FastTrack Production

FastTrack Production is a production timeline option that can be applied to most orders. CDF's sales team can help select items that qualify. Standard FastTrack Production is 3 business days for production only. Sales may also offer 5- or 7-business-day FastTrack options with lower fees than the standard 3-day business option. FastTrack Production refers to production time only and does not change shipping or delivery transit time.

Florida Building Code Compliance

Commercial door projects in Miami and Fort Lauderdale must comply with the Florida Building Code (FBC) and the Florida Fire Prevention Code. These codes govern structural performance, fire resistance, smoke and draft control, and accessibility for every commercial opening in the region.

In ProBuilder, contractors begin by identifying the applicable performance requirements for each opening — such as fire rating, wind exposure, or occupancy classification. The configuration workflow structures door, frame, and hardware selections around those criteria, helping align assemblies with project specifications before fabrication and delivery. Final compliance is determined by the project’s design professional and the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).

High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) Requirements

Most commercial projects in Miami–Fort Lauderdale involve three primary door categories: Impact-rated exterior openings subject to hurricane wind loads, fire-rated interior corridor and stairwell doors, and standard interior hollow metal or wood doors for offices and service spaces. Each category carries different performance requirements under the Florida Building Code and related standards. Understanding which type of opening you are specifying determines which ratings, materials, and hardware configurations are required.

Miami-Dade and Broward Counties fall within the state-designated High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which imposes some of the most rigorous wind-resistance and impact-testing standards in the country. Commercial door assemblies installed in the HVHZ must carry appropriate Florida Product Approval or a Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance (NOA). CDF’s hurricane-resistant door assemblies are certified under Florida Product Approval FL46851, covering design pressures up to ±70 PSF and both small (Level A) and large (Level D) missile impact ratings.

Assemblies tested and approved under FL46851 meet the following standards:

• TAS 201 (Large Missile Impact Test)

• TAS 202 (Uniform Static Air Pressure)

• TAS 203 (Cyclic Wind Pressure Loading)

• ASTM E330 (Static Air Pressure)

• ASTM E1886 and E1996 (Impact and Cycling)

• ANSI A250.13 (SDI Windstorm Resistance)

For HVHZ projects, contractors begin configuration in ProBuilder by selecting the required wind-load rating or Florida Product Approval path. ProBuilder structures the door, frame, and hardware selections around that specified wind rating so the assembly is configured as a complete impact-rated system rather than as separate components. During configuration, incompatible combinations — such as pairing non-rated hardware with a wind-rated opening — are identified before order submission. Because hurricane-rated assemblies function as complete systems, this structured workflow helps reduce configuration errors prior to fabrication.

Hurricane-rated door assemblies require that every component — hinges, latching hardware, surface-mounted devices, weatherstripping, threshold, and closer — also carry wind ratings. The entire assembly functions as a system, and substituting a non-rated component invalidates the assembly’s wind certification. An undercut of 3/8 inch (rather than the standard 3/4 inch) is required on wind-rated doors. Contractors should also note that louvers cannot be installed on hurricane-rated doors, and maximum glazing area on wind-rated assemblies is limited to 924 square inches. Single door assemblies under FL46851 are available up to 3’0” × 8’0”, and pairs up to 6’0” × 8’0”. Design pressures above ±70 PSF fall outside CDF’s current product approval scope. In practical terms, this means exterior warehouse and service doors must be specified within approved wind-pressure limits, while interior doors elsewhere in the project follow separate fire or performance criteria. Identifying the opening type early in ProBuilder ensures that exterior impact-rated doors and interior-rated assemblies are configured under the correct compliance path.

Important: FL46851 is a Florida Product Approval number, not a building code. It certifies that the assembly meets FBC requirements. Contact a registered design professional for project-specific wind pressure and impact requirements.

Fire-Rated Assemblies in Miami

Many Miami and Fort Lauderdale commercial projects require fire-rated door assemblies ranging from 60 to 180 minutes, depending on the wall rating and occupancy classification. The Florida Fire Prevention Code governs these requirements in conjunction with the FBC, and compliance is enforced at the local level during inspection. Fire-rated doors must be both self-closing and self-latching, and when a door carries a fire rating the frame must also be rated to match. All fire-rated assemblies must carry ITS/WHI certification labels.

When configuring fire-rated openings in ProBuilder, contractors select the required rating (20-minute, 90-minute, or 3-hour) at the start of the workflow. Door, frame, lite kit, and hardware options are then structured around that rating, and potential incompatibilities — such as hardware or glazing selections that conflict with the specified fire label — are identified during configuration. This process helps align component choices before fabrication.

The maximum fire rating available with drywall frame construction is 90 minutes. Projects requiring a three-hour rating must use masonry frame assemblies. The maximum undercut permitted on a fire-rated door is 3/4 inch.

A critical consideration for Miami contractors: hurricane-rated door assemblies and fire-rated assemblies are mutually exclusive. A single opening cannot carry both a wind-impact rating and a fire rating simultaneously. Project specifications must account for this distinction when determining which openings require storm hardening and which require fire resistance. This means that on many South Florida projects, the door schedule will include both wind-rated exterior openings and fire-rated interior openings, each requiring different assembly configurations and compliance documentation.

Smoke and Draft Control

South Florida projects with smoke compartment or corridor separation requirements may need assemblies configured with smoke seals and automatic door bottoms. CDF’s ProBuilder configurator allows contractors to specify smoke and draft control components alongside fire-rating selections, ensuring the complete assembly meets the project’s code requirements.

Using ProBuilder for Miami Projects

Shipping to Miami

CDF ships to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and the entire South Florida metro from its Nashville, Tennessee headquarters. For delivery estimates specific to your project timeline, contact the CDF sales team directly.

Why Miami Contractors Choose CDF

CDF Distributors has earned a 4.7-star customer rating by providing the technical depth and responsive service that South Florida’s demanding code environment requires. Miami contractors choose CDF for the combination of hurricane-rated and fire-rated assembly expertise backed by documented Florida Product Approvals, access to the ProBuilder online configurator for streamlined ordering, and specification accuracy, FastTrack Production availability for time-sensitive projects where construction schedules are compressed, a dedicated technical support team familiar with FBC and HVHZ requirements specific to Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, and direct shipping from Nashville to the Miami–Fort Lauderdale metro. CDF’s customer support team is available at (615) 357-4392, and order processing inquiries can be directed to op@cdfdoors.com.

Nearby Markets Also Served by CDF

CDF also supplies commercial door assemblies to West Palm Beach–Fort Pierce, Fort Myers–Naples, Tampa–St. Petersburg (Sarasota), and Orlando–Daytona Beach–Melbourne. Each region carries distinct regulatory considerations under the Florida Building Code. CDF assists contractors statewide in aligning door assemblies with project-specific code requirements.