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Before
After
Before
AfterStorm & Exterior Doors in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Our Door Installation services in Fort Lauderdale mean fitting your home with an impact-rated, code-compliant entry that can handle a Category 4 storm without buckling – and still look sharp when the sun comes back out. At Winslow Windows & Doors, we’ve been doing exactly that since 2011, and Ed Winslow’s name is on the building, which means his reputation rides on every door we hang. If you’re replacing a weathered wood entry, upgrading an aging fiberglass unit that no longer meets Broward County’s Florida Building Code requirements, or adding a steel storm door to a covered porch, call us at (904) 913-5886 – a live person picks up around the clock.
This page covers storm doors, exterior entry doors, and impact-rated front and back doors. For sliding patio entries, French doors, and our full scope, visit our Door Installation in Fort Lauderdale page. For everything we do under one roof, start at the home page.
Fort Lauderdale sits inside Broward County’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. That designation isn’t just a weather warning – it’s a code classification that directly governs which products can be legally installed on your home and which permits the county will issue. A door that passed muster in Tampa or Orlando may not cut it here. We know the difference, and we pull the permits to prove it.
When You Need Storm & Exterior Doors
- Your current door was installed before 2002. Broward County’s post-Andrew building code overhaul set new impact-resistance benchmarks. Doors installed before that cycle are almost certainly under-spec for today’s storm standards – and your insurer may already know it.
- You’re seeing daylight or feeling a draft around the frame. In Fort Lauderdale’s heat and humidity, a compromised door seal isn’t just uncomfortable – it’s working against your air conditioner every hour of every day. We regularly see energy bills drop noticeably after a proper exterior door replacement in neighborhoods like Victoria Park and Coral Ridge.
- The door sticks, sags, or refuses to latch cleanly. South Florida’s combination of salt air, ground settling, and summer humidity causes frames to shift and swell. A door that fights you in June is often a structural problem, not just a hardware problem.
- You received a notice from your homeowner’s insurance carrier. Several Broward County insurers have begun sending inspection letters demanding proof of impact-rated openings. A CGI or CWS impact door with the proper NOA (Notice of Acceptance) documentation can satisfy those requirements and potentially lower your premium.
- You’re planning a renovation or listing the home for sale. In Fort Lauderdale’s real estate market, an impact-rated front door from a brand like Therma-Tru is a documented upgrade – buyers and their inspectors notice it, and appraisers increasingly assign value to it.
- Your existing door failed during a named storm or caused interior water intrusion. Even a door that “survived” a storm can have hidden frame damage, compromised weatherstripping channels, or a threshold that no longer seats correctly. We inspect the full rough opening, not just the slab.
Our Storm & Exterior Doors Process
- Free in-home measurement and scope assessment. We come to your address – no trip charge inside Broward County – and measure the rough opening precisely. We document the existing frame condition, sill height, and any water damage in the surrounding wall cavity. This visit takes about 30 to 45 minutes and costs you nothing. You’ll have a written, itemized estimate before we leave.
- Product selection and NOA verification. Based on your opening size, budget, and design preference, we recommend specific door units from our authorized lineup. We confirm that the selected product carries a valid Florida Notice of Acceptance for your wind-speed zone. In Fort Lauderdale, that typically means a product rated for 150 mph or higher design pressure. We walk you through the options – fiberglass, steel, or aluminum – and explain what each choice means for maintenance, energy performance, and storm rating. No upsell pressure, just the facts.
- Permit application and scheduling. We file the Broward County building permit on your behalf. Permit timelines in Fort Lauderdale typically run seven to fourteen business days for standard residential exterior doors. We schedule your installation around permit approval and give you a confirmed date – not a window of weeks.
