Hurricane Screens on Sanibel Island, FL
Motorized hurricane screens for Sanibel homes — specified for island exposure and permitted through the City of Sanibel.
Sanibel is not a harder version of a mainland job. It is a different job. Three things make it so, and any contractor who does not lead with all three has not worked here.
One. There is one causeway
Ian came ashore near Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach on 28 September 2022 as a Category 4 and took the causeway with it. Islanders already understood what that means, but it is worth saying to anyone buying here now: once an evacuation order goes out, there is no second trip back to the house. Whatever protection is on your openings is whatever was already installed and working.
That is the argument against any product a person has to physically deploy. Panels and hanging systems assume someone is standing at the house with time and daylight.
Two. The building department is strict, and correctly so
The City of Sanibel runs its own building department, and it is the most demanding jurisdiction we work in. Sanibel falls under the Florida Building Code with ASCE 7-22 wind loads, and Lee County’s design wind speed sits around 150 mph for standard Risk Category II residential construction.
Two things people get wrong here:
- Sanibel is not in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. The HVHZ is Miami-Dade and Broward counties only. Products here need a valid Florida Product Approval rated for the wind zone at your address — not a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. Some companies imply otherwise as a selling point.
- Permits are subject to substantial improvement and substantial damage review — the FEMA 50% rule. If the cost of the work exceeds half the structure’s market value, the whole building has to be brought into compliance. For a screen job on its own this is rarely triggered, but if you are stacking it onto a larger renovation it absolutely matters, and it needs to be understood before anyone starts.
Three. Salt is the long-term enemy
Wind is the event. Corrosion is the decade. On a barrier island every fastener, track, housing and motor is in a salt-laden environment permanently, and the difference between a system that lasts and one that does not is usually the installation detail rather than the brochure.
The service side of the business matters more here than almost anywhere. When something needs attention on Sanibel in year six, you want the company that put it up still answering the phone.
The systems we install
MagnaTrack Defender
Spans up to 30 feet wide by 20 feet high in a single screen with no center post. Dual-pull neodymium magnetic track on a low-friction Keder interlock; the magnetic fields dampen wind and debris and hold the screen flat. Self-Adjusting Technology. Florida Building Code approval #30798, US patent 11,421,474.
UltraShield
The housing stays at 7 inches or under at every size — it does not grow as the opening widens — and it has the clearest view out in the industry, which matters when the view is the entire reason the house exists. Patented four-sided end retention, heavy-duty self-tensioning track, adjustable aluminum base slat that self-levels to a pitched floor up to 1.75 inches. Florida product approval FL-42141.
More on both on our motorized hurricane screens page. Where a shutter is the better answer we install rolldown and accordion systems, and impact windows and doors.
Where we work
Sanibel, Captiva, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs and Naples. We are based in Cape Coral.
Hurricane screens across Southwest Florida:
Cape Coral · Naples · Fort Myers · Punta Gorda · Bonita Springs · Estero · Fort Myers Beach · Port Charlotte · Marco Island · North Fort Myers · San Carlos Park · Babcock Ranch
Hurricane shutters in Sanibel, FL
On Sanibel the shutter question is really a corrosion question. Anything that lives outside year-round is in salt permanently, which is an argument for roll-down shutters that retract into a housing between storms. It is also an argument against leaving a house unprotected while you are off-island — with one causeway, whatever is on the openings when the order comes is what you have. Accordion shutters lock from the inside, which matters for a seasonal property.
Shutters and screens are different products doing different jobs, and most houses in Sanibel end up with some of each. If you are not sure which your openings want, that is exactly what the call is for.
Product pages for Sanibel
Accordion shutters in Sanibel
Close the house in minutes and drive. One causeway off the island.
Bahama shutters in Sanibel
A hinge and a prop – almost nothing for salt to take away.
Roll down shutters in Sanibel
Eleven months inside a housing, out of the salt.
Storm panels in Sanibel
Honest verdict: right on outbuildings, wrong on an elevated main house.
Roll down screens in Sanibel
30ft in one span, and rated year-round for the insect seasons.
Impact windows in Sanibel
Nothing to deploy, which is the whole argument on a rental.
Talk to us about your openings — Sanibel
Tell us what you are looking at and someone from our team will call you the same business day. We go through it on the phone first — your openings, the products that actually fit, what is involved — and if it is a fit we come out and put a written quote in your hand. No charge and no obligation.
Sanibel hurricane screen questions
Does Sanibel require Miami-Dade approved products?
No. The High Velocity Hurricane Zone covers Miami-Dade and Broward counties only. Products installed on Sanibel need a valid Florida Product Approval rated for the wind zone at your address. Be cautious with any company that implies a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance is required here.
Who issues the permit for hurricane screens on Sanibel?
The City of Sanibel runs its own building department and reviews permits for the island. It is the most demanding jurisdiction we work in, and permitting is handled as part of the job.
What is the FEMA 50% rule and does it affect my screen project?
It is the substantial improvement and substantial damage review. If the cost of work exceeds half the structure’s market value, the building must be brought into current compliance. A screen installation on its own rarely triggers it, but it matters if the work is part of a larger renovation.
Can motorized screens be closed if the power is out?
Raise it at the consultation so it is scoped into the quote.
How does salt air affect a motorized hurricane screen?
Every exterior product on a barrier island lives in a corrosive environment permanently. Longevity comes down to specification and installation detail more than the brand on the housing. It is worth asking any contractor how they detail an installation for island exposure.
More questions? Our full hurricane shutter & screen FAQ covers products, service, permitting and financing.
Florida Screen & Shutter, LLC · 883 NE 27th Ln #5, Cape Coral, FL 33909 · (239) 409-0426
License #SCC131152867 · Fully Licensed & Insured Florida Contractor · MagnaTrack President’s Club, #6 in the country, 2025