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Broward County Building Code Services Division
Permit Guide · Broward County

How to Pull a Broward County Impact Window Permit (2026 Guide)

Step-by-step process for pulling an impact-window permit anywhere in Broward County — HVHZ rules, NOA-per-product requirements, the difference between county-level and city-level permits, review windows, and the four mistakes that send applications back.

Last updated May 2026Reviewed by Aldo Dellamano, FL CGC1525289
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At a Glance

Broward County Impact Window Permit — Key Facts

Permit required?
Yes — Florida Building Code §105.1, countywide
Issued by
Broward County Building Code Services Division
1 N University Dr, Plantation FL 33324
Online portal
broward.org/building
Where do you pull?
Incorporated cities at the city; unincorporated Broward at the county
Typical review window
County: residential ~30 days · commercial ~50 · cities often faster
Permit fee
Sliding scale + ~20% processing up-front
Key documents
Signed/sealed plans (×2), Miami-Dade NOA per product, processing-fee receipt, Notice of Commencement (>$2,500)
HVHZ-specific?
Yes — all of Broward is inside Florida's HVHZ
Inspection required?
Yes — at least one passed inspection within 180 days

Quick Answer

Across Broward County, a building permit is required for every impact-window installation under Florida Building Code §105.1. All of Broward is in the HVHZ — plan on a Miami-Dade NOA per product, ~30 business days of review at the county level (faster at most cities), and a final inspection within 180 days.

All of Broward County sits inside Florida's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. The first decision is whether you're filing at the county or at a city — every incorporated municipality (Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miramar, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Plantation, etc.) pulls its own permits separately, while unincorporated Broward goes through the county's Building Code Services Division. Either way, the underlying rules are the same: Miami-Dade NOA per product, large-missile impact testing, design wind speeds in the 170 mph range. This guide walks the actual 2026 process: who issues your permit, what documents you need, and the four mistakes that send most applications back.

Do You Need a Permit to Replace Impact Windows in Broward County?

Answer

Yes — Broward County requires a building permit for every window replacement under Florida Building Code §105.1, whether you file with an incorporated city or with the county directly. All of Broward is in the HVHZ.

Florida Building Code §105.1 requires a permit for any work that changes a building's structure, weather envelope, or life-safety systems. Window replacement does all three — a single opening counts. All of Broward sits inside the HVHZ, so there is no "like-for-like" exemption and no allowance for owners to self-certify HVHZ-rated installs.

Florida insurers routinely deny hurricane-damage claims when post-loss inspections find unpermitted window work. At resale, every Broward title search runs a permit-history check; an open or missing permit on file blocks the closing until it's resolved.

6-Step Application Process

Answer

Identify the right jurisdiction (city vs unincorporated county), file in the appropriate portal, attach signed/sealed plans plus the Miami-Dade NOA for each product, pay the processing fee, then track the application until you pass final inspection.

  1. 1

    Identify the right jurisdiction

    If your property is inside an incorporated city (Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miramar, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, etc.), you pull the permit at the city. If you're in unincorporated Broward, you go through the county's Building Code Services Division.

  2. 2

    Open the application in ePermits

    For unincorporated Broward, go to broward.org/building → ePermits and start a Windows & Doors application. For incorporated cities, the city's portal is the entry point.

  3. 3

    Complete the application

    Fill in the property owner, the licensed contractor's CGC number, scope of work, and project value. Project value drives the fee — under-reporting triggers a re-review and a corrected fee.

  4. 4

    Compile required documents

    Two sets of signed/sealed plans, the Miami-Dade NOA per product (Broward HVHZ accepts MDC NOA — the de-facto standard), the processing-fee receipt, and a Notice of Commencement if the project is over $2,500.

  5. 5

    Submit and wait for review

    Upload through the appropriate portal. County reviews run ~30 business days for residential and ~50 for commercial. City-level reviews are usually faster (~21–25 days). Same-day re-submissions on reviewer comments keep you at queue position.

  6. 6

    Pass inspection within 180 days

    At least one final inspection must clear within 180 days of permit issue or the permit voids and you re-pay. Schedule the final inspection through the portal as soon as install completes.

