out every inner joint, let it dry, then spray dry lubricant top to bottom and cycle the shutter to work it in.
- Clean and lubricate the top track and wheels; confirm your spray is rated safe for plastic or the wheels can crack over time.
- Push locks are the most common failure point. Oceanfront owners should store the locks inside and install them only when deploying — they take a Phillips screwdriver from inside the house.
- Salt-water locks can stay installed if you reapply anti-seize to the bolts every other year. Clear built-up threads with an 8mm nylon bore brush.
Manual and electric rolldown shutters
- Use monthly, and run electric motors at least twice per month so the limits and gearing stay free.
- Brush and wash the guide tracks with soapy water and keep any felt strips clear of debris.
- Clean slats with a vertical motion only — horizontal wiping can misalign slats and jam the curtain inside the housing.
- Keep the full travel path clear of furniture and planters; an impact during operation causes misalignment and costly repairs.
- Test the manual override crank annually so you know it works before a power outage.
Bahama and colonial shutters
- Wash blades and frames twice a year, and rinse oceanfront installations quarterly to keep salt film off the finish.
- Lubricate hinges, pivot pins and the telescoping arms with dry silicone, then cycle the shutter fully open and closed.
- Apply anti-seize to every thumbscrew, wing nut and threaded storm bar fitting once a year.
- Check that all storm bars, pins and hardware are stored together and labeled per opening.
Hurricane screens
- Rinse fabric with a hose and mild soap; never scrub with a brush that can abrade the weave coating.
- Dry the fabric completely before rolling or folding it for storage to prevent mildew.
- Inspect grommets, straps, buckles and anchor points for wear each season and replace anything frayed.
The annual maintenance schedule we recommend
- Monthly: operate every shutter through a full cycle.
- Quarterly (oceanfront): rinse with fresh water.
- Twice a year: full wash of shutters, tracks and housings.
- Once a year, before June 1: clean, lubricate, anti-seize all hardware, inventory panels and hardware, and test every lock.
- After every named storm: inspect for damage, rinse salt off, and report any bent, jammed or leaking component.
The most common mistakes we see
- Pressure washing — the fastest way to ruin a finish and a motor housing.
- WD-40 on tracks and locks, which turns into a salt-holding paste.
- Leaving panel hardware in the tracks year round until it seizes solid.
- Not operating shutters for an entire year, then discovering the problem with a storm 24 hours out.
- Storing panels flat in the sun, where polycarbonate yellows and aluminum edges deform.
What to keep on hand
- Dry silicone lubricant rated safe for plastics
- Anti-seize compound compatible with aluminum and stainless
- Mild dish soap, soft horsehair brush, microfiber cloths
- Spare thumbscrews, wing nuts and push-lock caps
- A labeled bin per opening for panels, bars and hardware
FAQ
Every one to two years for inland properties, annually for oceanfront and for any motorized system. A service visit covers cleaning, lubrication, hardware replacement, motor testing and a written condition report.
No. WD-40 and oil-based sprays attract salt and grit, degrade rubber seals and leave residue that speeds corrosion. Use a dry silicone lubricant instead.
Almost always a dirty top track or dry wheels. Clean the track, apply plastic-safe dry silicone and cycle the shutter. If it still binds, the wheels or a carrier may be worn and should be replaced.