Your garage door's hurricane prep checklist.

I've inspected, repaired, or replaced 41 garage doors in the two weeks after Hurricane Matthew (2016), 23 after Irma (2017), and another 17 after Ian's outer bands clipped PBC in 2022. Pattern: the homes that lost roofs almost always lost the garage door first. This guide is what we tell every PBC homeowner who calls in May asking "what do I need to do?"

If you take one thing from this guide: a non-wind-rated garage door in Palm Beach County is uninsurable in 2026. Most carriers will deny hurricane wind claims if your door fails inspection.

Why garage doors fail before everything else

A garage door is typically 40–50% of the front-facing exterior surface of a house. It's the largest opening, the lightest material (steel panels are 0.5–1 mm thick), and the only surface held in place by springs and cables — not bolts.

When wind hits a flat door at 130+ mph, two things happen:

• Direct pressure pushes the panels inward. Without wind-rated bracing, panels bow and pop free of the tracks.
• Internal pressurization happens within 8–12 seconds of the door failing. House pressure can rise 50–80%, which lifts the roof deck off the trusses. That's what causes total loss.

Bottom line: harden the garage door and you've cut your worst-case scenario in half.

14-day assessment (do this in May)

Two weeks before storm season starts. within range total. You don't need tools beyond a flashlight and your phone.

1. Find the NOA sticker. Look on the inside of the top panel for a Miami-Dade NOA label. If it's there, photograph it. If it's missing, your door likely isn't certified — get a quote for replacement.
2. Check the spring count. One spring on a double-car (16ft) door means it was either installed cheaply or is non-rated. Wind-rated double doors require two springs minimum.
3. Test the track. Push lightly on each panel toward the center. If you can flex panels more than ~1/2 inch, the bracing is weak.
4. Photograph everything. Door exterior, NOA sticker, opener model number, serial. You'll thank yourself if you have to file a claim.
5. Check seal condition. Bottom astragal seal should compress, not crumble. Side weatherstripping should be flexible.

Wind ratings explained (without the confusion)

You'll see three numbers on every certified door. Here's what they actually mean:

• Design pressure (DP): Stated as "+positive / -negative" psf. Higher = stronger. PBC code minimum is +50 / -60 psf. Coastal areas east of US-1 should aim for +55 / -65.
• Wind-load rating: Translated to MPH for marketing. A +50 psf door typically corresponds to ~150 mph 3-second gust resistance.
• Impact rating (large missile): Whether the panel passed the 9 lb 2x4 at 50 ft/s test. Required if you don't have shutters.

The single most useful spec: look for "Miami-Dade County NOA" on the label. That's the gold standard. PBC accepts it; most insurance carriers prefer it.

What insurance actually covers (and doesn't)

This is where most homeowners get burned. The rules vary by carrier but the patterns are consistent:

• Covered: Damage from a covered peril (windstorm, named storm) to a certified, code-compliant door.
• Not covered: Damage to a non-certified door — even if the cause was a hurricane. Carriers can deny the claim or reduce payout.
• Wind mitigation credit: Most PBC carriers offer $300–$900/year premium reduction for a certified wind-rated door + opener. Submit the NOA certificate to claim it.

The credit alone often pays back the cost of an upgrade in 4–6 years. Add the avoided-loss math (a typical roof claim is $40k–$80k) and the ROI is overwhelming.

Shutters or impact panels? Pick one.

Florida code lets you skip impact glazing if the opening is protected by approved shutters. Two paths:

• Path A — Impact-rated door: Built-in protection. No shutters needed. Slightly more expensive up front ($300–$600 premium on a typical door). Set it and forget it.
• Path B — Non-impact wind-rated door + shutters: Cheaper door, but you must deploy shutters before every storm. Most homeowners stop doing this after the third false alarm.

Our recommendation: Path A. The math favors it once you account for installation labor on shutters over a 15-year door lifespan.

Day-before-storm checklist

Track is on the cone. National Hurricane Center says landfall in 36 hours. Here's the 15-minute door check:

1. Park the cars inside if they're not classics — vehicle weight stiffens the door against pressure.
2. Disengage the opener using the red emergency-release cord. This lets you manually verify the door is fully closed and lock the manual slide bolt if you have one.
3. Lock the manual bolt or padlock the track. If you don't have a slide bolt, a padlock through the track bracket holes works.
4. Do not open the door during the storm, even between bands. Pressure differential changes can yank the door off the track.
5. If you have shutters, deploy them before the wind hits — not when. By the time you feel "real" wind, you're already 15 mph past safe to be outside.

After the storm

Don't open the door until daylight. Walk the exterior first:

• Photograph any damage before touching anything. Insurers want pre-cleanup photos.
• If panels are dented or cracked but the door operates, call us before forcing it — moving a compromised door can damage the opener.
• If springs or cables snapped, do not try to lift the door manually. It can weigh 250+ lbs without the spring assist.
• For claims, you'll need: pre-storm photos, post-storm photos, the NOA certificate, the install receipt, and the opener serial.

If a storm is named and within 72 hours of PBC: we run a pre-storm inspection service. $89 covers a full check, photos, and a written report you can submit to insurance. Book early — we usually fill up the day NHC issues the cone.