People asking how much hurricane shutters cost are usually counting windows on a Lakeland or Plant City house and trying to decide between accordion, roll-down, and a stack of panels in the garage.
The published numbers help you sanity-check a quote. They will not replace a measure, because the opening count is what actually sets the bill.
What hurricane shutters cost in Florida
Angi published 2026 Tampa figures, the closest local numbers we will stand behind. Tampa shares a metro cost of living with Lakeland.
These are general market ranges from Angi. They are not True Aluminum prices and they are not a quote. Call (863) 804-6021. We count the openings.
| Type | Market range, per sq ft installed |
|---|---|
| Storm panels | $10 to $20 |
| Accordion shutters | $15 to $30 |
| Bahama shutters | $20 to $35 |
| Colonial shutters | $25 to $35 |
| Roll-down shutters | $25 to $60 |
Angi puts a typical Tampa shutter job around $3,595, with most work between $1,845 and $5,491. Motorized roll-down sits at the top of that range. A house with a wide slider onto a lanai will land higher than a house with a dozen small bedroom windows.
Accordion, roll-down, or panels
Accordion shutters mount beside the opening and fold across a track. One person, no tools, no storage. That is the mid-price default on most Central Florida houses.
Roll-down shutters live in a housing above the glass and crank or motor down. They are the clean look and the higher line item. Wide sliders and sunroom glass are where they earn it.
Panel shutters store in the garage, then bolt on when a storm is named. Lowest installed cost. Slowest to put up. If you travel, or you are not climbing a ladder at 9 p.m., skip panels even when they look cheaper on paper.
Plywood fails as a shutter on paperwork and on speed. It does not give you the product approval a buyer’s insurance agent will ask for, and it is a bad plan when every store in the county is selling the last sheet.
Do you need a permit to install hurricane shutters in Florida?
For permanent shutters, usually yes. Accordion, roll-down, and Bahama systems attach to the structure. Most Central Florida building departments want a permit plus documentation that the product meets Florida Building Code wind-load requirements for that opening.
Removable panels can be a different conversation. We confirm before we schedule rather than guessing.
Lakeland, Plant City, and unincorporated Polk County each run their own counter. True Aluminum pulls the permit, meets the inspector, and closes it out. License SCC131151391. The number that matters is the one on the product approval for your window, not a round figure from a brochure.
Hurricane shutters in Lakeland and Plant City
Lakeland sits inland. Named storms still arrive, and a lot of the glass on a Lakeland house is a slider onto a lanai or a sunroom that was never shuttered. Accordion on the bedroom windows and roll-down on the big slider is the mix we see most.
Plant City is the shop, at 4000 N Frontage Rd. The Plant City Building Division and Hillsborough County split the permits the same way they do on enclosure work. Shutters on the original windows and nothing on the added glass is a common miss. Walk the whole envelope on the measure.
Will shutters change the insurance bill?
Maybe. Florida carriers look at wind mitigation, and approved shutters on openings can change the wind portion of a policy. Ask your agent what product they need documented. We install that product. You keep the paperwork with the policy.
A screened patio or a lanai does not replace shutters. Mesh keeps bugs out. It will not hold a slider.
Get a count on your openings
Call True Aluminum at (863) 804-6021. We measure Lakeland and Plant City houses from the Plant City shop, match the product to the glass, and pull the permit.
