About American Hurricane Shutters

Certified General Contractors dedicated to protecting Carolina homes and businesses from Morehead City to the Grand Strand. OSHA-30 certified. Locally owned since 2006.

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Over Two Decades of Proven Coastal Expertise

About American Hurricane Shutters: Your Coastal Carolina Storm Protection Experts

When it comes to protecting your home or business from the volatile Atlantic storm seasons, experience is the only credential that truly matters. At American Hurricane Shutters, we aren’t just installers — we are Certified General Contractors dedicated to the safety and resilience of the Carolina coast.

Based in hurricane shutters in Wilmington, NC, our mission is simple: to provide the highest-engineered hurricane protection systems for families and commercial properties from The Crystal Coast down through The Grand Strand.

We install every type of storm protection system available for coastal Carolina homes: accordion hurricane shutters, rolldown hurricane shutters, Bahama shutters, colonial shutters, hurricane storm panels, and hurricane screens. We are the only OSHA-30 certified hurricane shutter company in coastal NC and SC — a credential that reflects our commitment to proper installation practices, not just product sales.

Michael Burns, Founder of American Hurricane Shutters
Michael Burns
Founder
Matthew Burns, Vice President of American Hurricane Shutters
Custom white Bahama hurricane shutters installed on a blue coastal home in Wrightsville Beach, NC by American Hurricane Shutter
Our History

Professional Authority & Industry Leadership

In coastal North Carolina and South Carolina, “storm-ready” isn’t a marketing term — it’s a legal requirement. Regions like New Hanover and Brunswick County are designated as Wind-Borne Debris Regions, requiring residential and commercial structures to withstand wind speeds of 140 to 150 MPH.

At American Hurricane Shutters, our installation process goes beyond the surface. As Certified General Contractors, we perform a site-specific analysis of your home’s Design Pressure (DP) needs. We don’t anchor into the trim — we secure your protection directly into the structural framing of the house. Whether we are outfitting a beachfront estate on Figure Eight Island with motorized rolldowns or installing code-compliant Bahama shutters in Myrtle Beach hurricane shutters, our goal is to ensure your building envelope remains unbreached.

Organization Memberships
  • Licensed General Contractor — NC & SC
  • American Shutter Systems Association (ASSA)
  • International Hurricane Protection Association (IHPA)
  • Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association
  • Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism

For homeowners searching for hurricane shutters near me in coastal NC or SC, here is what sets us apart: we are locally owned, locally staffed, and locally accountable. We do not subcontract installations or use day-labor crews. Every project is handled by our trained team, inspected by our licensed general contractor, and backed by our full service commitment.

Michael Burns, Licensed General Contractor and Founder of American Hurricane Shutters Matt Burns, Vice President of American Hurricane Shutters in Wilmington, NC American Hurricane Shutters headquarters and fleet at 1200 Castle Hayne Road, Wilmington, NC
Why Choose Us
Why Coastal Homeowners Trust AHS Carolinas

Three core commitments that separate us from every other installer on the Carolina coast.

Engineering-First Approach
We specialize in Design Pressure Analysis, ensuring your shutters or screens are anchored to transfer wind force directly into your home’s structural framing — not just into the trim. Every installation includes a site-specific DP calculation and full product approval documentation.
Comprehensive Product Line
From high-end Bahama and Colonial shutters to motorized rolldown systems, hurricane screens, and Lexan polycarbonate panels — we offer every major shutter type so our recommendation is based on your home, not what we happen to carry. View all products.
24/7 Emergency Readiness
Storms don’t follow a 9-to-5 schedule. We operate 24/7 to ensure that when the Cone of Uncertainty shifts, our clients have a partner ready to respond — for maintenance, deployment help, and emergency repairs. Repair & Service.
Working With the Best
Some of Our Past Projects

From parking garages on the Grand Strand to custom residential estates on Figure Eight Island, our work is built to code — and built to last.

Coastal community aerial dusk -- commercial Bahama and colonial shutters Myrtle Beach SC
Commercial Bahama & Colonial Shutters — Myrtle Beach, SC
Large-scale Bahama shutter installation on Myrtle Beach parking garage
Large-Scale Bahama Shutters — Westgate Resort, Myrtle Beach
Custom turquoise Bahama shutters on a commercial office building in Myrtle Beach SC
Custom-Color Bahama Shutters — Commercial Office, Grand Strand
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions we get from homeowners and commercial clients across the Carolina coast every week.

