If you're replacing windows, doors, a roof or shutters in South Florida, someone will ask for the product's approval: a Florida Product Approval or a Miami-Dade NOA (Notice of Acceptance). Without the right one, your permit doesn't get issued, or your inspection doesn't pass.
Here's what these approvals are, why Broward is stricter than most of Florida, and how to avoid the most common approval problems.
Quick answer
- A product approval is proof that a building product was tested and meets the Florida Building Code for wind, water and impact.
- Florida Product Approval is the statewide system, run through the Florida Building Commission. Approvals carry an FL number.
- A Miami-Dade NOA is a separate approval from Miami-Dade County's product control office. It's long been the standard for the toughest hurricane areas.
- Broward and Miami-Dade are the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ). Products there must be approved for HVHZ use.
- Approvals expire and have limits. Check the date, the design pressure and the installation details.
Why do products need approval at all?
In a hurricane, the building envelope (the roof, windows and doors) is what keeps wind and water out. If one opening fails, wind gets inside and pressure builds, which can tear off the roof. Florida requires the products that make up the envelope to prove they can handle our storms before they're installed.
Products covered typically include:
- Windows and sliding glass doors
- Entry doors and garage doors
- Roofing materials and underlayment
- Hurricane shutters and storm panels
- Skylights
- Exterior wall and soffit products
What's the difference between an FL approval and an NOA?
Florida Product Approval (FL#): the statewide system. Products are approved for specific uses, and some approvals specifically say they're approved for use in the HVHZ.
Miami-Dade NOA: Miami-Dade County's own product control approval, with its own testing and review. In Broward, installers and product makers commonly use Miami-Dade NOAs for HVHZ products, and many products carry both kinds of approval.
Which one does your permit need? In the HVHZ, the product must be approved for HVHZ use, and what each building department accepts can vary. Ask the jurisdiction, or ask us, before the products are ordered.
Palm Beach County vs. Broward
Broward is in the HVHZ, the strictest wind requirements in the Florida Building Code.
Palm Beach County is not in the HVHZ but is still a high-wind, wind-borne debris region. Florida Product Approval applies, and the design pressures can still be demanding, especially near the coast.
What's inside an approval document?
Each approval is a technical document. The parts that matter for your permit:
- Expiration date. An expired approval gets rejected
- Design pressure: the wind pressure the product is rated to handle. It must meet or beat what your opening needs
- Impact rating: whether the product resists flying debris
- Size limits: the largest approved size
- Installation instructions: anchor type, spacing, and the distance from the anchor to the edge of the opening. The inspector checks these
What problems hold up permits?
- Expired approvals. The most common one
- Design pressure too low for the opening's location on the building (corners need more)
- Product swapped after approval. What gets installed must match what's in the permit
- Installation not matching the approval. Wrong anchors or spacing, which fails at inspection
- Missing approvals for some layers of a roof system
What should you do?
Before ordering products, get the approval documents from your supplier or contractor and check them against the permit. That 20-minute check can save weeks of resubmittals or a failed inspection. It's one of the first things we check on every window, door and roofing package.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I look up a product approval?
Florida Product Approvals are searchable on the Florida Building Commission's website (floridabuilding.org). Miami-Dade NOAs are published by Miami-Dade County's product control office.
Can I install a product approved in another state?
Not unless it has the required Florida approval for your area. Out-of-state ratings don't replace Florida approval.
Does the approval need to be valid when I install, or when I apply?
Ask your building department. As a rule, use approvals that are current when you submit and still current when you install.
Need product approvals checked before you submit?
We review product approvals as part of every building and roofing permit package across Broward and Palm Beach County. Call us or request a callback.