Bigfoot Windows & Roofing Reviews — What to Know

The Real Problem

Why Star Ratings Alone Won’t Protect Your South Florida Home

Reviews matter — but they don’t tell you the whole story.

A contractor can collect five-star Google reviews for being friendly, communicative, and fast. None of those qualities tell you whether the impact windows they installed carry a valid product approval for your building height and wind zone, or whether the permit was actually pulled and finaled by the local building department.

South Florida homeowners are in one of the strictest building-code environments in the United States. Miami-Dade and Broward County sit inside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), where the Florida Building Code imposes requirements that exceed the rest of the state. In that environment, a low-cost installer who wins on price but skips proper product approvals or permit filings creates hidden problems that can surface years later — during an insurance claim, a home sale, or the next major storm.

This guide explains exactly what to look for when reading contractor reviews and doing your own due diligence — whether you’re evaluating Bigfoot Windows & Roofing or any other South Florida impact-window company.

South Florida Context

HVHZ, Florida Building Code, and Why Vetting Matters Here More Than Anywhere Else

Miami-Dade and Broward County’s High Velocity Hurricane Zone designation means every impact product installed must meet HVHZ large-missile impact testing — a 9-pound 2×4 timber propelled at 50 feet per second, per Miami-Dade’s TAS/PA 201 protocol. A product is legally installable in the HVHZ when it carries an approval that covers this testing. That approval can come through either a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or a Florida Product Approval (FPA) whose test documentation covers HVHZ conditions — both are valid tracks under the Florida Building Code.

When you read a contractor review, none of this context is typically captured in the star rating. A homeowner who did not know their windows needed HVHZ-rated approval cannot leave a negative review for that specific gap. They may not discover the issue until they file a wind insurance claim or try to sell the home.

The three questions that matter most when vetting any South Florida impact-window contractor:

1. Is the contractor’s DBPR license active? You can verify this in minutes at myfloridalicense.com.
2. Do the products carry an approval valid for your county? For HVHZ homes, confirm the product has either a Miami-Dade NOA or a Florida Product Approval that covers HVHZ testing for your opening’s design pressure.
3. Does the contractor pull permits, and do those permits get finaled? Permits can be verified through Miami-Dade’s online permit search or Broward County’s building department portal.

How to Vet Any Contractor

A Step-by-Step Verification Checklist for South Florida Homeowners

Use this process before signing any contract for impact windows, impact doors, or roofing in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach County.

For impact-window projects specifically, ask the contractor to provide the Florida Product Approval number or Miami-Dade NOA number for the specific window series they plan to install before you sign. You can cross-reference that number at floridabuilding.org to confirm it is active, covers your county, and applies to the opening dimensions and installation conditions for your home.

We install the Mr. Glass impact window line as our primary product. Mr. Glass windows carry Florida Product Approval on all standard residential series. For HVHZ projects, we confirm the applicable approval — whether that is a Florida Product Approval covering HVHZ testing or a Miami-Dade NOA — for every opening before finalizing a proposal. You can learn more about our impact window installation process and the specific product lines we carry.

Contractor Comparison

What Separates a Compliant HVHZ Installer from a Low-Bid Risk

Not all contractors who advertise impact windows in South Florida are equally equipped to install them correctly. Here is how a structurally compliant installer compares to the patterns we see from lower-bid operations that cut corners.

When a lower-bid or permit-free contractor might be considered: If you own a property outside HVHZ — for example, certain inland Palm Beach County areas — and the product carries valid Florida Product Approval for the opening’s design pressure, a wider pool of contractors may be compliant. Even then, permits are still required. We would still encourage you to verify DBPR license status and demand written product approval documentation before signing any contract.

Product Standards

What Quality Impact-Window Installation Looks Like in Practice

Homeowners often ask how they can tell — during or after an installation — whether the work was done correctly. Here are the visible and documentable quality indicators for HVHZ impact-window installations:

• Bucking and shimming: The window frame should be set in a pressure-treated or composite buck, shimmed level and plumb, with shims at prescribed intervals that match the product’s approval installation instructions. Improper shimming can void the approval and create air and water infiltration points.
• Fastener schedule: Approval documents specify fastener type, diameter, embedment depth, and spacing. Inspectors check this. If a contractor uses fewer fasteners or shorter screws than the approval requires, the window fails the wind-load design pressure it was tested to.
• Perimeter sealant: Sealant must be applied continuously around the frame exterior per the approval instructions. Gaps or voids are water-infiltration pathways and a code deficiency.
• Glass specification: Standard mid-grade residential openings typically use 7/16-inch laminated glass; high-rise or heavy-duty HVHZ applications use 9/16-inch. Builder-grade openings may use 5/16-inch. The correct thickness must match the product’s approval documentation for your opening’s design pressure.
• Inspection sign-off: A compliant installation ends with a final building-department inspection. Ask for the inspection card or a digital confirmation from the building department — this is your permanent record that the installation passed code.

For homeowners in Miami-Dade who want more context on how product approvals work, our guide to impact windows in Florida covers the difference between a Florida Product Approval and a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance in plain terms.

Our Process

How Bigfoot Handles an Impact-Window Project from Estimate to Final Inspection

1. Free on-site estimate: We measure every opening, note structural conditions, and identify whether any openings require header work or other structural modifications before the window can be installed. Because we hold a Certified General Contractor license, that structural scope stays in-house.
2. Product and approval confirmation: We confirm the specific Mr. Glass series, the applicable Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade NOA number, and the glass thickness for each opening before we finalize the proposal.
3. Permit filing: We pull the permit with Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach building authority before any installation begins. You receive the permit number so you can track status independently.
4. Installation: Crews install per the approval fastener schedule and sealant requirements. If a structural condition requires header modification, our CGC-licensed team handles it without a separate subcontract.
5. Final inspection: We schedule and pass the building-department final inspection. You receive the finaled inspection documentation.
6. Warranty documentation: We provide written workmanship warranty documentation with our license number. The Mr. Glass product warranty (10 years, effective October 2025) is separate from our 10-year workmanship warranty.

If you’re ready to start the process, you can request a free estimate with no obligation.

Who We’re Not the Right Fit For

• Homeowners whose primary decision factor is lowest price: We pull permits on every job, use products with verified NOA or FPA documentation, and hold four active DBPR licenses. That structure adds cost. If a competing bid is significantly lower and you cannot identify where the savings come from in writing, the gap is often permits, product quality, or liability insurance — not efficiency.
• Projects requiring licensed trades we do not hold: We hold licenses for general contracting, residential contracting, roofing, and glass & glazing. We do not hold electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or pool licenses. Jobs that require those trades as the primary scope should be contracted with a firm that holds the appropriate license for that work.
• Homeowners who prefer to manage multiple subcontractors independently: Our model consolidates windows, doors, and roofing under one licensed entity. If you prefer to hire a separate window company, a separate roofer, and manage the coordination yourself, that is a valid choice — it simply is not how we operate.
• Commercial high-rise projects outside our current service scope: We serve residential homes and low-rise residential structures in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County. Large-scale commercial or high-rise projects that require commercial-GC bonding thresholds or specialized commercial glazing systems are outside our current service model.