For decades the Tampa answer was 'shutters now, impact windows when you can afford it.' The 2024 Florida insurance market broke that math. Several major carriers now offer 22–35% premium reductions ONLY for impact-rated openings.
On a typical $4,800/year Tampa hurricane policy, that's $1,000–$1,700 in annual savings. Combined with the wind-mitigation credit, impact windows on a 2,000 sq ft home (~$22K installed) now pay back in 11–14 years instead of 18+.
Shutters still make sense for second homes or budgets under $15K. Accordion shutters install in a single day for ~$400 per opening; roll-down hurricane fabric is even cheaper.
Verified Tampa storm-protection pros on HandyMandyMan include shutter installers and impact-window installers separately — filter by what you actually want.