- Professional installation by background-checked, uniformed technicians. Every Winslow crew member passes a background check and arrives in uniform – you’ll know who to expect before the truck pulls up. We remove the old door and frame, inspect the rough opening for rot or pest damage, flash the sill and jamb correctly for Fort Lauderdale’s rain-driven conditions, and set the new unit level and square. Impact doors are heavy – a standard 3/0 impact fiberglass slab can run 80 to 120 pounds depending on glass configuration – and proper installation matters as much as the product itself.
- County inspection and sign-off. We coordinate the Broward County inspection and make sure the inspector has the NOA documentation on site. If the inspector flags anything, we address it before we close the job – no exceptions.
- Final walkthrough and 36500-Day Done Right Promise. Before we pack up, we walk the completed installation with you. We demonstrate the locking mechanism, show you the weatherstrip seat, and confirm the door swings and latches the way it should. The job isn’t done until you’re satisfied – and our 36500-Day Done Right Promise means if something isn’t right later, we come back and make it right. That’s not a warranty card buried in a drawer. It’s Ed’s word.
Storm & Exterior Doors Pricing in Fort Lauderdale
Storm and exterior door costs in Fort Lauderdale vary more than most homeowners expect, primarily because the product category spans everything from a basic steel storm door to a custom Entry Doors impact fiberglass unit with sidelites. Here are realistic ranges based on the jobs we actually do in this market:
| Door Type | Typical Installed Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Steel exterior door (non-impact, storm application) | $900 – $1,600 |
| Fiberglass impact entry door (single slab, standard size) | $1,800 – $3,200 |
| Fiberglass impact entry door (single slab, with sidelight) | $2,800 – $4,500 |
| Impact double-entry door (fiberglass or steel) | $3,500 – $7,000 |
| Impact-rated aluminum or steel front door (commercial-grade residential) | $2,400 – $5,000 |
| Permit fee (Broward County, residential) | $150 – $400 (varies by valuation) |
A few things that move the number in Fort Lauderdale specifically:
- Frame condition. Older homes in areas like Riverside Park or Edgewood sometimes have water damage or termite activity in the rough opening that we find only when the old door comes out. Remediation adds cost, but skipping it means your new door is sitting on a compromised structure.
- Product design pressure rating. A door rated to DP-50 costs less than one rated to DP-65. In Fort Lauderdale’s HVHZ, you generally need DP-50 or higher, but corner lots, elevated homes in Lauderdale Manors, or waterfront properties facing open water may require the higher rating. We’ll tell you which applies to your address.
- Glass configuration. Full-lite impact glass panels, decorative inserts, and sidelites all add to the unit cost. They also change how much natural light enters your entry and, in some configurations, reduce impact performance – trade-offs we’ll walk you through honestly.
- Labor complexity. A standard replacement in an existing rough opening takes three to five hours. A modified rough opening – widening or raising the frame – adds labor time and structural work that affects the quote.
Every estimate is written and itemized. Upfront pricing. No surprises on the invoice. And if your project comes to more than $200 in repair work, our permanent $40-off offer applies automatically – no coupon needed. Seniors and veterans receive a standing 10% discount on all work. Call (904) 913-5886 for a free estimate – no trip charge inside Broward County.
FAQs – Storm & Exterior Doors in Fort Lauderdale
Do I need a permit to replace an exterior door in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes – Broward County requires a permit for any exterior door replacement, including like-for-like swaps, because Fort Lauderdale falls inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone where all opening replacements must be inspected for code compliance. The permit process verifies that the new door carries a valid Florida Notice of Acceptance (NOA) for your specific wind-speed requirements. Skipping the permit doesn’t just risk a fine – it can create problems when you sell the home or file an insurance claim. We pull the permit for you and handle all paperwork. Call (904) 913-5886 and we’ll confirm exactly what’s required for your address.
What’s the difference between a storm door and an impact door in Fort Lauderdale?
