Most RecommendedScreen Enclosures

How much does a pool screen enclosure cost?

A pool screen enclosure costs $5 to $15 per square foot installed, or $4,000 to $14,000 on average, per HomeGuide.

HomeAdvisor and Angi both read the same structure at $8 to $15 per square foot — HomeAdvisor's worked example is $5,600 to $10,500 for a 700-square-foot enclosure, and Angi's overall band for any pool enclosure runs $7,051 to $18,831. The guides agree on the shape of the answer: a screen cage is the cheapest enclosure there is, and its price is area times a rate in the single or low double digits.

Sources: HomeAdvisor, Angi

This page is general information, not professional advice. Prices move with the size and height of the structure, the screen chosen, your city's permit rules and the season, and the only number that counts is a written quote from a licensed contractor who has measured your yard.

Pool cage cost by size

Enclosure footprintPublished cost
15 x 30 ft (450 sq ft)$3,000 – $6,500
20 x 40 ft (800 sq ft)$4,000 – $12,000
30 x 50 ft (1,500 sq ft)$7,500 – $20,000
HomeGuide's published pool screen enclosure cost by footprint. A two-story enclosure needs scaffolding and costs about 30% more on its figures.

Source: HomeGuide

The footprint is bigger than the pool. HomeGuide's sizing example: a 12-by-24-foot pool with a 3-foot walkway needs an 18-by-30-foot enclosure — 540 square feet — and a 6-foot deck pushes that to 24 by 36, or 864 square feet. Measure the deck you want covered, not the water.

Source: HomeGuide

How much does a pool enclosure cost in Florida?

HomeGuide publishes a Florida-specific read: $6,000 to $12,000, with the same $5 to $15 per square foot in Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa for mesh screening on aluminum framing. It also notes why the state is the center of this trade — screen enclosures suit southern climates, and it describes the typical Florida cage as hurricane-rated aluminum framing that, properly anchored and maintained, withstands winds up to 150 mph.

Source: HomeGuide

What moves the price: height, gutter, and what the screen is made of

Height is the big lever. HomeGuide says an enclosure tall enough to walk under — 7 to 8 feet and up — costs about twice what a low cover that only clears the water does, and a two-story cage is higher still. A super gutter, the heavy aluminum channel that carries the cage's weight and the roof's drainage where it meets the house, adds $1,500 to $2,500 or more on its figures, as do concrete footings. Angi names the screen options that change the bill: fiberglass, pet screen, and the vinyl-laminated panel Florida contractors call Florida Glass.

Sources: HomeGuide, Angi

Ask for the square footage, the height and the screen type on the quote. Three cages that look alike from the pool deck can be three different bills.

Enclosure typePer square footTypical total
Screen (aluminum frame)$5 – $15$4,000 – $14,000
Polycarbonate$15 – $45$8,000 – $30,000
Glass$30 – $65$15,000 – $50,000
Retractable$20 – $200$15,000 – $150,000
How a screen cage compares with the other enclosure types, on HomeGuide's published per-square-foot bands.

Source: HomeGuide

To price a cage or a screened porch on the published by-size tables: the screen enclosure cost calculator.

Questions people ask next

How long does a pool cage last?
HomeGuide says pool cages last 10 to 20 years before needing rescreening — the aluminum frame outlives the mesh, which is why rescreening is its own trade and its own price.
Does a pool cage add value to a home?
HomeGuide lists increased resale value among the benefits of an enclosure, alongside fewer insects, less debris, UV protection and a longer swimming season. It does not publish a dollar or percentage figure for the value added, and neither does this page.
Is a pool cage cheaper than a glass enclosure?
By a wide margin on HomeGuide's table: $5 to $15 per square foot for screen against $30 to $65 for glass, or $4,000 to $14,000 against $15,000 to $50,000 in totals. The trade is seasons — a screen cage is a three-season structure and a glass room is a four-season one.
Can I buy a pool screen enclosure kit instead?
HomeGuide prices aluminum screen enclosure kits at the same $5 to $15 per square foot, $2,500 to $15,000 overall depending on size, and says DIY kits are reserved for smaller pools with manufacturers offering 5-to-15-year limited warranties. Shipping and assembly are not in the kit price.

Written for homeowners by Most Recommended Screen Enclosures, which measures which screen enclosure companies AI assistants actually recommend in 12 U.S. metros. Nobody can pay to be on those lists. How we measure.