The county line
Why Two Florida Counties Have Their Own Building Code
The High Velocity Hurricane Zone covers Miami-Dade and Broward and nowhere else. Here is what it changes, in plain terms.
Give us the address and a rough count of openings. We will tell you what the design pressures are before anyone quotes you a price.
What it is
After 1992, South Florida adopted requirements considerably stricter than the rest of the state. Those requirements now sit in the Florida Building Code as the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, and they apply to Miami-Dade and Broward counties only.
The practical effect for a homeowner is the approval path. In HVHZ, products carry a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, tested to large missile impact and cyclic pressure loading. Everywhere else in Florida, statewide Florida Product Approval applies.
What it does not mean
It does not mean an HVHZ product is better for a house outside HVHZ. It means it is required inside it. Buying an NOA product for an Orlando address is usually spending money for no benefit, which is the mirror image of the mistake made here.
It also does not mean the wind-borne debris region and HVHZ are the same thing. The debris region is far larger and covers most of coastal Florida. HVHZ is two counties.
Next step
Find out what is actually wrong with it.
An inspection, photographs of what we found, and a written scope. If the honest answer is that it can wait another season, that is the answer you will get.