Required Documents Explained

Answer

Each application needs two signed/sealed plan sets, a Miami-Dade NOA per product, the processing-fee receipt, a recorded Notice of Commencement for projects over $2,500, and engineer-sealed wind-load calculations.

  • Two sets of signed and sealed plans

    Plans must be sealed by a Florida-registered architect or engineer. They detail opening dimensions, the anchoring schedule, and any structural reinforcement around the rough opening.

  • Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA)

    Search every product at miamidade.gov/building/pc-search_app.asp. Broward HVHZ accepts Miami-Dade NOA as the product-approval standard. Each window line carries its own NOA number.

  • Processing fee

    Roughly 20% of total permit cost is paid up-front to start review. Balance is billed at issuance based on final project value. Each city sets its own schedule; the county runs its own.

  • Notice of Commencement

    Required for any project over $2,500. Recorded with the Broward Clerk of Courts before work begins; a copy is uploaded to the permit application.

  • Wind-load calculations

    Derived from your building's design wind speed (170 mph design wind in most of Broward) and exposure category. The engineer's calculation specifies the exact pressure rating per opening.

Permit Fees & Timeline

Answer

Broward County review averages 30 business days for residential, 50 for commercial. City-level reviews typically run faster (~21–25 days). You have 180 days from issue to pass at least one inspection.

  • ~30 days
    Residential review window
    Unincorporated Broward (county-level)
  • ~50 days
    Commercial review window
    Larger scope, longer queue
  • 180 days
    Deadline to pass first inspection
    From permit issuance
  • ~20%
    Processing fee (up-front)
    Sliding scale on project value

City-level reviews typically clear faster than the county queue — Miramar averages ~21 days, Pompano Beach ~25, Hollywood ~25. Confirm against the published fee schedule of the specific jurisdiction handling your permit.

HVHZ Requirements That Trip Up Out-of-Town Contractors

Answer

All of Broward is inside the HVHZ, which requires Miami-Dade NOA approval (not just statewide Florida Product Approval), large-missile impact testing, and design wind speeds up to 170 mph — stricter than anywhere outside Miami-Dade and Broward.

Contractors licensed in non-HVHZ Florida regularly get tripped up by the HVHZ delta. Statewide Florida Product Approval is not equivalent in Broward. Large-missile impact testing — a 9-pound 2x4 fired at 34 mph at the glass — is the HVHZ acceptance threshold, and design wind speeds reach 170 mph in coastal Broward.

HVHZ (Broward, Miami-Dade)Rest of Florida
Product approvalMiami-Dade NOA requiredFlorida Product Approval accepted
Impact testLarge-missile (9 lb 2x4 @ 34 mph)Small-missile in some zones
Design wind speedUp to 170 mph in BrowardTypically 130–150 mph
Inspection rigorMultiple inspections (rough + final)Often a single final inspection

4 Reasons Broward Rejects Impact Window Permit Applications

Answer

Most rejections trace to a small set of mistakes — NOA mismatch between submitted product and plans, missing wind-load calculations, an unrecorded Notice of Commencement on a project over $2,500, or an unlicensed contractor named on the application.

  • NOA mismatch

    The product specified in the plans doesn't match the NOA number listed on the application — or the NOA on file has expired and a renewed version exists. Reviewers compare every line.

  • Missing wind-load calculations

    No engineer-sealed calculation for the building's design wind speed and exposure category. Generic spec sheets don't substitute for a building-specific calc.

  • Notice of Commencement not recorded

    Projects over $2,500 require the NoC recorded with the Broward Clerk of Courts before work begins. A copy goes into the permit; without it, the permit can't be issued.

  • Wrong jurisdiction

    Filing the application at the county when the property is inside an incorporated city (or vice versa). The application gets routed back; check your address against the city limits before filing.

After the Permit — Inspections

Answer

Schedule each inspection through the appropriate portal: a rough/dry-in pass with anchoring + flashing exposed, then a final inspection with windows operable, glazing intact, and NOA tags retained.

