FLORIDA BUILDING CODE · HVHZ · BROWARD COUNTY
Broward County HVHZ requirements
Broward is one of Florida's two High-Velocity Hurricane Zone counties. Every project needs impact-rated, code-approved envelope products and HVHZ-grade construction detailing.
WHERE HVHZ APPLIES
Florida's two HVHZ counties
The HVHZ designation covers Broward and Miami-Dade in full — every municipality and unincorporated area, coast to Everglades.
Design wind speeds vary by site within the county — typically around 170–180 mph for Risk Category II, and higher under the longer-return-period maps used for Risk Category III and IV. Read the actual value for an address from the ASCE 7-22 maps.
THE NON-NEGOTIABLES
What HVHZ requires in Broward
Every envelope product and structural connection must prove hurricane performance before it can be installed.
Impact-rated envelope
The entire county is a wind-borne debris region. Windows, doors, garage doors and openings must be impact-rated products or protected by approved shutters.
DEBRIS REGIONCode-approved products
Each product carries a valid Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade NOA with a design-pressure (DP) rating that meets or exceeds the calculated wind pressure.
FL APPROVAL / NOASpecial inspections
Third-party special inspections are required for HVHZ envelope and roofing installations, verifying labels, anchorage and details at each phase.
THIRD-PARTYEnhanced roof systems
Stronger roof-deck attachment and a self-adhering secondary water barrier (ASTM D1970) are required under roof coverings throughout the HVHZ.
ROOF DECK + SWRContinuous load path
An engineered, continuous load path from roof to foundation — including roof-to-wall and gable-end connections — is required for new construction and substantial improvements.
ROOF-TO-FOUNDATIONLabels & documentation
Approved products must bear a permanent label showing the approval number and DP rating. Approvals renew annually — verify current status at install, not just at spec.
VERIFY AT INSTALLTWO APPROVAL PATHS · BOTH ACCEPTED IN BROWARD
Florida Product Approval vs Miami-Dade NOA
Broward accepts both. A statewide Florida Product Approval and a Miami-Dade NOA each demonstrate HVHZ compliance — the difference is scope and how widely the listing is recognized.
Florida Product Approval
A statewide listing administered through Florida's product-approval system, recognized across the state including the HVHZ when the product is approved for HVHZ use.
STATEWIDE LISTINGMiami-Dade NOA
A Notice of Acceptance issued by Miami-Dade Product Control, tested to the TAS protocols. NOAs are widely recognized for HVHZ work and are accepted in Broward.
TAS-TESTEDCommon pitfall: approvals expire and renew on a cycle — an expired listing voids compliance. Confirm the approval number and its current status at the time of installation, and match the product's DP rating to the calculated design pressure for the specific opening.
HVHZ TEST PROTOCOLS
How HVHZ products earn approval
HVHZ impact products are proven against the Testing Application Standards — large missile, uniform static, then cyclic pressure.
TAS 201 — Large Missile Impact
A wood missile is fired at the product to simulate wind-borne debris. The assembly must survive the strike without being penetrated.
IMPACTTAS 202 — Uniform Static Pressure
The product is loaded with uniform positive and negative static air pressure to confirm it meets its rated structural design pressure.
STATICTAS 203 — Cyclic Pressure
After impact, the product endures thousands of alternating pressure cycles that mimic sustained hurricane gusting, proving it holds up over a full storm.
CYCLIC FATIGUEImpact products run the sequence together: survive the missile, then keep their seal through repeated pressure cycling. This impact-plus-cyclic regimen is what separates HVHZ-rated products from standard wind-zone products.
WHY THE LOADS RUN HIGH
Design pressure in an HVHZ
Envelope (components & cladding) pressures come from the ASCE 7-22 velocity pressure and pressure coefficients — the high HVHZ wind speed is what drives the demand.
qh = 0.00256 · Kh · Kzt · Kd · V²
Kh
Velocity-pressure exposure coefficient (Table 26.10-1) — rises with height and with rougher-to-open exposure.
TABLE 26.10-1Kzt
Topographic factor — 1.0 on flat terrain, greater than 1.0 only near hills and escarpments.
1.0 IF FLATKd
Directionality factor — 0.85 for buildings (MWFRS and C&C) per Table 26.6-1.
0.85 BUILDINGSV
Basic wind speed from the ASCE 7-22 maps — varies by site, typically ~170–180 mph for Risk II in the HVHZ.
~170–180 RISK IIBecause pressure scales with V², the elevated HVHZ wind speed is the single biggest reason Broward envelope pressures are among the highest in the country. The exact value depends on the address and risk category — never assume one fixed number.
RUN THE NUMBERS
Calculate Broward HVHZ wind loads
Get site-specific wind speed, design pressures and the required DP rating for any Broward address — FBC and ASCE 7-22 compliant.
RELATED HVHZ RESOURCES
Keep exploring
HVHZ Overview Guide
Complete introduction to High-Velocity Hurricane Zones.
START HEREMiami-Dade HVHZ
NOA protocols and the Miami-Dade product-approval process.
NOAFlorida Building Code HVHZ
Statewide Florida HVHZ requirements and wind-load criteria.
FBCHVHZ Product Approvals
NOA and TAS testing protocols for HVHZ products.
TASHVHZ vs Standard Zones
How HVHZ requirements differ from standard wind zones.
COMPAREState Wind Load Requirements
Wind-load requirements by state across the United States.
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