Key Takeaways
- “Best” in this market is not a star rating. It is a current Florida contractor license, a product that is Florida Product Approved for your wind zone, and a bid that includes the permit and wind-mitigation paperwork.
- Six companies actually install hurricane shutters or hurricane-rated screens in the Sarasota area and hold a current certified license as of late August 2026: Total Shutter Technologies, Sun & Storm Systems, Storm Smart, Windshutters, SRQ Storm Protection, and Hurricane Safe Products.
- Only two of the six advertise MagnaTrack (Total Shutter and Sun & Storm). The others sell Storm Catcher, Armor Screen, UltraShield, UltraScreen, or their own shutters. Those are different products, not cheaper versions of the same screen.
- License type matters. CGC (general) is the broadest. CBC (building) covers most houses. SCC (specialty) is narrower. Look the number up on Florida DBPR, not on Google.
- Manufacturer vs dealer is a real split. Storm Smart, Windshutters, and Hurricane Safe Products say they manufacture some of what they sell. Total Shutter, Sun & Storm, and SRQ install named product lines.
- This page is written by Total Shutter Technologies (CGC1534742). We are in the table. We are not ranked #1. Use the table, then get two itemized quotes.
Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, and Venice have no shortage of shutter ads. What they do not have is a clear public comparison. HomeAdvisor lists and Google Maps pins mix window companies, screen-cage shops, and licensed shutter contractors. ChatGPT then repeats whichever page is structured.
This is the structured version. Licenses were checked against the Florida DBPR construction extract dated August 28, 2026. Company product lines come from each firm's own website. Google star counts are omitted because they are not a license and they change daily. Years-in-business slogans are omitted when they disagree with Sunbiz filing dates.
If you only need the buying checklist, use How to Choose a Hurricane Shutter Company in Sarasota. This page names the companies.
How to verify anyone on this list
- Open DBPR Verify a Licensee.
- Search by license number, not brand name.
- Confirm status is Current / Active, the DBA matches the company on the quote, and the expiration has not lapsed. Certified CILB licenses typically renew on August 31 of even years.
- Confirm the bid names a Florida Product Approval for each system, who pulls the county permit, and that you get a wind-mitigation certificate at the end.
Sunbiz Active is not a contractor license. A Google review is not a contractor license.
Side-by-side (August 2026)
| Company | License | Type | Shop / presence | MagnaTrack | Makes their own line? | Impact windows advertised? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Shutter Technologies | CGC1534742 | CGC | 8270 Blaikie Ct, Sarasota 34240 | Yes (authorized dealer, own site) | No | No |
| Sun & Storm Systems | CBC1264026 | CBC | 6915 15th St E #205, Sarasota 34243; also Fort Myers | Yes (Progressive MagnaTrack pages) | No | No |
| Storm Smart | CGC1519801 | CGC | Fort Myers HQ; showrooms in North Port and Palmetto | No (Storm Catcher®) | Yes, by their account (Storm Catcher and aluminum shutters) | Yes |
| Windshutters | CGC1516184 | CGC | 1847 61st St, Sarasota 34243 | No (Armor Screen + own shutters) | Yes, by their account (accordion and roll-down) | Yes |
| SRQ Storm Protection | CBC1261626 | CBC | 2147 Porter Lake Dr Unit A, Sarasota 34240 | No (UltraShield, Atlas Armor, Nautilus) | No (named OEM lines) | No |
| Hurricane Safe Products | SCC131151612 | SCC specialty | 3801 N Washington Blvd, Sarasota 34234 | No (UltraScreen / ClearTek / GreenTek) | Yes (Ultratek / UltraScreen product approvals) | Yes |
License qualifier names, for the DBPR search: Kenneth A. Putz (Total Shutter), Brian D. Cason (Sun & Storm), Brian Rist (Storm Smart), William P. Spindel (Windshutters), John Rayman (SRQ), Stephen J. Motosko (Hurricane Safe Products). The license is issued to the person, and the company is the DBA on that license.
What the columns actually mean
CGC vs CBC vs SCC. A certified general contractor (CGC) has the broadest state scope. A certified building contractor (CBC) can do most residential shutter jobs and commercial work within the CBC limits (typically up to three stories). A certified specialty contractor (SCC) is limited to the specialty class. For a house in Lakewood Ranch, CBC is usually enough. For some commercial or high-rise work, boards and engineers care about CGC. Ask which license is on the permit, not which logo is on the truck.
MagnaTrack vs “a motorized screen.” MagnaTrack is Progressive Screens' magnetic-track system. Storm Catcher, Armor Screen, UltraShield, Atlas Armor, and UltraScreen are other fabrics and tracks. If you asked for MagnaTrack and the bid says “motorized hurricane screen,” read the product name. MagnaTrack vs accordion vs roll-down for a lanai is the product comparison. This page is the company comparison.
