Let me clear something up first: hurricane windows in Boca Raton and impact windows are the same thing. "Hurricane windows" is what people call them. "Impact windows" is what the building code calls them. Same glass, same frames, same protection. If a salesman tries to sell you one as an upgrade over the other, he's playing games.
I'm Joe. I run Onel Construction here in Boca — 15 years in this trade. I install hurricane-rated windows and doors all over South Florida, and this page exists because when I searched this term, I found apartment listings and fluff articles. No contractor. So here I am, a contractor, telling you the truth about them.
What Makes a Window a "Hurricane Window"
It's not marketing. It's engineering. A hurricane window is laminated glass — two panes bonded to a shatter-resistant interlayer — set in a reinforced frame, tested to take a direct hit from wind-borne debris and keep your home's envelope sealed.
Why the envelope matters: once a window blows out in a storm, wind gets inside and pressurizes the house like a balloon. That's when roofs lift. The window isn't just protecting the window — it's protecting the whole structure.
And here's something most window salesmen won't mention: the garage door. Engineers will tell you the garage door is the most vulnerable opening on most houses. If it goes, the same pressurization problem starts there. When I do a hurricane hardening job, I look at the garage door too — not just the windows.
What Hurricane Windows Cost in Boca Raton
Same numbers as impact windows, because they're the same product. All-in, installed, permitted, finished:
- Around $800 a window: Small condo windows, single-hung style, small jobs.
- Around $1,400 a window: The average home, average window. Most jobs land here.
- Up to $2,800 a window: Large openings, big homes, expensive neighborhoods.
What moves the number: size of the opening, window style, how many you're doing, condo vs. house logistics, and what we find behind the old windows when they come out. I explain all of this on my impact windows page — same pricing, same honest breakdown.
Why Boca Raton Homes Need Them
We live where the hurricanes live. Building code here requires opening protection — it's not a suggestion. But beyond code, there's the insurance math: hurricane-rated openings can save you up to $1,400 a year on homeowners insurance through wind mitigation credits. "Up to" — your carrier decides the final number, and I won't promise what I don't control. But year after year, the credits are real.
There's also grant money worth knowing about: My Safe Florida Home has offered up to $10,000 for hurricane hardening, and hurricane windows qualify. I help homeowners with the application — it's paperwork, but it's ten thousand dollars.
Shutters vs. Hurricane Windows — My Honest Take
People ask me this all the time. Here's my answer:
Shutters are cheaper upfront. No argument. But somebody has to put them up — every storm, in the heat, on a ladder, maybe when you're out of town or can't physically do it anymore. And they do nothing for you the other 360 days of the year.
Hurricane windows protect you 24/7/365 without you lifting a finger. They cut noise. They block UV that fades your furniture. They lower your insurance every single year. And you never climb a ladder in August again.
If budget is the issue, I respect that — shutters beat nothing. But if you can swing the windows, they're the better buy over the life of the house. That's my opinion after 15 years of watching both.
Permits, Code, and Doing It Right
I pull permits on every job. Boca Raton and Palm Beach County take opening protection seriously, and so do I. An unpermitted window job is a liability when you sell and a problem if you ever file a storm claim. Any contractor who suggests skipping the permit is telling you who he is.
Financing
Through Acorn Finance, with approved credit:
- Small jobs from $120/month
- Typical jobs in the $200s–$300s/month
- Rates as low as 4.49% APR
The protection starts now, the payments stay sane.
Why Onel Construction
Twenty-five years. Licensed and insured — CGC1511492. I don't send a salesman to your house. I come out, I measure every opening myself, and I give you a real price in person. Free in-home estimate. Boca Raton first, all of Palm Beach County, Broward for the right job.
Rated 5.0 stars from 24 Google reviews.
Related Services
- Impact Windows & Doors in Boca Raton — full pricing breakdown and the "why" behind the range.
- Roof Replacement in Boca Raton — windows and roof work as one storm system.
- Kitchen Remodeling in Boca Raton — hardening the house and updating it at the same time.
Hurricane Window Questions I Hear a Lot
Are hurricane windows and impact windows really the same thing?
Yes. "Hurricane windows" is what people call them; "impact windows" is what the building code calls them. Same glass, same frames, same protection. Don't let anyone sell you one as an upgrade over the other.
How long from measurement to installation?
Figure 6–8 weeks from signed contract to install day — manufacturing the windows takes most of that. I'll give you a real timeline when I measure.
Should I just get shutters instead?
Shutters are cheaper upfront and they beat nothing — I respect the budget call. But somebody has to put them up every storm, and they do nothing for you the rest of the year. Windows protect you 24/7, cut noise, block UV, and lower your insurance every year.
Will they lower my homeowners insurance?
They can save you up to $1,400 a year through wind mitigation credits — "up to" because your carrier sets the final number. Year after year, the credits are real.
Get a Straight Price
Call or text (561) 462-9293 — or reach me through https://onelconstruction.com. Free in-home estimate. I'll measure, I'll price it, and I'll tell you straight whether the job makes sense for your house.
*Prices on this page are averages from recent jobs — I set them before the latest round of tariff-driven material increases, so treat them as ballparks, not quotes. Your free in-home estimate always uses current numbers. — Joe*