Florida Window Replacement Programs: Grants, Rebates, and Tax Credits

Florida homeowners have three main ways to reduce the cost of replacing windows: the My Safe Florida Home grant, which reimburses up to $10,000 for impact-resistant windows on qualifying homes; the federal Weatherization Assistance Program, which covers window replacement at no cost for income-qualified households; and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, which spreads the cost across your property tax bill. Each of the Florida window replacement programs has its own eligibility rules and trade-offs, and most homeowners will also see a lasting offset through mandatory insurance premium discounts once impact windows are installed.¹

My Safe Florida Home Grant

The My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program is the largest source of direct funding for window replacement in the state. It is authorized under Florida Statute 215.5586 and funded through state appropriations to help homeowners harden their properties against hurricane wind damage.² Impact-resistant windows and skylights are one of five improvement categories the program funds, alongside exterior doors, roof-to-wall connections, roof-deck attachments, and secondary water barriers.³

The grant is structured as a reimbursement. You pay for the project upfront, and the state reimburses two-thirds of the total cost up to a $10,000 cap.⁴ On a $15,000 window job, that means $10,000 from the state and $5,000 from you. Low-income homeowners are not required to match anything and can receive the full $10,000.²

Who Qualifies

Your property must meet all of the following:

You hold a current homestead exemption on the home. Second homes, rentals, vacation properties, mobile homes, and manufactured homes are excluded.⁵
The home is insured for $700,000 or less. Low-income homeowners are exempt from this cap.¹
The original building permit was filed before January 1, 2008.²
The property is a single-family detached home or a townhouse. Townhouse grants are limited to opening protection, meaning windows, doors, and skylights.²

How the Reimbursement Works

You start by requesting a free hurricane mitigation inspection through the MSFH portal. An authorized inspector evaluates the home’s roof connections, opening protections, and water barriers, and the resulting report determines which improvements the program will fund. You cannot pick your own improvements; they must be recommended by the inspector.¹

Once your grant is approved, you hire a licensed contractor, pay for the completed work, and schedule a final inspection. Timing is critical: any work done before official grant approval is not eligible for reimbursement. After the final inspection clears, the reimbursement check arrives within five to ten business days.⁶ You have one year from grant approval to finish the project and request the final inspection, plus one available six-month extension.²

Insurance Premium Discounts

Impact windows keep paying you back through your homeowners insurance. Florida law requires every residential property insurer to offer actuarially reasonable premium discounts for wind mitigation features, including impact-resistant windows, doors, and skylights.⁷ Insurers must send you a list of available discounts with specific dollar amounts at renewal.⁸

To claim the discount, you need a wind mitigation inspection documented on Form OIR-B1-1802, the state’s uniform verification form.⁹ The inspector records your roof type, wall connections, and the level of opening protection on every window, door, and skylight.¹⁰ For many homeowners, the annual insurance savings alone recoup the out-of-pocket portion of an impact window project within a few years.

Weatherization Assistance Program

Low-income households can get window and door replacement at no cost through the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), administered in Florida through local community action agencies. The program covers replacements when an energy audit identifies air infiltration through windows as a priority issue.¹¹

Household income must fall at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.¹² For 2026, a family of four earning $66,000 or less qualifies.¹³ Elderly residents, families with young children, and households with high energy burdens are prioritized. Renters can be served if the property owner provides written permission.

You apply by contacting your local weatherization office directly rather than through a state portal.¹¹ A technician performs an energy audit and decides whether window replacement gives the best return for the home’s specific problems, so it is not guaranteed for every applicant. Expect to provide pay stubs, tax returns, or Social Security benefit letters to verify income.

PACE Financing

Homeowners who earn too much for WAP and want to cover the portion MSFH does not can finance impact windows through Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, authorized under Florida Statute 163.08. The full cost is repaid through a voluntary assessment added to your property tax bill, with no upfront cash required and the financing tied to the property rather than your personal credit.¹⁴

Interest rates run roughly 6% to 13% depending on the provider and term, and the term cannot exceed the useful life of the improvement.¹⁵ Impact windows can carry terms extending toward 25 or 30 years. Repayment is collected by the county tax collector along with your property taxes.

The Mortgage Risk

PACE assessments generally take priority over your mortgage. Fannie Mae will not purchase a mortgage on a property with an outstanding senior-lien PACE assessment, and Freddie Mac follows a similar policy.¹⁶ That means a future buyer of your home may not qualify for a conventional mortgage while the assessment is active, and refinancing may be blocked. Before signing, confirm with your existing mortgage lender that a PACE lien is permitted under your loan terms.

New consumer protections take effect March 1, 2026, under a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau final rule bringing PACE under the Truth in Lending Act. Providers will have to verify your ability to repay before approving financing, and the disclosure requirements that apply to traditional home loans will apply to PACE as well.¹⁷ A challenge to the rule was denied preliminary injunction in late 2025, and the rule remains in effect as of early 2026.

Contractor and Product Requirements

Whichever program funds the project, the installer must hold the right Florida license. Window installation falls under the Glass and Glazing Contractor certification issued by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation through the Construction Industry Licensing Board.¹⁸ General and building contractors may also be authorized. Check any contractor’s license status on the DBPR website before signing.

MSFH recommends collecting bids from at least three licensed contractors.¹⁹ Installed cost typically runs $650 to $1,600 per window, with large custom openings running higher. A municipal building permit is required, and the contractor should pull it before starting work. If a contractor suggests skipping the permit, that disqualifies the project from grant reimbursement.

The window products themselves must be certified to the Florida Building Code and carry a Florida Product Approval number, which you can verify in the state’s product approval database. Both MSFH and the insurance discount form require approved products.

Federal Tax Credit for 2026

The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit under Section 25C, which had offered up to $600 for qualifying exterior windows, expired for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.²⁰ Congress has not extended it as of early 2026. If you installed impact windows in 2025 and have not filed yet, you can still claim it on that year’s return. For 2026 projects, the MSFH grant and insurance premium discounts are the primary financial offsets available.

1
My Safe Florida Home. MSFH New Year 2025-26
2
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 215.5586 – My Safe Florida Home Program
3
My Safe Florida Home. Authorized Improvements Guide
4
My Safe Florida Home. MSFH 1034 – Program Terms 2025-26
5
My Safe FL Home. What Types of Properties Are Eligible to Receive Initial Inspections
6
My Safe Florida Home. MySafeFLHome Program Grant Reimbursement Process
7
Online Sunshine. Florida Code 627.0629 – Residential Property Insurance Rate Filings
8
Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation
9
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 627.711 – Notice of Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation
10
Florida Department of Financial Services. Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation
11
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Weatherization Assistance Program
12
U.S. Department of Energy. Weatherization Program Notice 25-3
13
HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
14
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 163.08 – Supplemental Authority for Improvements to Real Property
15
Florida PACE Program. Frequently Asked Questions
16
Fannie Mae. Property Assessed Clean Energy Loans
17
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Residential Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (Regulation Z)
18
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Certified Glass and Glazing Contractor
19
My Safe Florida Home. Grants and Inspections Available
20
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 25C – Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit