Hurricane Shutters in Isle of Palms, SC
Bahama, colonial, roll-down, and accordion shutters, storm panels, and hurricane screens for Isle of Palms homes and rentals, from the front beach to Wild Dunes. We prepare the City permit and the paperwork your ARB wants, and our own crews install.
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01 / 04Roll-Down -
02 / 04Bahama -
03 / 04Accordion -
04 / 04Colonial
Evacuation
Zone A
The island is in Zone A, along the immediate coast. Close everything before you leave.
ARB-ready
paperwork
Drawings, specs, and color samples for Wild Dunes and other review boards.
Close from
away
Motorized roll-downs can run from an app while the house has power and internet.
Pre-season
checks
We run each system and look for salt wear before storm season.
An island house closes differently.
On Isle of Palms, the first question isn’t which shutter looks best. It’s who will close it, and when. A lot of houses on the island are second homes or vacation rentals, many are raised on pilings with living space and glass well above the sand, and the whole island faces open-ocean wind and salt.
The storm calendar is tighter here, too. The state hurricane plan puts Isle of Palms in Charleston County evacuation Zone A, with the other barrier islands, and the main way off is the Isle of Palms Connector. After a storm, the City may limit access to all or part of the island while damage is assessed, and residents need a current Resident Parking Permit or Wild Dunes Owner sticker to get back on. Plan for every shutter to be closed before anyone leaves, because there may not be a second chance.
That’s why most island jobs lean on systems that stay on the house: roll-downs that close from a switch or a phone, and accordions a manager can close by hand in minutes. Bahama and colonial shutters add the look and daily shade on the openings where someone will be around to latch them.
What fits an
island house.
Ranked less by looks than by one question: who closes it, and how fast?
Roll-Down Shutters
Slats drop from a header box on a crank, a switch, or an app. The first choice for oceanfront glass and for owners who may be off-island when a storm forms.
View Roll-Down Shutters →
Accordion Shutters
Stays mounted beside the opening and pulls closed from inside, so a property manager can close a whole rental without a ladder.
View Accordion Shutters →
Bahama Shutters
The island look, propped open for shade against sun off the sand and water, then lowered and latched for storms. Someone has to be on site to close them.
View Bahama Shutters →
Colonial Shutters
Side-hinged shutters sized to close over the whole window, in marine-grade aluminum approved for High-Velocity Hurricane Zones.
View Colonial Shutters →
Storm Panels
Bertha™ .050 aluminum or clear panels on permanent headers and sills. Lowest cost, best on ground-level and easy-to-reach openings.
View Storm Panels →
Hurricane Screens
Rated mesh for big deck and porch openings. Daily shade and bug screen, then a debris barrier you can see through.
View Hurricane Screens →
Permits, Wild Dunes, and the fine print.
The City building permit
Rated shutter installs on the island go through the City of Isle of Palms Building Department, which lists alterations and renovations among the work that needs a permit. Applications are submitted online through the City’s Building / Zoning Permit Application, and the City says review of any permit application may take four to six weeks. We prepare the product approvals and installation details and file the application for you.
The City enforces the 2021 residential and building codes with South Carolina modifications. On an oceanfront island the code requires designs for high wind, and we size every system to the site: the opening, its height on the house, and what it faces.
Wild Dunes architectural review
Inside the Wild Dunes security gates, every exterior project needs a Wild Dunes Community Association building permit through its Architectural Review Board. Destination Wild Dunes resort properties and commercial amenities are the exceptions. Under the WDCA’s standards, revised in January 2026:
- The Community Association Manager reviews hurricane shutters case by case to make sure the style suits the house.
- In Sandcrab, Sandpiper, and Twin Oaks, shutters must be Bahama style or hinged and operable, hurricane rated, and sized to cover the entire window when closed. Fixed, decorative, or vinyl shutters are not permitted.
- Lake Village follows the same rule, with decorative or vinyl shutters reviewed case by case, and the Lake Village HOA approves renovations alongside the ARB.
The ARB meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, with submittals due the Wednesday before. Get that approval first, then the City permit. We supply the drawings, product sheets, and color samples.
What the maps and the policy say.
Flood zones
The island’s FEMA flood maps, effective January 29, 2021, include VE and AE zones. Shutters don’t change a flood rating, but flood rules shape the house they go on: raised homes put the glass high, which favors systems that close from inside. If shutters are part of a larger renovation, the City’s substantial-improvement rule looks at the whole project against the structure’s value, so plan the work together.
