Miami-Dade County Wind Load Calculator

HVHZ stands for High Velocity Hurricane Zone. All of Miami-Dade County is within the HVHZ, which means all fenestration products (windows, doors, shutters) must have a Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance (NOA) to be installed. The HVHZ has stricter testing and approval requirements than the rest of Florida, including large missile impact testing.

Yes. Miami-Dade County requires wind load calculations for all window, door, and shutter installations. You must demonstrate that your chosen product's NOA rating meets or exceeds the calculated wind load for the specific location, building height, and exposure category. A wind load calculation determines the design pressure (DP) your product must resist.

A Miami-Dade NOA (Notice of Acceptance) is a product approval issued by Miami-Dade County for fenestration products installed in the HVHZ. Products must pass large missile impact testing (9-pound 2x4 at 50 fps) and cyclic pressure testing to receive an NOA. The NOA specifies the maximum design pressure rating for the product. Without a valid NOA, a product cannot be legally installed in Miami-Dade or Broward counties.

Most of Miami-Dade County uses Exposure Category C or D. Exposure D applies to areas within 600 feet of the shoreline, Biscayne Bay, or other large bodies of water with at least 5,000 feet of open water. Exposure C applies to most suburban and urban areas further inland. Exposure B may apply in dense downtown areas with many tall buildings providing shelter, but this is rare. When in doubt, use the more conservative (higher) exposure category.

Miami-Dade County maintains a searchable database of all valid NOAs at the Miami-Dade County Product Control website. You can search by manufacturer name, product name, or NOA number. Each NOA lists the product's tested performance ratings, approved configurations, and installation requirements. Always verify the NOA is current before specifying a product.