Windows in Florida.

No. The Florida sales tax exemption on impact-rated windows, doors, and garage doors ran from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024, and has not been renewed. Projects in 2026 do not qualify for the tax exemption. The remaining value sits in the My Safe Florida Home grant, the wind mitigation insurance discount, and the long-run cooling savings, all three of which are active and substantial.

You apply through the Florida Department of Financial Services portal. If accepted, the program assigns an approved contractor and an approved wind mitigation inspector. The grant pays the contractor directly up to the $10,000 cap for impact-rated windows, opening protection, and roof improvements. The 2024 program ran out of funds in two weeks with a 45,000-homeowner backlog; the 2026-2027 budget proposes $480 million to clear that backlog plus $109 million in recurring annual funds. Apply early in the program year for best odds.

It depends on your carrier, your county, and your home's existing wind mitigation features, but the typical range is $800-$2,500 per year off the hurricane portion of your homeowners insurance. Coastal South Florida counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) see the biggest savings because the hurricane premium component is largest there. Florida law requires insurance companies to offer actuarially reasonable discounts when documented on the OIR-B1-1802 form. The discount renews every policy cycle, year after year, for the life of the windows.

Florida is climate zone 1A (Miami south) and zone 2A (central and panhandle). Both are cooling-dominated, so the priority is SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient): target 0.25 or lower to reflect summer sun. U-factor matters less than in northern climates; 0.40 or lower is sufficient. For hurricane zones, the windows must also carry Florida Product Approval (FL-#) or Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance. Check the NFRC label plus the Florida approval sticker.

Three additional levers: (1) Florida runs 91% electric-cooling homes; every kWh of avoided AC load is real cash, especially during 6-month cooling seasons that hit 14-15¢/kWh on TOU peak; (2) impact-rated windows count toward Florida Building Code hurricane requirements, raising resale value 3-7% on home appraisals with documented hurricane disclosures; (3) noise reduction is dramatic, impact-rated glass is laminated and runs 30-35 STC versus 18-20 for single-pane, which matters on busy streets.

Yes. The grant is the biggest single dollar lever, but the wind mitigation insurance discount applies whether or not you went through My Safe Florida Home, as long as you have impact-rated openings documented on the OIR-B1-1802 form and submit it to your carrier. If the My Safe Florida Home pipeline is full for your program year, the project still pencils on insurance + cooling savings alone, just without the upfront grant.