Yes, as long as the opening is protected by a permanently installed, code-approved shutter or covering system rated to the same wind and impact standards. Florida code requires the opening to be protected, not specifically that the glass itself be impact-rated — standard glass with an approved shutter is a legitimate, permitted path.

No — if your existing shutters are code-approved, properly installed, and rated for the opening, a standard replacement window behind them satisfies the protection requirement. You're not required to also upgrade to impact glass on openings that are already covered by a compliant shutter system.

Not if the shutter pairing is correctly documented — the wind mitigation credit is based on every opening being protected, by whichever method, not specifically on impact glass. What does hurt the credit is an opening with neither impact glass nor a functioning, code-approved shutter covering it.

Whole-home projects typically get better per-opening pricing on crew mobilization, permitting, and material ordering, so doing it all at once often costs less in total than two separate phased projects. That said, a phased approach with standard glass and shutters on secondary openings now is a reasonable way to spread cost if a single whole-home project isn't in the current budget — the 25% rule is the main thing to keep in mind if you're phasing deliberately.

Not if the room's egress opening would drop below code minimums — 5.0 square feet on the ground floor or 5.7 square feet above it, with minimum 24-inch height and 20-inch width net clear dimensions. A bedroom needs at least one opening meeting that geometry regardless of impact rating, so a smaller replacement window is only an option if the room has another qualifying egress point.

Yes — any window replacement, standard or impact, requires a permit in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County, with documentation of both the window's product approval and, for a standard window, the paired shutter system's approval as well.

Standard windows are less expensive per opening than impact glass of the same size, but that gap narrows once you add the cost of a compliant shutter system to legally protect the opening — for homeowners comparing total project cost rather than just window unit price, the two paths end up closer than the sticker price on the glass alone suggests.

The county allows it as a legitimate code path as long as the shutter pairing is documented and approved. HOAs can regulate the shutter system's color, style, and uniformity across the community, but Florida law generally prevents an HOA from outright blocking a homeowner's code-compliant storm protection method — it's worth checking your specific association's architectural guidelines before ordering either product.