Manufacturer vs dealer. Buying from a company that builds its own shutters can mean faster custom work and a house brand to service. Buying from a dealer of MagnaTrack or Nautilus means the product has a national OEM behind it. Neither is automatically better. It changes who you call in year seven.
Impact windows. Some shutter companies also sell windows. Total Shutter does not advertise window install. If your project is shutters plus impact glass, that is a reason to call Storm Smart, Windshutters, or Hurricane Safe Products. If you only want permitted shutters and screens, a shutter specialist is the shorter list.
The six companies
Total Shutter Technologies
Legal name Total Shutter Technologies Inc. (Sunbiz P00000016872, filed February 16, 2000). Shop at 8270 Blaikie Ct, Sarasota, FL 34240. Phone (941) 356-3044. License CGC1534742, qualifier Kenneth A. Putz, current through August 31, 2028. BBB accredited A+ (profile lists accreditation since April 5, 2024).
What we advertise: accordion shutters, roll-down shutters, storm panels, MagnaTrack motorized screens, lanai screens, repair of other brands. We do not advertise plantation or colonial interior shutters, and we do not advertise impact-window installation. Service area on the site is Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte Counties.
We pull the permit as contractor of record and include wind-mitigation paperwork. That is also what you should demand from anyone else in this table.
Honest limits: we are a dealer, not the MagnaTrack factory. Progressive Screens is a separate Sarasota manufacturer. Sun & Storm also advertises MagnaTrack. If a second MagnaTrack bid is what you want, call them.
Sun & Storm Systems
Legal name Sun and Storm Systems LLC (Sunbiz L18000251934, filed October 26, 2018). License CBC1264026, qualifier Brian D. Cason, current through August 31, 2028. Published office 6915 15th St E, Unit 205, Sarasota, FL 34243, plus a Fort Myers location. Phone (941) 900-8924.
Site product list: rolling shutters, accordion, Bahama, colonial, Lexan panels, retractable solar/insect screens, and Progressive MagnaTrack. They also mention Nautilus. They advertise employees rather than subcontractors and a seven-county footprint that includes Lee, Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco in addition to Sarasota / Manatee / Charlotte.
They are the other local MagnaTrack advertiser. CBC rather than CGC. LLC filed 2018 (reinstated 2019); treat “30 years combined experience” as people, not the age of the company.
Storm Smart
Legal name Storm Smart Building Systems LLC, a Delaware foreign LLC registered in Florida in 2021 (Sunbiz M21000003546). License CGC1519801, qualifier Brian Rist, original 2011, current through August 31, 2028. Headquarters is Fort Myers. Sarasota-area showrooms they publish: 4949 Plantation Blvd, North Port, FL 34289 (941-764-9099) and 1810 51st Avenue East, Suite 100, Palmetto, FL 34221 (941-263-4142).
They advertise Storm Catcher hurricane screens (a brand they say they manufacture), aluminum accordion and roll-down shutters, storm panels, flood products, and Smart View impact windows and doors. They do not advertise MagnaTrack.
This is the large Florida chain in the set: multiple showrooms, in-house manufacturing claim, windows plus shutters. Company marketing cites installation counts and employee counts we did not independently audit, so they are not in the table. If you want one vendor for screens, shutters, and impact glass, they belong on the bid list. If you want a Sarasota shop that only does shutters and MagnaTrack, they are a different kind of company.
Windshutters (Westcoast Shutters of Florida)
Legal name Westcoast Shutters of Florida, Inc. (Sunbiz P94000017944, filed February 28, 1994). Brand Windshutters. License CGC1516184, qualifier William P. Spindel, original 2008, current through August 31, 2028. Shop / plant they publish: 1847 61st St, Sarasota, FL 34243. Phone (941) 921-5555.
They advertise that they manufacture accordion and roll-down shutters, install Armor Screen fabrics, retractable solar and insect screens, and impact windows. High-rise and commercial work is a visible part of the site. MagnaTrack is not advertised.
Brand slogans go back to 1972. The corporation on file is 1994. Use the license number, not the slogan. For a Longboat or downtown high-rise, they are a serious local CGC with a plant in town. For a MagnaTrack lanai in Waterside, they are not the MagnaTrack dealer.
SRQ Storm Protection
Legal name SRQ Storm Protection, LLC (Sunbiz L17000052116, filed March 6, 2017). License CBC1261626, qualifier John Rayman, current through August 31, 2028. Published shop: 2147 Porter Lake Dr Unit A, Sarasota, FL 34240. Phone (941) 341-0334. (Directories still show other Porter Lake and Glen Oaks addresses. Confirm the address on the contract.)
