American Commercial Glass (ACG) is the licensed commercial storefront glazier serving Key West, Florida and Monroe County. We hold Florida CGC #1531993, carry $3M general liability and $6M aggregate bonding, and we’ve installed storefront aluminum and impact glass on 350+ commercial projects across the state.
If you need a storefront bid for new construction, retrofit, post-storm replacement, or fire-rated openings in Key West, send drawings to [email protected] or call (772) 486-7711. Complete RFQ packages get a bid back in 48 hours.
Why storefront glazing in Key West is different.
Every Florida market has its own combination of building code, AHJ practice, and structural exposure. Here’s what specifically drives the Key West storefront environment.
Florida Keys are FBC Wind Zone — Monroe County coastal
Monroe County (the Florida Keys) sits outside the Miami-Dade/Broward HVHZ designation, but with design wind speeds of 180 mph for Risk Category II commercial buildings on most Keys sites — the highest in the state. Storefront assemblies require Florida Product Approval impact-rated glazing at minimum. ACG specs Miami-Dade NOA-equivalent assemblies on every Keys commercial scope because the wind environment justifies it and the document package travels cleanly back to South Florida.
The corrosion and surge environment
Every Keys commercial property is within a half-mile of saltwater. Storefront installs in the Keys require marine-grade anchors, isolating membranes between aluminum and dissimilar metals (stainless versus galvanized), and DOW Corning 795 silicone sealant on every joint. Standard fasteners fail within 5-7 years in the Keys salt environment. ACG defaults to marine-grade specification on every Monroe County commercial install.
Post-Irma rebuild context
Hurricane Irma (2017) caused widespread commercial damage across the Keys, particularly in the Lower Keys around Cudjoe, Big Pine, and Sugarloaf. ACG has delivered post-Irma rebuild scope including the Cudjoe Key Fire Station, with NOA-certified impact glazing throughout. The rebuild is still active eight years on as insurance and code-upgrade scope continues to flow through.
AHJ landscape
Monroe County Building Department covers unincorporated Monroe. Each incorporated municipality — Key West, Marathon, Islamorada, Layton, Key Colony Beach — runs its own building department. Permit submittal in the Keys requires complete document packages on first round — the building departments are responsive but exacting.
Storefront systems we install in Key West.
ACG is product-agnostic on storefront aluminum but opinionated on what works in this market. Here’s the working specification we recommend when there’s flexibility on system selection.
Standard 2″ × 4.5″ storefront framing with thermal break (451T) and ultra-thermal break (451UT) options. Miami-Dade NOA available. The default for office and retail when budget and schedule are tight.
2″ × 4.5″ flush-glazed storefront with butt-glazed vertical option. Used on high-end retail where the architect wants minimal mullion sightline. Miami-Dade NOA.
2″ × 4″ thermally broken aluminum. Lighter spec than 451T at lower cost. Common on QSR, retail strip, and tenant fit-out.
Colombian-manufactured impact storefront with high-spec finishes and large unit capability. ACG is an authorized commercial installer. Common on hospitality and resort scope.
Bi-fold and multi-slide impact-rated door systems for restaurants and indoor-outdoor retail. NOA for HVHZ. Specified across Florida hospitality.
20, 45, 60, 90, and 120-minute fire-rated storefront for occupancy separations and exit corridors. Pilkington Pyrostop glazing.
3/4″ or 1/2″ tempered all-glass entry sets with patch fittings (Dorma, Adams Rite). Used on retail anchor and standalone restaurant fronts.
Sliding and swing automatic door operators integrated into storefront framing. ACG coordinates with the access control trade and tunes operators at commissioning.
Where we work in Key West.
Same crew, same project manager, same submittal process across every Key West submarket.
Commercial scope in and near Key West.
A representative slice of recent ACG commercial portfolio relevant to the Key West market. Full Florida portfolio at acglass.com/portfolio.
The 48-hour bid process.
Send a complete RFQ package, get a line-itemized bid back in two business days.
Send your drawings
Architectural CDs plus structural anchorage details if available. Email [email protected] or upload at send-plans.html. ACG signs an NDA on request.
Takeoff & system selection
We take off the openings, verify NOA or FPA, and confirm the assembly with the manufacturer. Substitutions flagged explicitly.
Line-itemized bid
Aluminum, glass, hardware, anchors, sealant, labor, freight, mobilization — each on its own line. Schedule and lead time on the same page.
Award & mobilize
Contract executed, fabrication ordered, anchor submittals issued, pre-construction meeting scheduled. Bid held 30 days.
What commercial storefront costs in Key West.
Per-square-foot installed pricing for typical 2026 scope. Final number depends on system, finish, glass spec, hardware, and site conditions — the real number comes from the 48-hour bid.
| Scope | Description | Installed PSF (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| IGU re-glaze | Same frame, new insulating glass unit. | $45–$95 |
| Standard aluminum storefront | Kawneer 451T or YKK YES 45 FS with 9/16″ impact laminated glass, anodized finish. | $95–$145 |
| Premium aluminum storefront | Same systems with PVDF Kynar finish, custom mullion sizing, or large unit configurations. | $135–$185 |
| All-glass entrance set | 3/4″ tempered glass entry set with patch fittings and hardware. Per pair. | $8K–$22K each |
| Fire-rated storefront (60 min) | TGP Fireframes with Pilkington Pyrostop glazing, UL-listed assembly. | $175–$285 |
| Euro-Wall folding glass door | Impact-rated bi-fold restaurant door with NOA approval. Per linear foot installed. | $2,400–$3,800 LF |
| Curtain wall (reference) | Stick-built impact curtain wall with insulating laminated glass. | $135–$225 |
Ranges reflect typical 2026 Monroe County commercial scope. Inside HVHZ (Miami-Dade, Broward), expect 8–15% higher.
