Impact windows in new construction: the no-brainer install timing
New construction, Cape Coral SW, 19 openings
If you're building new in Florida, install impact glass at construction. The retrofit math never gets better than this.
What worked
- +Roughly 30% cheaper than retrofitting later
- +Wind mitigation credits started day one of the policy
- +No shutters to store, deploy, or maintain — ever
What didn't
- −Builder's standard package was lower DP rating than we needed for our exposure category
- −Required pushing back on the builder twice to upgrade
Rating breakdown
- install
- ★★★★★
- performance
- ★★★★★
- value
- ★★★★★
- service
- ★★★★★
We built new in SW Cape Coral, finishing in late 2024. The builder's standard window package was impact-rated but at the minimum design pressure for the area. After reading through the wind exposure category for our specific lot (Exposure C — open canal frontage), we pushed back and paid the upgrade to a higher DP rating. Cost a little over $4,000 extra. Eighteen months in, no regrets. Insurance underwriting went through without a single follow-up question, our HO-3 came in roughly $1,400 below comparable Cape Coral homes from 2020, and we never have to think about shutters. If you're building in Florida and the builder offers you the option to upgrade your window package — do it. You will never get this price again.
Researching options in Southwest Florida? Read our Southwest Florida regional guide for local considerations.