Florida Garage Door Wind Code by County
Design wind speeds, High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) designations, and wind-borne debris requirements for garage doors across every major Florida county. Based on the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (Figure 1609.3(1)) and ASCE 7.
Florida Garage Door Wind Zones Explained
Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Garage doors must carry a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or Florida Product Approval and pass large- and small-missile impact testing (TAS 201/202/203). Design wind speeds for residential doors are interpreted at up to 175 mph.
Coastal high-wind areas outside the HVHZ. Garage doors must be impact-rated or fitted with approved shutters/bracing and must meet the higher pressure ratings on the FBC map.
Areas where the ultimate design wind speed is 140 mph or greater (or 130+ mph within 1 mile of the coast). Garage door openings must be protected against wind-borne debris with impact-rated doors or approved coverings.
Interior areas below the wind-borne debris threshold. Doors must still meet the design pressure (DP) rating for the local wind speed, but large-missile impact protection is generally not mandated.
Find Your County
Southeast Florida
Entire county is HVHZ. Doors require a Miami-Dade NOA and large-missile impact rating.
Entire county is HVHZ. Same NOA and impact requirements as Miami-Dade.
Just north of the HVHZ. Coastal zones require impact-rated doors; some areas approach HVHZ pressures.
Treasure Coast. High coastal wind speeds; wind-borne debris protection required.
Treasure Coast. Impact-rated doors required in coastal zones.
Vero Beach area. Wind-borne debris region along the coast.
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys carry some of the highest design wind speeds in the U.S. Impact protection is mandatory.
Southwest Florida
Naples/Marco Island. Very high coastal wind speeds; impact-rated doors required.
Fort Myers/Cape Coral. Hard-hit by Hurricane Ian; strict impact requirements on the coast.
Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda. Wind-borne debris region throughout most of the county.
Coastal zones require impact-rated garage doors.
Bradenton area. Wind-borne debris protection required near the coast.
Tampa Bay
St. Petersburg/Clearwater. Densely populated peninsula in the wind-borne debris region.
Tampa. Coastal and bay-front areas are wind-borne debris zones.
Coastal areas in WBDR; inland sections approach the threshold.
Gulf coast county; wind-borne debris region near the shoreline.
Nature Coast. Coastal strip is WBDR; interior is standard.
Central Florida
Orlando metro. Most of the county is at or above the 140 mph wind-borne debris threshold.
Kissimmee/St. Cloud. Inland but still in the wind-borne debris region.
North of Orlando. Generally at the wind-borne debris threshold.
Mount Dora/Clermont. Near the threshold; western edge may fall below 140 mph.
Lakeland/Winter Haven. Central ridge; most areas in the wind-borne debris region.
Daytona Beach. Atlantic coast county; impact protection required near the shore.
Space Coast/Melbourne. High coastal wind speeds and strict debris-protection rules.
The Villages area. Among the lowest design wind speeds in the state; mostly standard region.
Northeast Florida
Jacksonville. Coastal/beaches zones are WBDR; much of the interior is just under 140 mph.
St. Augustine. Coastal wind-borne debris region; inland near the threshold.
Inland from Jacksonville. Generally standard wind region.
Amelia Island/Fernandina. Coastal WBDR at the Georgia line.
Palm Coast. Atlantic coast; wind-borne debris region near the shore.
North Central Florida
Gainesville. Interior county with some of the lowest design wind speeds in Florida.
Ocala. Inland standard wind region.
Gulf coast county; the immediate shoreline can reach the WBDR threshold.
Lake City. Far interior; standard wind region.
Live Oak. Far interior; standard wind region.
Panhandle
Pensacola. Far western Gulf coast; high design wind speeds and strict impact rules.
Gulf Breeze/Navarre. Coastal wind-borne debris region.
Destin/Fort Walton Beach. Coastal WBDR; impact-rated doors required.
30A corridor. Wind-borne debris region along the coast.
Panama City. Devastated by Hurricane Michael (2018); strict coastal requirements.
Port St. Joe. High coastal design wind speeds.
Apalachicola. Coastal wind-borne debris region.
Tallahassee. Inland capital region; standard wind region.
Big Bend coast; shoreline areas reach the WBDR threshold.
Need the exact wind speed for a specific address?
Florida's wind-speed lines follow roads, rivers, and coastlines rather than county borders, so a single county can span more than one zone. The figures above are representative Risk Category II (residential) values for planning. For a code-official, site-specific number, use one of the free official tools below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What wind speed does my garage door need to withstand in Florida?
It depends on your county and proximity to the coast. Florida design wind speeds (Vult) range from about 115 mph in the far interior to 175 mph in Miami-Dade, Broward, and the Keys. The Florida Building Code sets these values using ASCE 7 wind maps, and your garage door's design pressure (DP) rating must meet or exceed the requirement for your address.
What is the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ)?
The HVHZ covers Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Garage doors installed there must carry a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or Florida Product Approval and pass large- and small-missile impact testing under protocols TAS 201, 202, and 203. This is the strictest garage door standard in the state.
Do I need an impact-rated garage door in Florida?
If your home is in the Wind-Borne Debris Region (where the ultimate design wind speed is 140 mph or greater, or 130+ mph within one mile of the coast), garage door openings must be protected against flying debris with an impact-rated door or approved bracing/shutters. Outside that region, a door rated for the local design pressure is required but large-missile impact protection generally is not.
Why does the garage door matter so much in a hurricane?
The garage door is usually the largest opening in a home and one of the most vulnerable. If it fails, wind enters and pressurizes the house, which can lift the roof and cause catastrophic structural failure. Reinforcing or replacing the garage door is one of the highest-impact ways to protect a Florida home.
Are these wind speeds exact for my address?
The values shown are representative Risk Category II figures for general planning. Florida's wind-speed lines follow geographic features rather than county lines, so use the free ASCE 7 Hazard Tool (ascehazardtool.org) or the University of Florida GeoPlan map for a code-official, site-specific value before buying a door or pulling a permit.
Prepare Your Door for Storm Season
Use these free resources to protect your garage door before the next hurricane.