What a storefront system is

A storefront is an aluminum framing system that holds large panes of glass between the floor slab and the structure above, usually at the ground floor of a commercial building. It is what gives a shop, restaurant, or office lobby its glass face and its front door. Unlike curtain wall, which hangs from the building and spans several floors, storefront sits within an opening and is typically one or two stories tall.

House of Glass installs storefront framing, fixed glass, transoms, and the entrance doors set into them, for new construction, tenant build-outs, and facade replacements.

Impact storefront in Broward and Palm Beach

In South Florida, a storefront is part of the building envelope and has to be rated for wind and impact like any other exterior opening.

• Broward County is in the Florida Building Code High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), along with Miami-Dade. Storefront systems installed here must be approved for HVHZ use, which is typically shown with a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA).
• Palm Beach County is outside the HVHZ. A Florida Product Approval or a Miami-Dade NOA is accepted, and every opening still has to meet its required design pressure.

The approval covers the whole assembly: frame, glass makeup, anchoring, and the door hardware tested with it. Large spans, corner conditions, and tall transoms are where systems most often reach their limits, so we check the approved sizes and pressures against each elevation before anything is ordered.

Entrances and door hardware

The entrance is the most-used part of a storefront, and the part with the most rules. Commercial entrances generally have to satisfy accessibility and life-safety requirements in addition to wind and impact ratings. Depending on the occupancy, that can involve:

• Clear opening width and threshold height at accessible entrances
• Handles and pulls that can be operated without tight grasping or twisting
• Closers adjusted for opening force and closing speed
• Panic or exit hardware where the occupancy calls for it
• Single or pairs of doors, with or without transoms and sidelites

The exact requirements come from the drawings, the architect, and the building official. Our job is to supply and install an entrance assembly whose approval actually includes the hardware your project needs, so it passes inspection without field substitutions.

Retail, restaurant, and office projects

• Retail: maximum glass for display, with framing finishes that suit the brand.
• Restaurants: entrances that handle heavy traffic, and glass walls that open dining rooms to the street.
• Offices and lobbies: clean entrances, interior vestibules, and coordination with interior glass partitions inside the space.

Working with your GC

Storefront is usually one trade among many on a schedule we do not control. We work to the general contractor’s sequence:

1. Drawing review and takeoff, with approved systems recommended for each elevation
2. Submittals: product approvals, shop drawings, and finish samples
3. Field verification of openings once the structure is ready
4. Fabrication, delivery, and installation timed to the schedule
5. Permits, inspections, and closeout documents

We handle permits, product approvals, and inspections, and project status is available through our client portal. If you are a builder or architect, see how we work with builders and architects, or go back to the full range of architectural and commercial glass. We serve Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach, and the rest of our service area.

Storefront questions

Does a storefront in Broward need a Miami-Dade NOA?

Broward is in the HVHZ, so the system must be approved for HVHZ use. That approval is typically shown with a Miami-Dade NOA. In Palm Beach County, a Florida Product Approval or a Miami-Dade NOA is accepted.

What is the difference between storefront and curtain wall?

Storefront sits inside an opening, usually at the ground floor, and spans one or two stories. Curtain wall is attached to the building structure and runs across multiple floors as the facade. See our curtain wall page for more.

Can you replace an existing storefront on an occupied building?

Yes. Replacement requires a permit, and we plan the work in sections so the business can keep an entrance open where possible. Timing depends on the size of the facade and product lead times.

Do you work directly for tenants or only for general contractors?

Both. We work with GCs on new construction and build-outs, and with owners and tenants on storefront replacements.