Hurricane shutters are structural additions, not decorative hardware. A Licensed General Contractor understands wind-load requirements, knows how to anchor into your home’s structural framing (not just the trim), and ensures that your installation meets insurance wind mitigation standards. In NC and SC, a properly documented GC-supervised installation can qualify you for significant homeowner’s insurance premium discounts. We provide all permitting, product approval documentation, and wind mitigation forms as standard — not as add-ons.
Yes. We are fully licensed to serve New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender, Onslow, and Carteret Counties in NC, as well as Horry County in SC. Our Wilmington headquarters puts us within a few hours of every coastal community from Morehead City to North Myrtle Beach. We do not subcontract to regional crews — every installation is handled by our trained, OSHA-30 certified team.
Yes. Most insurers in the Carolinas offer Wind Mitigation credits for homes with impact-rated, professionally installed shutters covering all openings. To qualify, you typically need a Wind Mitigation Inspection from a licensed professional. As Certified General Contractors, we ensure all our installations meet the specific ASTM and TAS impact standards required by insurers. We provide all product approval documentation and complete the wind mitigation form for your insurer.
This is a common concern in communities like Landfall in Wilmington or the Historic District. Because we have decades of experience in the region, we provide the specific engineering drawings, material samples, and color charts (including our 20+ powder-coat options for Bahama and colonial shutters) that HOAs require. We submit Architectural Modification Requests on your behalf and build systems that satisfy both the safety requirements of the building code and the aesthetic requirements of your neighborhood. View the color guide.
Absolutely. Commercial properties often require higher Design Pressure ratings due to larger spans of glass and structural substrates like steel or masonry. We engineer custom solutions for businesses, including heavy-duty rolldown shutters, hurricane screens for porch and patio openings, and Lexan storefront protectors. Our commercial team works directly with general contractors and property managers from bid through certificate of occupancy. See our commercial page.
Our 24/7 availability ensures our clients have access to maintenance support, deployment assistance, and emergency repairs when every hour counts before landfall. Call +19102561288 at any time. We prioritize existing customers and can dispatch our team for emergency service across coastal NC and SC. We also provide all customers with clear deployment instructions and labeled panel sets so you can protect your home quickly and independently.
Get In Touch

Any Question? Write Down and Send Us

We respond to all inquiries within one business day. Free in-home estimates available throughout coastal NC and SC — we come to you.

Main Office1200 Castle Hayne Road, Wilmington, NC 28401
Call 24/7+19102561288  ·  +19102568656  ·  +18438681390
Email[email protected]
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American Hurricane Shutters headquarters and truck fleet at 1200 Castle Hayne Road, Wilmington, NC

Ready to Protect Your Home?

Free in-home estimate. No obligation. Same-week scheduling throughout coastal NC and SC. Serving the Carolina coast since 2006.

+19102561288
Available 24/7  ·  Free in-home estimates
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View Our Past Projects →

Three Generations of Coastal Storm Protection

American Hurricane Shutters has protected coastal Carolina homes since 2006 — but our roots in storm protection run deeper. Founder Michael Burns started the family’s first shutter company in 1997, and today his son Matt Burns leads AHS as President. Our lead installers have been hanging shutters on this coast since the 1980s — longer than most companies in the region have been in business. That’s nearly three decades of family experience and more than forty years of hands-on installation behind every job.

We hold North Carolina General Contractor License L.66775 and South Carolina General Contractor License CLG.118108.GC, with active business licenses in Horry County, Conway, and Myrtle Beach. We are the only OSHA-30 certified hurricane shutter company in NC and SC, and our team carries ASSA and Aerial Lift certifications. AHS was named Best of Cape Fear for Hurricane Protection in both 2024 and 2025.

Certified to the Toughest Standard in the Country

Every rated product we install carries Miami-Dade County Product Approval — the toughest impact standard in the United States — tested to Florida’s TAS 201, 202, and 203 protocols and the Florida Building Code. These products meet or exceed the International Building Code requirements that North Carolina and South Carolina base their coastal codes on.

What that means for you: our shutters are engineered and certified to the highest hurricane standard available. Some homeowners install to full Miami-Dade specification; others choose a configuration that still meets or exceeds NC and SC building code but uses less structural buildout for a cleaner look. We walk you through both — the right answer depends on your home, your exposure, and your budget, not a one-size-fits-all spec.

Meet Our Installers

[Photo: Casey Shaffer]

Casey Shaffer — Lead Installer

Casey has been installing hurricane and storm protection on the Carolina coast since the 1980s. With more than four decades in the trade, he has installed virtually every type of shutter made — accordion, roll down, bahama, colonial, panels, and screens — on everything from oceanfront homes to historic-district properties. His experience predates the founding of American Hurricane Shutters itself.

[Photo: Shane Shaffer]

Shane Shaffer — Installer

Shane works alongside his father Casey as AHS’s father-and-son install team. Trained in the trade from the ground up, Shane brings the same standards to every job: precise measurement, structural anchoring done right, and a clean finish that respects your home.

Premium Systems, Built to Outlast the Mortgage

We install only proven, premium shutter systems — Alutech, Town & Country, and ASSA. These aren’t builder-grade products. Alutech and ASSA roll-down and accordion systems are engineered from extruded aluminum to Miami-Dade impact standards, with the strength to take wind-borne debris at coastal design pressures. Town & Country systems pair that same rated protection with the clean lines and finish options coastal homeowners want. When you buy from AHS, you get hardware built to last, installed by a team that has worked with these systems for decades.

Matthew Burns
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