Florida Product Approval vs. Miami-Dade NOA: What Builders Need to Know

Every impact window, door and glass railing installed in Florida needs a product approval: a document showing that the specific system was tested and evaluated to the Florida Building Code. In South Florida you'll hear about two kinds, the Florida Product Approval and the Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. Here's how they differ and what matters for your project.

Florida Product Approval (FL#)

A Florida Product Approval is issued by the state through the Florida Building Commission and is identified by an FL number. It lists the system's tested design pressures, impact rating and the conditions it's approved for. Approvals that are evaluated to the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone sections of the code are marked as approved for use in the HVHZ, and those are accepted in Miami-Dade and Broward. Today, most window and door manufacturers carry Florida Product Approvals for their systems.

Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA)

An NOA is issued by Miami-Dade County's product control office after testing and review to the county's protocols. NOAs have long been the benchmark for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone and remain valid there. Some manufacturers carry both an NOA and an FL approval for the same system.

Which one does my project need?

In Miami-Dade and Broward, the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, the product must carry an approval valid for the HVHZ: a Florida Product Approval marked for HVHZ use, or a Miami-Dade NOA. Outside the HVHZ, including Palm Beach County, products are typically approved through the statewide Florida Product Approval program for the design wind speed of the site. In every case, the approval has to be current, and the design pressures of the product have to meet or exceed what the engineering calls for at each opening.

How approvals fit into the permit

Approvals don't stand alone. They're part of the shop drawing and permit package, along with opening sizes, design pressures, anchoring details and glass makeups. Getting that package right the first time is what keeps glazing from holding up an inspection or a certificate of occupancy.

How we handle it

We specify systems that carry a current approval valid for your location, check design pressures against the engineering, and include the approvals in the shop drawing and permit package coordinated with your architect and GC. If you're comparing proposals, ask every glazier which approval each system carries and whether it's valid for the HVHZ.