Screen Enclosure Companies questions, answered straight
The questions below are the ones homeowners ask right before they hand over money — and the ones the internet answers worst. Most of what comes back is a lead form or a sales page. These are plain answers with nothing to sell.
- What is the best screen to use on a pool cage?
There is no single best pool screen — there is the right mesh for the problem. HomeGuide's published lifespans and prices by material, the 18/14 versus 20/20 weave question, and the named screens it lists.
- How to add privacy to a pool cage?
A standard pool screen hides nothing. The published options that do — solar and privacy mesh, vinyl-laminated panels, and a reskinned wall — with HomeGuide's material prices and what each one costs in airflow and light.
- How much does a retractable porch screen cost?
HomeGuide prices manual pull-down retractable screens at $15 to $25 per square foot as a complete roll-up unit and motorized ones at $30 to $50. How that compares with fixed screening, and what the motor actually buys.
- How much does a pool screen enclosure cost?Costs
HomeGuide publishes $5 to $15 per square foot, or $4,000 to $14,000, for a pool screen enclosure. The by-size table, what height and a super gutter add, and the Florida price the guides publish.
- How much does it cost to rescreen a pool enclosure?Costs
HomeGuide publishes $0.75 to $1.50 per square foot of screen, or $1,200 to $3,500, to rescreen a pool cage. Per-panel repair prices, the by-size table, what two stories add, and when a full rescreen beats patching.
- How much does a screened-in porch cost?Costs
HomeGuide publishes $10 to $25 per square foot to screen an existing porch and $50 to $175 to build a new one. The full by-size table from 10x10 to 24x36, what the roof costs, and the cheapest honest version.
- How much does a screened lanai cost?Costs
HomeGuide publishes $2,000 to $5,000 to screen an existing lanai and $10,000 to $35,000 to build a new one. The by-size table, the Florida cost factors HomeGuide lists, and what rescreening an old lanai costs instead.
- How long do pool cage screens last?Guides
HomeGuide says a pool cage lasts 10 to 20 years before rescreening, with the mesh type deciding where in that window it lands. The lifespan by material, the signs the screen is done, and what shortens it.
- Do you need a permit for a pool cage in Florida?Guides
Yes — Florida cities permit screen enclosures as aluminum structures under the Florida Building Code. What Tampa, Ocoee and Clermont publish: the permit type, engineer-sealed plans, the fee schedule, and the Notice of Commencement rule.
- Does homeowners insurance cover pool cages?Guides
Often not by default: Citizens Property Insurance says its policies do not cover structures built open to the weather, and the Florida Department of Financial Services describes a screened enclosure hurricane endorsement sold in $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000 limits. What to check on your policy.
- Are pool enclosures worth it?Guides
HomeGuide's published list of what a screen enclosure does — fewer insects and debris, UV protection, a longer season, lower chemical and cleaning costs — against its $4,000 to $14,000 price and 10-to-20-year life. The honest trade.