How to Prepare a Garage Door for a Hurricane in Florida
By Vlad Ivanov · Updated November 14, 2026 · 20 sources
Short answer
The lasting fix is a wind-rated or impact-resistant door. For an older non-rated door, FLASH (which the Florida Division of Emergency Management links to) recommends a professionally installed storm brace kit or temporary 2x4 wood braces once a hurricane watch or warning is issued. Before the storm, check the brackets and track, release the opener and engage the side locks, and evacuate if officials order it rather than counting on the door.
Key takeaways
- FLASH: more than 90% of house damage in severe wind events begins when garage doors separate from their mounting, collapse, or cave in.[1]
- FLASH cites NIST: homes with intact garage doors were more likely to keep their roofs, and the correlation held at wind speeds up to 135 mph.[2]
- FLASH: wind-rated is good, impact-resistant is better; single-car doors usually resist wind better than two-car doors; doors without glass beat glazed doors unless the glass is impact-resistant.[3]
- FLASH: a door's rating is usually shown on a yellow or white sticker listing pounds per square foot (PSF); without one, contact the manufacturer or a local dealer.[4]
What the sources say
FLASH: have a professional check brackets and connectors, tighten screws, add brackets if there are only three per side, and replace rusted pins and worn rollers.[5]
FLASH says a licensed and insured garage door professional should do bracket work to keep the door balanced and its safety features working.[6]
FLASH: DIY 2x4 wood braces cost about $150 in materials and are an emergency measure for when an NHC hurricane watch or warning is in effect.[7]
FLASH: release the lift system while temporary braces/panels are in place so the opener can't be triggered and damage the door.[8]
FLASH: if the door has side locks, engage them before a storm to add wind resistance; a professional can add locks.[9]
FLASH HurricaneStrong sheet (linked by FDEM): a professionally installed storm kit with purpose-built struts and braces costs about $200-$750.[10]
The same FLASH sheet puts a wind-rated or impact-resistant replacement door at about $2,000-$9,000.[11]
Florida Division of Emergency Management lists garage doors as one of five critical areas to protect against wind entry.[12]
FDEM: for sheltering in place, garage doors should be impact resistant or covered with rated shutters or properly secured 5/8-inch plywood.[13]
FDEM: you may be able to shelter at home only if you are not in an evacuation zone; homes built to the 2002+ Florida Building Code may be more resistant if the exterior is in good condition.[14]
FDEM tells homeowners to contact the local building code official about requirements for home improvement projects.[15]
FEMA Ready Business toolkit: install pressure-rated, impact-resistant garage doors or brace existing doors with assemblies designed to raise pressure ratings.[16]
NHC: a Hurricane Watch is issued 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected, because preparation gets difficult once those winds arrive.[17]
NHC: a Hurricane Warning is issued 36 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected.[18]
Ready.gov (FEMA): if you are in a mandatory evacuation zone and told to evacuate, do so immediately; Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1-November 30.[19]
Ready.gov: document property damage with photographs and contact your insurer after a hurricane.[20]
Rather talk to a local garage door company? Call now.
One number for every Florida city. Say your city and what is wrong with the door, and a local garage door company that covers your area calls you back. Calls answered 24/7.
Related questions
Do you need a permit to replace a garage door in Florida?
Yes, in most of Florida. The Florida Building Code requires a permit to alter or repair a building, and counties like Miami-Dade, Orange, Pinellas and Hillsborough treat garage door replacement as permitted work that needs a product approval and a final inspection. Read more
What wind rating does a garage door need in Florida, and what changes in Miami-Dade and Broward?
There is no single statewide number: a Florida garage door must be rated for the design wind pressure of your specific house (wind speed, exposure, height, door size), carry a Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade NOA, and be impact-rated or protected in the wind-borne debris region. In Miami-Dade and Broward (the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone) the code sets 175 mph and 170 mph design wind speeds for typical homes, requires every outside door to meet impact criteria or be protected, and Miami-Dade requires a current NOA with the permit. Read more
Does a garage door company need a license in Florida?
Usually yes for installation and replacement: Florida now offers a state Certified Garage Door Installation Specialty Contractor license through DBPR's Construction Industry Licensing Board, and counties such as Hillsborough, Broward and Palm Beach still issue local garage door certificates of competency. Check a state license on myfloridalicense.com and a county license in that county's contractor search before you sign anything. Read more
Garage door trouble? Call now.
One number for every Florida city. Say your city and what is wrong with the door, and a local garage door company that covers your area calls you back. Calls answered 24/7.
Prefer to pick a company yourself? Find one by city.
Last updated:
Sources
- Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) - Strengthen Your Garage Door (03/12/2026) (checked November 14, 2026)
- FLASH - Strengthen Your Garage Door (checked November 14, 2026)
- FLASH - Strengthen Your Garage Door (checked November 14, 2026)
- FLASH - Strengthen Your Garage Door (checked November 14, 2026)
- FLASH - Strengthen Your Garage Door (checked November 14, 2026)
- FLASH - Strengthen Your Garage Door (checked November 14, 2026)
- FLASH - Strengthen Your Garage Door (checked November 14, 2026)
- FLASH - Strengthen Your Garage Door (checked November 14, 2026)
- FLASH - Strengthen Your Garage Door (checked November 14, 2026)
- FLASH HurricaneStrong - Strengthen Your Garage Door (PDF linked from floridadisaster.org) (checked November 14, 2026)
- FLASH HurricaneStrong - Strengthen Your Garage Door (PDF) (checked November 14, 2026)
- Florida Division of Emergency Management - Planning for Your Home (checked November 14, 2026)
- Florida Division of Emergency Management - Planning for Your Home (checked November 14, 2026)
- Florida Division of Emergency Management - Planning for Your Home (checked November 14, 2026)
- Florida Division of Emergency Management - Planning for Your Home (checked November 14, 2026)
- FEMA Ready Business Hurricane Toolkit (checked November 14, 2026)
- National Hurricane Center - Watch/Warning definitions (checked November 14, 2026)
- National Hurricane Center - Watch/Warning definitions (checked November 14, 2026)
- Ready.gov (FEMA) - Hurricanes (last updated 10/16/2026) (checked November 14, 2026)
- Ready.gov (FEMA) - Hurricanes (checked November 14, 2026)