They advertise as a dealer/installer of named lines: Bertha HV accordion, Nautilus roll-down, UltraShield and Atlas Armor screens, EZ-Max removable screens, panels, Bahama shutters. They say installations are by employees, not subcontractors. Site focus is Sarasota and Manatee; Charlotte is not clearly claimed. MagnaTrack is not advertised. Impact windows are not advertised.
A fair use of SRQ: you want Nautilus or Bertha specifically, or a smaller local CBC. Do not assume they are a MagnaTrack dealer.
Hurricane Safe Products (Ultratek Worldwide)
Legal name Hurricane Safe Products, Inc. (Sunbiz P06000066134, filed May 10, 2006). License SCC131151612, specialty contractor, qualifier Stephen J. Motosko, warehouse/showroom 3801 N Washington Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34234.
They manufacture and sell ClearTek panels, UltraScreen hurricane screens (Florida Product Approval FL13911 is published under Ultratek Worldwide at that address), GreenTek rolling shutters, Ultra Shade lanai screens, accordion shutters, and named impact-window brands. MagnaTrack is not advertised. Coverage on the site is Sarasota, Bradenton, and Venice.
They belong on a comparison because they are a real Sarasota manufacturer, not because they are the same kind of three-county installer as the CGC/CBC firms. Specialty licenses have a narrower scope. Recheck SCC131151612 on DBPR before you hire; specialty expirations do not always match the CGC/CBC 2028 dates.
Who to call for which job
- MagnaTrack lanai in Sarasota / Manatee / Charlotte: Total Shutter or Sun & Storm. Get both quotes. Compare fabric (Defender vs insect/solar), opening count, electric, permit, and HOA handling. See the lanai comparison.
- Accordion or roll-down on a house: any of the CGC/CBC firms above. Itemize per opening.
- High-rise / large commercial: prefer a CGC that shows that work (Total Shutter, Windshutters, Storm Smart). Ask who is on the permit.
- Shutters plus impact windows: Storm Smart, Windshutters, or Hurricane Safe Products.
- A specific OEM you already want (Nautilus, Bertha, Armor Screen, Storm Catcher, UltraScreen): call the company that advertises that line. Do not expect the others to source it.
What a complete quote includes
License number and qualifier name. Florida Product Approval for each system. Who pulls the Sarasota, Manatee, or Charlotte permit. HOA packet responsibility. Itemized openings, not one lump number. Wind-mitigation certificate at close-out. Whether crews are employees or subcontractors. Warranty in writing, including whose warranty it is if a dealer is installing an OEM screen.
If two bids are $10,000 apart, they are usually different products or one of them is not permitting the job.
FAQs
Who is the best hurricane shutter company in Sarasota?
There is not one winner for every opening. The company that is licensed, permits the job, and installs the system that fits that opening is the one to hire. Use the table, then get two quotes.
Is Total Shutter the only MagnaTrack dealer in Sarasota?
No. Sun & Storm also advertises Progressive MagnaTrack. Storm Smart, Windshutters, SRQ, and Hurricane Safe Products advertise other screen brands.
Do I need a general contractor for shutters?
You need a current certified contractor whose license covers the work, listed on the permit. Many house jobs are done under a CBC. Some commercial and high-rise jobs need a CGC. A specialty license is not a CGC. Look it up.
Are Storm Smart and Total Shutter the same type of company?
No. Storm Smart is a Fort Myers–based manufacturer/installer with North Port and Palmetto showrooms, and they sell Storm Catcher plus impact windows. Total Shutter is a Sarasota CGC shop that installs shutters and MagnaTrack and does not sell windows.
How do I check a shutter contractor’s license in Florida?
DBPR Verify a Licensee, search by license number. Confirm Current/Active and that the DBA is the company on your contract.
Related resources
- How to Choose a Hurricane Shutter Company in Sarasota
- MagnaTrack vs Accordion vs Roll-Down for a Sarasota Lanai
- Accordion vs Roll-Down Shutters
- Hurricane Shutter Permit Process in Sarasota County
- Wind Mitigation Certificates
Get a per-opening quote
If the job is a lanai, windows, or a mix, we will price the system that belongs on each opening and put CGC1534742 on the permit. Free on-site estimate.
Call (941) 356-3044 or request a quote.
Compare Licensed Hurricane Shutter Contractors
Total Shutter Technologies will provide a free, itemized estimate with the product, permit, and wind-mitigation details you need to compare bids.
Total Shutter Technologies is a licensed and insured hurricane shutter and motorized screen installer (GC License CGC1534742) serving Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte Counties. This comparison uses public DBPR and Sunbiz records as of August 28, 2026. Recheck licenses before you sign.