The wind pool
Isle of Palms sits east of the Intracoastal Waterway, inside the “coastal area” state law defines for the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association. The association writes wind and hail coverage there for property owners who can’t get it in the private market.
Wind-mitigation credits
South Carolina law requires rating plans for wind and hail coverage in the coastal and seacoast areas to carry discounts or credits for storm shutters, among other factors. The law doesn’t set the amount, so ask your agent, or the wind pool, what they credit and what documentation they want before we install.
SC Safe Home
The SC Department of Insurance’s SC Safe Home program has offered grants that include hurricane shutters, but only for owner-occupied primary homes, so second homes and rentals don’t qualify. The program is not accepting applications right now.
Order in winter. Close before the order.
Hurricane season runs June through November. Rated shutters are built to each opening, and on Isle of Palms the calendar can include Wild Dunes ARB review and a City permit review the City itself says may take four to six weeks. Winter is the time to measure; spring is the time to install.
Once a storm is in the forecast, it is too late to build and permit a custom system for that storm. If you are starting late, storm panels are the quickest rated system to put in place, and you can upgrade oceanfront and upper-floor openings to roll-downs later.
Salt is the other clock. Tracks, locks, and hinges on the island collect salt fast. Rinse them with fresh water a few times a year, run every system once before June, and book a pre-season check if the house is a rental.
What drives the price.
Every quote is built opening by opening after we measure. These are the things that move the number on an island house:
- Opening size and count. Oceanfront houses often have wide sliders and walls of glass, and each large opening costs more to cover than a standard window.
- Shutter type. Storm panels are the most economical rated option. Systems that stay on the house cost more because you are paying for speed as well as protection.
- Manual or motorized. Motors, controls, and app setup add cost, and matter most when no one is on the island to close the house.
- Mounting surface. Fiber-cement siding, cedar shake, stucco, and wood trim each anchor differently, and some need blocking or build-outs.
- Height and access. Raised homes and upper-floor openings may need lifts or extra labor.
- Rated or decorative. Only impact-rated systems protect the opening or count toward a mitigation credit, and in parts of Wild Dunes, rated shutters are the only kind allowed.
- Color and review. Custom colors and ARB drawings can add time and cost.
The at-home estimate is free; if you live off-island, tell us who can let us in. For every system side by side, see our Charleston hurricane shutters overview, or our Isle of Palms page for screens and shade on the island.
Isle of Palms
shutter questions.
Permits, Wild Dunes, insurance, and timing.
Do I need a permit for hurricane shutters on Isle of Palms?
Usually, yes. Rated shutter installs are alterations, which the City of Isle of Palms Building Department permits, and the City says permit review may take four to six weeks. ShadeCoast prepares and files the application.
Does Wild Dunes have to approve my hurricane shutters?
Inside the Wild Dunes gates, yes. All exterior work needs a Wild Dunes Community Association building permit, and hurricane shutters are reviewed case by case for style. In Sandcrab, Sandpiper, and Twin Oaks, shutters must be Bahama or hinged and operable, hurricane rated, and cover the whole window when closed.
Which hurricane shutters are best for a rental or second home?
Motorized roll-downs, because they can close from an app while the house has power and an internet connection. Accordion shutters are the fastest manual option for a property manager. Bahama, colonial, and storm panels need someone on site.
Can I get back on the island to close my shutters after an evacuation order?
Don’t count on it. Isle of Palms is in evacuation Zone A, and after a storm the City may limit access to the island. Residents need a current Resident Parking Permit or Wild Dunes Owner sticker to return. Close everything before you leave.
Do hurricane shutters lower insurance on Isle of Palms?
They can. South Carolina law requires wind and hail rating plans in the coastal and seacoast areas to include credits or discounts for storm shutters. The amount varies by carrier, so ask your agent what they need before the install.
How late in the season can I order hurricane shutters?
You can order any time, but a custom rated system can’t be built, reviewed, and permitted once a storm is in the forecast, and City permit review alone may take four to six weeks. Order in winter to install before June. A late-season order still covers the rest of that season and every one after.
Close up the island house
from anywhere.
A ShadeCoast specialist will measure every opening with you or your property manager, sort out the City permit and any ARB review, and quote the project at no cost.