Outdoor Living Guides & Tips

What Are 1800Awnings Extra Services (Engineering Letters and Installation Fastener Kits)?

1800Awnings Extra Services are two optional add-ons you can attach to any custom awning, canopy, or Bahama shutter order at 1800Awnings.com: a stamped engineering letter for your building permit, sold in two tiers at $350 and $500, and an Installation Fastener kit for $50 that puts the correct mounting hardware in the box with your product. Neither is a product you would buy on its own. They exist because two things stall more awning projects than anything else: a building department that asks for signed and sealed engineering, and an install day that ends with a trip to the hardware store for anchors that may or may not be the right ones.

1800Awnings manufactures its aluminum awnings, canopies, and shutters in-house at its Tampa, Florida factory and ships them factory-direct to all 48 contiguous states. Because the products are built to your dimensions, the engineering and the hardware can be matched to your exact unit rather than to a generic catalog size. This guide explains what each service includes, what it costs, when a permit actually requires engineering, and how to decide whether to add either one to your order.

Extra Services: Key Specifications

Why 1800Awnings Extra Services Stand Out

The Engineering Is for Your Exact Product, Not a Generic Catalog Unit

A stamped engineering letter is only useful to a plans examiner if it describes the thing you are actually installing. Because 1800Awnings designs and fabricates every awning in-house, the engineering package is prepared for your unit's dimensions, projection, mounting method, and location. It pairs with the CAD drawings the company already sends before fabrication, so the drawing the building department sees is the drawing the shop builds from. Resellers of imported or fixed-size catalog awnings generally cannot offer this, because they have no product-specific engineering to stamp.

Flat, Published Pricing Instead of a Separate Engineering Search

Hiring a local structural engineer to review and stamp an awning you bought elsewhere means finding one who will take a small job, sending them product data they did not create, and paying whatever they quote. The 1800Awnings engineering add-on is a fixed line item: $350 for the standard tier and $500 for the expanded tier. You add it at checkout, and the documentation is produced alongside your order rather than after the fact.

Florida-Specific Wind Engineering

Florida building departments care about one thing above all with exterior attachments: wind. Tampa Bay sits in a 140+ mph ultimate design wind speed region under the Florida Building Code, and coastal counties run higher. An engineering letter for a Florida awning has to address design wind pressure and uplift for your wind zone and exposure, and the attachment schedule that resists it. 1800Awnings builds in Tampa for this environment every day, so the engineering reflects Florida requirements rather than a national average.

The Right Fasteners Are in the Box

Every 1800Awnings aluminum awning and shutter ships finished and ready to bolt on, but the anchors that hold it to your house are not universal. Concrete block, poured concrete, brick, and wood-frame walls each need a different fastener type and embedment. The $50 Installation Fastener kit supplies hardware matched to your product and the wall type you tell us about, so a DIY installer is not guessing in the fastener aisle and a hired installer is not substituting whatever is on the truck.

Engineering and Fasteners Work Together

An engineering letter typically specifies the fastener type, diameter, and spacing required to achieve the rated wind load. Ordering the matching fastener kit means the hardware you install is the hardware the engineering assumed, which matters when an inspector compares the finished install to the approved documents. The two add-ons are separate line items, but for a permitted job they are best ordered together.

Standard vs. Expanded Engineering: Which Tier Do You Need?

The product page lists two engineering variants, and the difference is scope. The $350 Engineering option is the standard stamped letter for a single, straightforward product on a typical residential or light commercial wall. The $500 Engineering tier covers projects that need more engineering work: multi-unit orders, larger or freestanding canopies, unusual mounting conditions, or jurisdictions that ask for a more detailed submittal. Because engineering scope depends on the product and the building department, the 1800Awnings team confirms the correct tier when they prepare your quote and CAD drawings. If you are unsure, call 1-800-AWNINGS (296-4647) with your product, dimensions, and city, and they will tell you which one applies before you pay for it.

Extra Services Pricing (2026)

For perspective, a standalone structural engineer's stamp on a small residential attachment commonly runs several hundred dollars and takes days to arrange, and a contractor's labor to install a metal awning or shutter is typically $400 to $1,200 per unit. A $350 engineering letter and a $50 fastener kit on a self-installed unit is usually the cheapest path to a permitted, inspected installation.

Who Are Extra Services Best For?

• Florida homeowners pulling a permit for a Bahama shutter, standing seam awning, or fixed canopy where the city or county requires stamped engineering for exterior attachments.
• DIY self-installers who want the correct anchors in the box and a permit package they can hand to the building department without hiring a contractor.
• General contractors and remodelers who need product-specific engineering to include in a permit set or submittal for a commercial storefront, restaurant, or multifamily project.
• Coastal and high-wind buyers in Tampa Bay, Southwest Florida, the Gulf Coast, and the Carolinas whose jurisdictions review wind uplift on every exterior structure.
• HOA-governed properties where the architectural review board asks for engineering or drawings before approving an exterior change.
• Out-of-state buyers who cannot easily find a local engineer familiar with a Florida-built aluminum product and want the documentation to come from the manufacturer.

