Hurricane Solution and the IHPA: what it means to be the only member outside the United States
Last updated: October 2026
THE ONLY IHPA MEMBER OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES
Hurricane Solution is a member of the International Hurricane Protection Association (IHPA), the association that represents the U.S. hurricane protection industry.
Membership requires documented licensing, liability insurance, approved hurricane products, adherence to the IHPA Code of Ethics and approval by its Board of Directors.
Hurricane Solution is currently the only IHPA member located outside the United States.
Hurricane Solution is a hurricane protection company serving hotels, developments, commercial properties and residences in Cancún, the Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Los Cabos and other hurricane-exposed markets in Mexico. Since 2008 we have worked to Florida standards, and we are a member of the International Hurricane Protection Association.
This page explains what the IHPA is, what its membership requires, how it differs from a product certification, why it matters for your property and how to verify everything we say here.
What is the IHPA?
The International Hurricane Protection Association is a nonprofit industry association founded in 2000 and based in Florida, the U.S. state with the most demanding hurricane building standards. It is registered in Florida as a nonprofit corporation and, since 2002, has been federally recognized as a business league, the same category as a chamber of commerce.
It brings together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, engineers, architects, code writers and government officials who work in hurricane protection. Its purpose is to unite that industry and raise its professional standards.
Why does the IHPA exist?
Hurricane protection involves many players: those who manufacture shutters, panels and fabric screens; those who install them; those who specify them in a project; and those who decide what the building code allows. The IHPA exists so those groups can speak with one voice, share information and hold themselves to common professional standards.
What does membership require?
Membership is not automatic. To be accepted, a company must meet the following:
| Requirement | What it means for whoever hires the company |
|---|---|
| Licensing | The company is legally established to do the work. |
| Liability insurance, with the IHPA as certificate holder | The association has seen proof that the company can answer financially for its work. |
| Product list with their approvals | The company sells tested and approved products that meet the Florida Building Code or an equivalent standard. |
| Code of Ethics | The company has committed to representing its products honestly and acting professionally. |
| Board of Directors approval | The application was reviewed and accepted by the IHPA Board. |
Membership is not certification
A product certification tells you what you are buying: that a specific product was tested under a recognized standard, such as ASTM E1996, or holds a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. A membership tells you whom you are hiring: that an organization reviewed the company and accepted it under its rules.
The IHPA does not certify products, and its membership does not guarantee how any system will perform in a hurricane. No credential can guarantee that. That is why, at Hurricane Solution, we always speak of membership, never certification, and we back it with tested products and engineered installation.
Why Hurricane Solution's membership matters
It puts us in a different category. In most of Mexico’s hurricane markets, protection is sold by general contractors, window installers and importers whose standards are self-declared. Hurricane Solution was reviewed by the U.S. hurricane protection industry and accepted under its rules.
It gives concrete reasons to trust. Real insurance, approved products and a code of ethics enforced by an outside association.
It confirms we were evaluated by third parties. We went through the IHPA Board review and have kept our membership for several consecutive years.
Membership is part of a broader backing:
- Tested systems. Our hurricane fabric systems are tested under ASTM E1996, including missile level E, the most demanding level of the standard, with Miami-Dade approval for anchoring and fabric. Explore the HS-1500, the HS-1250 and the HS-875 and our rain protection.
- Engineering. Every project starts with a review of each opening and the structure behind it, with concealed reinforcement where the structure falls short.
- Field results. A design hotel in Cancún that we protected in 2022 successfully deployed its system when Hurricane Milton passed off the Yucatán coast in October 2024.
- Experience. We have protected properties on both of Mexico’s coasts since 2008.
Why it matters for your property
- Hotels. A hotel entrusts its contractor with the most exposed part of its business. Membership removes a major unknown from the contract: who stands behind the work. Explore our hotel protection program.
- Developers and architects. A project needs a supplier whose products and standards can be written into the specifications with confidence, with verifiable approvals and file numbers. Explore our work with developers and architects.
- Commercial properties. Shops, offices and plazas need protection that respects storefronts and business hours. See our commercial protection page.
- Residences and condominiums. Owners and condo boards, many of them out of the country during the season, need a contractor they can hold accountable.
What "the only member outside the United States" means
The IHPA is a U.S. association, and its members are overwhelmingly companies operating in the United States. Hurricane Solution, based in Mexico, is currently the only member located outside that market.
It is unusual because the requirements are built around the U.S. system: product approvals that meet the Florida Building Code or an equivalent standard, insurance that names the IHPA and Board approval. Many companies outside the United States sell products that were never tested to those standards, because their markets do not require it.
It does not mean the IHPA endorses every decision we make, nor is it an exclusive license or a guarantee. It means the U.S. hurricane protection industry reviewed us and accepted us, and that no other company outside the United States holds that membership today.
Where we work
We bring IHPA standards to every market we serve:
Cancún · Riviera Maya · Puerto Vallarta · Acapulco
We also serve Los Cabos, Mazatlán and other hurricane-exposed markets in Mexico.
How to verify this information
You don’t have to take our word for it. You can confirm our membership directly with the association through its contact page, and review the membership requirements on the official IHPA website. Our product approvals have file numbers that any architect, engineer or insurer can check; we share them on request.
Frequent questions
Is Hurricane Solution certified by the IHPA?
No. Hurricane Solution is a member of the IHPA. The IHPA is an industry association and does not certify companies or products. Our products have their own approvals, such as ASTM E1996 testing and Miami-Dade approval.
Does IHPA membership guarantee the protection will withstand a hurricane?
No. No credential can guarantee that. Performance depends on the product, the engineering, the anchoring, the installation and the deployment. Membership confirms that the company responsible for all of that was reviewed by its industry.
Are there other IHPA members in Mexico?
No. Hurricane Solution is currently the only IHPA member outside the United States, which includes Mexico.
How long has Hurricane Solution been a member?
Hurricane Solution has kept its IHPA membership for several consecutive years.
How do I get started?
Request a free technical assessment through our hotel protection program or learn about our approach to hurricane protection.