  1. 1

    Schedule the rough/dry-in inspection

    After the windows are anchored but before interior trim closes the rough opening. The inspector verifies anchoring schedule, flashing, and structural reinforcement against the sealed plans.

  2. 2

    Pass the final inspection

    Windows fully installed and operable, glazing intact, weatherstripping in place. The NOA tags must remain on the glass — pulling them before the inspector arrives is a common reason for a re-inspection trip.

  3. 3

    Close the permit

    Once the final clears, the permit auto-closes and shows as "finalized" in the portal. That status is what title searches see at resale.

Why Most Broward Homeowners Hire a Permit-Pulling Contractor

Answer

A permit-pulling contractor handles the application, the sealed plans, the NOA paperwork, the Notice of Commencement, and every inspection — eliminating the common rejection reasons before a Broward reviewer ever sees the file.

A licensed contractor pulls the permit under their CGC and stays the responsible party through final inspection — that's a meaningful difference from owner-builder permits, which require the homeowner to occupy the home, prohibit selling for one year after the work, and shift legal responsibility for code compliance.

SafeGuard handles every Broward impact-window permit end-to-end across both county and city jurisdictions: signed/sealed plans, NOA verification per product, Notice of Commencement filing, portal submission, reviewer-comment turnaround, and both inspections. Request a free estimate and we'll cost the project including the full permit pathway.

FAQs

Broward County Impact Window Permits — Common Questions

Do I file my Broward permit at the county or at the city?
Depends on your address. Properties inside an incorporated municipality (Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miramar, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Plantation, etc.) pull permits at that city. Unincorporated Broward addresses go through the county's Building Code Services Division.
How long does Broward County take to approve an impact window permit?
Around 30 business days for residential and 50 for commercial at the county level. Most cities run faster (~21–25 business days). SafeGuard tracks every submission and re-submits same-day on any reviewer comments to avoid losing queue position.
Does Broward County accept Miami-Dade NOA for impact windows?
Yes. Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance is the de-facto HVHZ product-approval standard. All Broward jurisdictions accept it for impact-window permits. Florida Product Approval (statewide) is not enough inside the HVHZ.
Can the homeowner pull the permit themselves in Broward?
Technically yes, as an owner-builder. Broward jurisdictions require the homeowner to occupy the home, prohibit selling for one year after the work, and shift legal responsibility for code compliance — including any failed inspections — to the homeowner.
What happens if I install impact windows in Broward without a permit?
Stop-work orders, fines from the city or county, voided insurance claims, problems at resale where every title search flags unclosed permits, and exposure to demolition-and-rebuild orders if a later inspection turns up the unpermitted work.
Do I need impact windows or hurricane shutters in Broward?
Either passes the building code. Impact windows replace shutters entirely — no deploying before each storm, plus daily benefits like UV protection, sound insulation, and a wind-mitigation insurance discount that Broward homeowners use to offset insurance premiums.
What wind-load rating do I need in Broward?
Design wind speeds reach 170 mph in coastal parts of Broward. The engineer's wind-load calculation specifies the exact pressure rating per opening based on building height, exposure category, and roof geometry — beachfront properties pull stronger numbers than interior parcels.
Does the permit need to be closed before I sell my Broward home?
Yes. Open or expired permits show up on every Broward title search and routinely delay or kill closings until they're resolved. The county's lien-search system flags every unclosed permit on the property.

Want SafeGuard to handle the permit?

Free estimate that includes the full permit pathway — sealed plans, product-approval verification, Notice of Commencement, and inspections.

Request a free estimate(954) 408-4000

Content Disclosure

This article is provided for general information only and reflects current Florida Building Code requirements, common South Florida construction practices, and SafeGuard's field experience. Actual project costs, permit requirements, material availability, and timelines vary based on your home, municipality, and project scope. Florida law requires that any residential construction work over $1,000 be performed by a licensed contractor — always consult a Florida-licensed contractor before starting an impact-window, impact-door, or roofing project and verify credentials through the Florida DBPR license lookup. This guidance is not a substitute for a project-specific estimate or on-site evaluation by a licensed professional.