Step 1 of 6
What kind of commercial project?
Pick the closest match. Drives system recommendation and the per-SF base.
Storefront retail
Restaurant, retail, low-rise commercial. Aluminum storefront + impact-capable glazing.
Office building
Class A/B office. Curtain wall, window wall, or storefront depending on height.
Multifamily / mixed-use
Apartment, condo, mixed-use. Impact punched openings or window wall.
Hospitality / restaurant
Hotel, restaurant, club. Storefront + multi-slide where indoor/outdoor matters.
Healthcare / medical office
Storefront + fire-rated assemblies where required.
Government / municipal
EOC, schools, public safety. Possible prevailing wage on public work.
Interior glass scope
Office partitions, conference walls, demountable systems, glass railings.
Industrial / flex / warehouse
Light commercial, manufacturing, distribution. Mostly storefront.
Step 2 of 6
How tall is the building?
Height drives both the recommended system and the install cost factor (high-rise needs unitized, cranes, and sequencing).
Low-rise - 1 to 2 stories
Standard storefront installations. Boom lift or ladder access. No height premium.
Mid-rise - 3 to 7 stories
Window wall or stick-built curtainwall. Swing stages and hoisting add to the scope.
High-rise - 8+ stories
Unitized curtainwall standard. Cranes, mast climbers, and sequencing add to the scope.
Step 3 of 6
How big is the scope?
Pick whichever you actually know. They all work - the engine converts to system area in the background.
Counts framing + glass together, not vision-glass only. Most accurate input the engine accepts.
Step 4 of 6
Where is the project?
Florida HVHZ + wind speed varies wildly by county. Picking the right region applies the right code framing and cost factor.
SE FL HVHZ
Miami-Dade, Broward. Strictest impact glazing. Miami-Dade NOA + TAS 201/202/203. 175+ mph design wind.
Florida Keys (HVHZ)
Monroe County. 190 mph design wind - the most stringent zone in the state. Miami-Dade NOA required.
Palm Beach + Treasure Coast
Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie. HVHZ-adjacent - impact rated glazing standard via broader-state product approvals.
SW Florida (coastal)
Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota coastal. Wind-borne-debris region. 165-170 mph design wind.
Tampa Bay (coastal)
Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco. Wind-borne-debris region, non-HVHZ. 140-150 mph design wind.
Central FL (inland)
Orlando metro, Polk, inland Sarasota. 130-140 mph design wind. Not in WBD region.
North FL / Jacksonville
Duval, Nassau, Clay, Alachua. 130-140 mph design wind. Outside HVHZ.
FL Panhandle (coastal)
Bay, Escambia, Walton. Wind-borne-debris region, 140-160 mph design wind.
Nashville, TN furnish only
Tennessee. No HVHZ, freeze-thaw climate. IBC + IECC Climate Zone 4A. ACG furnishes materials and consults here; no ACG office or field labor in Tennessee.
Step 5 of 6
Special requirements?
Pick any that apply. Each affects the system specification and scope.
Impact / hurricane rated
Required by code in HVHZ. Laminated impact glass and reinforced framing add to the scope.
Stringent energy / SHGC
FBC 8th Ed. Tighter SHGC, U-value, high-perf coatings.
Sound rated (STC)
Laminated, asymmetric IGUs. Common in hospitality, healthcare.
Fire-rated assemblies
TGP-type ceramic, 20 to 180 min ratings. Adds cost on the affected portion.
Blast resistant
GSA / DoD spec. Heavier framing, anchor engineering.
Bird-friendly glazing
Acid-etch or frit pattern. Common in healthcare, government, LEED projects.
Step 6 of 6 · optional
Glass makeup tier?
If you've talked to a designer about a specific tier, pick it. Otherwise leave the default - the engine picks per region and project type.
Let the engine pick
Default. FL exterior → laminated impact. FL interior → standard insulated. Most common in production.
Standard insulated Low-E
1" IGU, Low-E coating, code-minimum impact. Lowest cost. Interior or non-WBD only.
Laminated impact IGU
SGP / PVB interlayer. HVHZ-compliant. Most common in FL exterior.
High-performance / specialty
Spectrally selective, acoustic-tuned, or spandrel-heavy assemblies.