Key West commercial storefront questions, answered.
Does Key West require marine-grade storefront installation?
Yes. Every Keys commercial property is within a half-mile of saltwater. ACG defaults to marine-grade anchors, isolating membranes between aluminum and dissimilar metals, and DOW Corning 795 silicone sealant on every Monroe County commercial install. Standard fasteners fail within 5-7 years in the Keys salt environment.
Can ACG handle post-Irma rebuild scope in Key West?
Yes. Hurricane Irma (2017) caused widespread commercial damage across the Keys. ACG has delivered post-Irma rebuild scope including the Cudjoe Key Fire Station with NOA-certified impact glazing throughout. The rebuild is still active as insurance and code-upgrade scope continues to flow through.
Which office handles Key West commercial glazing for ACG?
Our West Palm Beach headquarters at 700 S Rosemary Ave runs the Florida Keys market. Drive time from WPB to the Upper Keys is approximately 3 hours, and to Key West approximately 5-6 hours. We've maintained continuous Keys project presence since 2022.
What does a commercial storefront glazier do in Key West?
A commercial storefront glazier installs and replaces the aluminum-framed glass facades at street level on commercial buildings — retail, restaurant, office, medical, and mixed-use. In Key West this typically includes Kawneer Trifab 451T, YKK AP YES 45 FS, Tubelite T14000, or ESWindows aluminum storefront framing with 9/16″ laminated impact glass. ACG handles the full scope: takeoff, NOA verification, anchor engineering, fabrication coordination, on-site install, sealant package, and final inspection.
Is ACG licensed to work in Monroe County?
Yes. American Commercial Glass holds Florida Certified General Contractor license CGC #1531993, issued by the Florida DBPR. The license is statewide. ACG is bonded for $6M aggregate and carries $3M general liability. The license covers commercial glazing scope in Monroe County and across Florida.
How fast can ACG bid a commercial storefront project in Key West?
48 hours on a complete RFQ package (drawings, scope, schedule, NOA requirements). Faster for repeat GC clients. We bid Division 08 only — we are a glazing subcontractor, not a general contractor on bid day.
How much does a commercial storefront cost in Key West?
Aluminum storefront with impact-rated 9/16″ laminated glass typically runs $95 to $145 per square foot installed in Key West for new construction. Re-glaze (same frame, new glass) runs $45 to $95 per square foot. Custom finishes (PVDF Kynar), large unit sizes, and curved/arched configurations add 15–35% to the base price. Outside HVHZ Florida (which includes Monroe County) typical pricing runs 8-15% below the HVHZ counties. Full bid with line-item breakdown comes back in 48 hours.
What storefront systems does ACG install in Key West?
ACG installs Kawneer Trifab 451T and 451UT, YKK AP YES 45 FS and YHC 300 OG, Tubelite T14000 series, ESWindows ES-8000 commercial storefront, and Euro-Wall folding glass walls for restaurants. We are an authorized commercial installer for ESWindows and Euro-Wall. For fire-rated openings we install TGP Fireframes and Pilkington Pyrostop glazing.
What's the difference between storefront and curtain wall?
Storefront is an aluminum framing system designed for the ground floor — typically up to 10 feet tall with center-set glazing. Curtain wall is engineered for multi-story applications with structural load capacity and pressure-equalized rain screen design. Storefront uses 4-inch face dimension framing on standard scope; curtain wall uses 2.5-inch face on stick or 4-inch on unitized. Most ground-floor retail, restaurant, and office scopes are storefront. Multi-story tower facades are curtain wall.
Can ACG handle emergency storefront repair in Key West?
Yes. Board-up service is typically same-day or next-morning in Monroe County during business hours. Permanent replacement timing depends on glass and frame availability — IGU replacement on in-stock sizes is 2-4 weeks, full storefront replacement on custom sizes is 6-12 weeks. ACG runs a separate emergency dispatch number after-hours for active GC clients.
Are you an authorized ESWindows and Euro-Wall installer?
Yes. ACG is an authorized commercial installer for both ESWindows and Euro-Wall in Florida. ESWindows is the high-spec Colombian-manufactured commercial aluminum and impact line. Euro-Wall is the impact-rated bi-fold and multi-slide door system specified across Florida hospitality. Both manufacturers verify our authorization directly — we'll provide the certificate on request.
Can ACG do design-build storefront work or only bid-build?
Both. We bid spec'd drawings (typical GC-led commercial work) and we engage as design-build partners when owners want a single accountable party for the storefront package. Design-build typically saves 6-10 weeks on schedule and 8-15% on cost because we control fabrication scheduling, anchor design, and AHJ submittals in parallel rather than sequentially.
Storefront glazier coverage across Florida.
ACG runs continuous commercial storefront scope across 11 major Florida markets. Same license, same crew structure, same 48-hour bid process.
About the author.
This page is written by the President of ACG, not by an outsourced content shop. Every spec, price, and code reference is one we’ve seen in the field.
Get a real Key West storefront number in 48 hours.
Send drawings, scope, and schedule. We’ll come back with a line-itemized bid, system recommendation, and a lead-time commitment. No mystery numbers.