A storm door is a secondary door installed in front of an existing entry door, typically a lighter aluminum or steel unit that adds a layer of wind and rain protection and can improve ventilation. An impact door is a primary exterior door built to meet Florida’s HVHZ impact-resistance standards – it replaces your entry door entirely and is engineered to hold against Category 4 and 5 wind loads and windborne debris. In Fort Lauderdale, an impact-rated primary door is what satisfies Florida Building Code and most insurance requirements. A storm door is an optional add-on that can make sense for covered entries on the east side of a home where driving rain is a frequent nuisance. We install both and can tell you which fits your situation during a free in-home visit.
How long does a storm or exterior door installation take in Fort Lauderdale?
The physical installation – removing the old door, preparing the opening, and setting the new unit – typically takes one day for a single entry door and one to two days for a French & Double Doors configuration with sidelites. The longer part is the permit cycle: Broward County residential permits for exterior doors generally take seven to fourteen business days to process. We file immediately after you approve the estimate and schedule your install date around permit approval, so there’s no unnecessary waiting on your end. Once the permit is in hand, we’re usually at your door within a few days. Call (904) 913-5886 for a current timeline estimate based on today’s permit queue.
Is it worth replacing my exterior door before hurricane season?
Yes – and the earlier in the calendar year you do it, the more room you have to work with. Fort Lauderdale’s hurricane season runs June through November, and permit processing plus product lead times can add two to four weeks between your decision and a completed installation. Doors ordered in February or March are installed and inspected well before the June 1 season start. Beyond storm readiness, a new Hurricane-Proof Front & Entry Doors from a brand like CGI or CWS typically produces measurable energy savings almost immediately – Fort Lauderdale summers are relentless, and a properly sealed impact door keeps conditioned air where it belongs. The ROI on energy savings alone makes the timing less about “if” and more about “when.” Call (904) 913-5886 to schedule a free estimate and lock in your install date.
Why Fort Lauderdale Homeowners Call Winslow
Ed Winslow started this company in 2011 with a straightforward idea: do the job right, stand behind it permanently, and answer the phone when someone calls. More than 15 years later, that’s still the whole model. We’re not a franchise operation running crews across a dozen states. We’re a locally owned company with a published address, a real license number, and technicians who live in the same communities they work in – Wilton Manors, Lauderdale Lakes, Tamarac, Oakland Park, and Fort Lauderdale itself.
When you call (904) 913-5886, a live person answers – not a voicemail tree, not an after-hours service that takes a message. If you have a question at 11 p.m. about a door that won’t close after a fast-moving squall, someone who knows the product picks up. That’s a promise, not a marketing line.
We’re an authorized installer for CGI, CWS, ES Windows, and several other premier brands – which means we have direct factory support, access to product documentation for permit packages, and the installation training those brands require. We don’t sub out work to crews we haven’t vetted. Every technician who shows up to your home is background-checked, uniformed, and working under the Winslow name.
The 36500-Day Done Right Promise covers every door we install. That’s a century-long standard of accountability. If the installation isn’t right, we come back and fix it – full stop. No parsing of warranty language, no pointing fingers at the manufacturer. Ed’s name is on the door, and on every job we do.
Ready to talk about a storm or exterior door for your Fort Lauderdale home? Call (904) 913-5886 today for a free, written estimate. No trip charge inside Broward County. Seniors and veterans save 10% on every job, every time.
Written by Ed Winslow, Owner at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Fort Lauderdale since 2011.
Six Reasons Homeowners Choose Winslow Windows & Doors
Impact systems engineered to design pressures up to +/-100, matched to your wind zone - your openings hold when the storm arrives.
Low-E insulated impact glass from our manufacturer lines commonly cuts monthly cooling bills 20-30%.
Laminated impact glass shuts out up to 40% of outside noise - traffic, neighbors, weather.
Monitoring services run $30-90 a month. Laminated impact glass resists forced entry around the clock, with no subscription.
Florida homeowners average around 25% savings on the windstorm portion of their policy after protecting every opening - some homes qualify for more.
A full impact package upgrades curb appeal, buyer confidence and appraised value in one project.