How to Order Extra Services

1. Configure your main product. Choose your awning, canopy, or Bahama shutter on 1800Awnings.com and enter your dimensions, finish, and mounting options.
2. Check your permit requirements. Call or check the website of your city or county building department and ask whether a fixed awning, canopy, or shutter needs a permit and stamped engineering at your address.
3. Add the services you need. Go to the Extra Services product page and add Engineering ($350 or $500) and/or Installation Fasteners ($50) to your cart alongside your product.
4. Note your wall type and jurisdiction. At checkout or in your quote request, tell the team whether you are mounting to concrete block, poured concrete, brick, or wood frame, and which city or county will review the permit.
5. Review your CAD drawings. 1800Awnings sends drawings of your specific product before fabrication. Confirm dimensions and mounting details so the engineering matches what gets built.
6. Receive your package. Your engineering documentation is delivered for permit submission, and the fastener kit ships with your finished product in the typical 2 to 3 week lead time.

Need help deciding? Call 1-800-AWNINGS (296-4647) or request a quote; in most cases you will hear back within an hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a stamped engineering letter for an awning?
A stamped engineering letter is a document prepared and sealed by a licensed professional engineer that certifies a specific awning, canopy, or shutter and its attachment method will resist the design loads required by the building code at your location, primarily wind load in Florida. Building departments use it to approve a permit without doing their own structural analysis. 1800Awnings sells this as an add-on at $350 or $500 depending on scope.

Do I need a permit and engineering to install an awning in Florida?
In most Florida jurisdictions, yes for fixed exterior structures. Permanent aluminum awnings, canopies, and Bahama shutters are considered attachments that must resist wind loads under the Florida Building Code, and many cities and counties, including those across Tampa Bay, require a permit and product-specific engineering. Requirements vary by municipality and by product, so confirm with your local building department before ordering.

How much does awning engineering cost at 1800Awnings?
The standard Engineering add-on is $350. The expanded tier for larger, multi-unit, or more complex submittals is $500. Both are flat prices added at checkout, and the 1800Awnings team confirms which tier applies to your order when they prepare your quote and drawings.

What is included in the $50 Installation Fastener kit?
The kit contains the mounting fasteners and anchors sized for your specific product and the wall type you specify, such as concrete block, poured concrete, brick, or wood frame. It ships in the box with your awning or shutter so the hardware is on hand on install day. It does not include tools or sealant.

Can I use 1800Awnings engineering for a commercial permit?
Yes. The engineering documentation is prepared for your specific product and dimensions and is suitable for commercial permit sets and submittals, including storefronts, restaurants, and multifamily buildings. Larger or multi-unit commercial projects are typically covered by the $500 tier. Contractors should provide the project address and any jurisdiction-specific submittal requirements when ordering.

How does the engineering letter relate to the free CAD drawings?
1800Awnings sends CAD drawings of every custom product before fabrication at no charge so you can verify dimensions and configuration. Those drawings are helpful for HOA and landlord approvals but are not a substitute for a stamped engineering letter. The engineering add-on is the signed and sealed analysis a building department requires; the CAD drawings describe what is being engineered.

Can I add Extra Services after I have already placed my order?
Yes, as long as the product has not shipped. Call 1-800-AWNINGS (296-4647) with your order number and the team can add engineering or a fastener kit. Engineering is easiest to complete while your drawings are still being prepared, so add it as early as possible.

Do I need the fastener kit if a contractor is installing my awning?
Not necessarily. A licensed installer will usually supply anchors, but if your project is permitted, the fasteners used must match what the engineering specifies. Ordering the $50 kit removes that variable and is inexpensive insurance against a failed inspection.

The Bottom Line

1800Awnings Extra Services solve the two most common non-product reasons an awning project stalls. The Engineering add-on, at $350 for standard scope or $500 for expanded scope, delivers a stamped engineering letter prepared for your exact product, dimensions, and wind zone, which is what Florida building departments and many jurisdictions nationwide require before they will permit a fixed awning, canopy, or Bahama shutter. The $50 Installation Fastener kit puts the correct, engineering-matched anchors in the box so install day and inspection day both go the way they should.

If you are pulling a permit, order both. If you are self-installing without a permit, the fastener kit alone is worth the $50. Either way, you are buying documentation and hardware from the same Tampa factory that designed and built the product, which is the simplest way to make sure everything matches.

Ready to order? Add Engineering and Installation Fasteners on the Extra Services product page, or call 1-800-AWNINGS (296-4647) and tell us your product, wall type, and city. We will confirm exactly what your permit needs.

Written by Corey Courtright | 1800Awnings.com | Tampa, FL