Hurricane shutters for Bolivar Peninsula homes on pilings
Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Gilchrist and High Island, all one ferry ride from our showroom. We put roll-down, accordion and Bahama shutters on the peninsula's raised beach houses, measured and installed by our own crew.
5.0 from 46 Google reviews 5-year parts and labor warranty 0% for 24 months
- 21ftIke's peak surge on the peninsula in 2008
- 62%Of structures destroyed or badly damaged by Ike
- ¼miWide at its narrowest point, near Gilchrist
- FerryThe route from our showroom on 51st Street
A narrow strip between the bay and the Gulf
Bolivar Peninsula is a thin line of land between East Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, about a quarter mile wide at its narrowest near Gilchrist and Rollover Pass. Highway 87 runs its length from Port Bolivar through Crystal Beach and Gilchrist toward High Island. There is no bridge to Galveston; the state ferry from Port Bolivar runs about every 30 minutes in daylight off-season and more frequently in tourist season.
Hurricane Ike was devastating here. On September 13, 2008, the surge peaked at 21 feet and put most of the peninsula under at least 15 feet of water. About 3,600 structures, 62 percent of them, were destroyed or severely damaged. In Gilchrist, 99.5 percent of roughly 1,000 buildings came off their foundations, and in Crystal Beach some houses on 14-foot stilts rolled into the water.
The houses we work on there stand on pilings, with their living floors and their windows up in the wind. Shutters cannot do anything about surge, and we will say so before we sell you any. What they do is keep the wind and what it throws from breaking into the house through the glass, on the floors where you live. The peninsula is in Galveston County, inside the area the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association covers.
Bolivar Peninsula at a glance
For your estimate- County
- Galveston
- Communities
- Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Caplen, Gilchrist, High Island
- From our showroom
- About 19 miles and 40 minutes, ferry included
- Windstorm insurance
- Inside the TWIA area
- Installed here
- Roll-down, accordion and Bahama shutters
- Warranty
- 5 years, parts and labor
Price your beach house shutters
We measure at the house and quote in writing, free. 0% interest for 24 months.
Three shutters for a house on pilings
Every one of these is on a Bolivar house in our photos, and one house can carry all three.
Roll-downs you close from your phone
Motorized roll-down shutters run from a wall switch, a remote or a smartphone app. If the house is a weekend place or a rental, you can close it from wherever you are when a storm turns toward the coast, with no drive and no ferry line.
Accordions that lock while you are away
Accordion shutters stack beside the Gulf-view windows all summer and pull closed along a track in minutes. They lock with a key or a thumb turn and need no power, so they work the same when the power is out.
Bahamas for the glare off the water
Bahama shutters shade the windows from the afternoon sun and the glare off the Gulf, keep the view underneath, and fold down over the glass for a storm. Navy, blue or any powder-coated color the house wears.
Recent work on Bolivar Peninsula
Photos from our own jobs on the peninsula. More are in the project gallery.
Automatic, accordion and Bahama on one house
5.0 stars from 46 reviews. Read them all on Google.
Installed hurricane shutters both automatic and accordion style and Bahama shutters.
Bolivar questions we hear most
Anything else, call (409) 502-2231 or stop at the showroom on 51st Street on your way to the ferry.
Do you come over to Bolivar for estimates?
Yes. Bolivar Peninsula is a ferry ride from our showroom at 902 51st St in Galveston, about 19 miles and 40 minutes depending on the ferry line, and inside our 50-mile service area. We measure every opening at the house and price it in writing, free. Our own crew installs.
Can I close my shutters from home if a storm turns toward the coast?
With motorized roll-down shutters, yes: they run from a wall switch, a remote or a smartphone app. If the house is a weekend place or a rental, that means no drive and no ferry line to close it up. Manual roll-downs, accordions and Bahamas close by hand at the house.
Will shutters protect a beach house from storm surge?
No. Ike's surge reached 21 feet on the peninsula, and no shutter stops water. What shutters do is keep wind and wind-borne debris from breaking the windows and doors, which is how wind and rain get inside a house. We would rather you hear that from us before you buy.
Do shutters lock while the house is empty?
Accordion shutters lock with a key or a thumb turn, and roll-down shutters closed over windows and doors keep the glass covered while you are away. Both work as security between storms as well as protection during one.
Is Bolivar Peninsula in the TWIA windstorm area?
Yes. The peninsula is in Galveston County, one of the 14 first-tier coastal counties TWIA covers. On an insured house, new windows, entry doors and garage doors need a certificate of compliance from the Texas Department of Insurance.
Across the water from Bolivar
Get a free estimate on Bolivar
We come over from Galveston, measure every window, door and porch opening on the house, show you the roll-down, accordion and Bahama options, and price the ones you choose. The visit and the estimate are free.
- We call you to set a time for the visit.
- A specialist measures each opening and walks you through the options.
- You get your price, with 0% financing for up to 24 months if you want it.
- Our own crew installs, and a project manager keeps you posted.
Or stop by the showroom at 902 51st St, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.