What rescreening usually costs
Rescreening a pool cage is one of the more predictable jobs in this business, but the numbers you see quoted online depend a lot on what's being measured. Two prices that look far apart can describe the same kind of job. One is priced per square foot of screen area, which is the screen itself. Another is priced per square foot of enclosure size, which is the full footprint and height of the cage. That difference in measurement, not a difference in the market, is a big part of why the numbers look so far apart, so ask what square footage a price refers to before you compare it with anything else.
Most of these figures are national, and Florida jobs can run higher or lower, so use them to get your bearings, not to set a budget to the dollar. The ranges below come from national cost guides reviewed in October 2026, listed at the bottom of this page.
Typical planning ranges
| Project type | Typical planning range | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Full pool cage rescreen | $1,200 to $3,500 total; $0.75 to $1.50 per sq. ft. of screen area | A broad first check. If you see a per square foot price, confirm it refers to screen area before comparing. |
| Full rescreen by pool size, single story | 15×30 ft pool: $900 to $2,100 · 20×40 ft: $1,500 to $3,500 · 30×50 ft: $2,100 to $5,000 | Find the row closest to your pool. Two story enclosures run 30% to 50% higher. |
| Complete rescreen by enclosure size | $7 to $9 per sq. ft. · 300 sq. ft.: $2,100 to $2,700 · 600 sq. ft.: $4,200 to $5,400 · 900 sq. ft.: $6,300 to $8,100 | Based on enclosure size, not screen area. Don't apply this rate to a screen area measurement. |
| Individual panel replacement | $25 to $65 per panel | Useful when only a few panels are torn and the rest of the screen is sound. |
| General enclosure repairs | $925 average; $80 to $2,950 reported range | Covers many kinds of repair, not only screen. Not a rescreening price. |
| Porch or lanai rescreen | $400 to $800 average; $2 to $4 per sq. ft. | For smaller screened porches and lanais, not full pool cages. |
| New screen enclosure, for comparison | $4,000 to $14,000, or $5 to $15 per sq. ft. installed | The other side of the repair or replace comparison. Not a rescreening price. |
How to read these ranges
Think of these as planning ranges, not a quote. Height, the number of doors, the screen types you choose, roof panels versus wall panels, and any frame repairs found during the evaluation can all move a real price outside them. The contractor's written proposal for your property is what controls.
When a rescreen turns into a bigger job
If it's straight, the fasteners are sound, and the footings haven't moved, rescreening is usually the job. If the evaluation finds bent uprights, corroded hardware, or a racked frame, repairs come first, and cost becomes part of the decision. As repairs climb toward what a comparable new enclosure would run, replacement is often the better value. That's why the new enclosure row is in the table: it gives you the other half of the comparison.
Repair, rescreen, or replace? Read the guide
What permits cost in Hillsborough and Pinellas
Here's the good news for most rescreening jobs: rescreening an existing enclosure is exempt from permits in most cases. Permits generally come into play for new enclosures, replacements, and major frame work, and your contractor handles them. When a permit is needed, the fee depends on which office serves your address.
- Unincorporated Hillsborough County. The county's Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective October 5, 2024, lists a flat $380 residential miscellaneous permit that covers pool enclosures and screen rooms. That amount includes a $50 application fee due at submittal, and state surcharges are added on top.
- Pinellas County Building Services. This office covers unincorporated Pinellas, including Palm Harbor, plus Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Oldsmar, and Safety Harbor. The county's FY26 adopted fee schedule lists aluminum structures such as pool cages and screen rooms at $250 plus $1 per $1,000 of project value without a slab or footers, or $350 plus $1 per $1,000 with them, including plan review and inspections. State surcharges of 2.5 percent of the permit fee ($4 minimum) and a small technology fee are added. For example, a $15,000 enclosure without a new slab or footers would carry a base county fee of $265 before those additions.
- Cities with their own building departments. Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City in Hillsborough, and 18 Pinellas cities including Clearwater, Dunedin, Largo, Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, and Tarpon Springs, set their own fees. Dunedin, for example, charges by project value: $100 plus $5 per $1,000 for work valued from $5,001 to $50,000, plus a plan review charge of 50 percent of the permit fee.
Florida law also changed on July 1, 2026, exempting many single family home projects valued under $7,500 from permits. Structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and gas work are excluded, as are properties in flood hazard areas, and Pinellas County asks for a written exemption request before exempt work begins. Your contractor confirms how the rules apply to your job.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the per square foot prices vary so much?
Because they measure different things. One source prices per square foot of screen area, another per square foot of enclosure size. Before comparing any two numbers, ask what square footage each one refers to.
What should a written rescreening proposal include?
At minimum: the screen type for each area (roof, walls, lower panels), whether doors, spline, and kick plates are included, any repairs found during the evaluation, cleanup, and whether a permit is needed. Comparing proposals is only fair when the scope matches.
Should I plan around the low end of a range?
It's safer not to. The low end usually reflects a small, single story enclosure with standard screen and no repairs. Plan around the full range and let the evaluation narrow it.
Is the permit fee included in the price?
Most rescreening doesn't need a permit. If your job does, ask the contractor to show the permit cost as its own line, so you can see what goes to government fees and what goes to labor and materials.
Related pages
Sources reviewed
All sources were reviewed in October 2026.
- HomeGuide, Pool Screen Repair Cost, dated September 6, 2023
- HomeGuide, Pool Enclosure Cost, dated September 6, 2023
- HomeGuide, Cost to Rescreen a Porch or Patio Enclosure, dated June 28, 2023
- Angi, Pool Screen Enclosure Repair Cost, September 28, 2026
- Angi, Pool Enclosure Cost, updated September 1, 2026
- HomeAdvisor, Pool Screen Enclosure Repair Cost, updated June 19, 2026
- Hillsborough County, Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective October 5, 2024
- Pinellas County, Building and Development Review Services fees, FY26 and FY27 budgets
- Pinellas County, Building Departments in Pinellas County, updated August 11, 2026
- Pinellas County, Permit Exemptions for Work Under $7,500, updated August 3, 2026
- City of Dunedin, Building Permit Fees, Appendix C, 2025 edition