Window Screen / Rescreen repair in Orlando, FL

Verified against official sources · Updated 2026-07-06

Thinking about a window screen / rescreen repair in the Orlando area? Here's what actually matters — permit rules for Orange County and the City of Orlando, plus the mistakes and code requirements that trip up homeowners, sourced from manufacturer manuals and the Florida Building Code.

Do you need a permit?

Check with your building department. Panel-for-panel rescreening is commonly exempt maintenance, but new/expanded screen enclosures are structures requiring permits in Orange County.
Source: https://www.orangecountyfl.net/PermitsLicenses/DoINeedaPermit.aspx

Key facts before you start

Spline is sized by diameter to the frame's groove width — measure the groove or the old spline. Match groove width for standard fiberglass; go ONE size smaller for aluminum/bronze, PetScreen, TuffScreen, SunTex, and Super Solar (thicker fabric or pre-creased metal fills the channel). Common: .140-.160 fiberglass, .125 aluminum, but grooves vary — always measure (Phifer).
Roller technique differs by material: aluminum mesh must first be pre-creased into the channel with the convex (smooth) wheel, then spline set with the concave (grooved) wheel. Fiberglass skips the pre-crease — roll spline and screen in together with the concave wheel only; forcing fiberglass with the convex wheel cuts it.
Cut screen oversize — about 1/2 inch past the groove on all sides for windows, 1-2 inches for doors/patio panels — tape it square, roll spline on all four sides while holding the screen straight, seat corners with a screwdriver tip, THEN trim with a utility knife angled toward the OUTSIDE edge of the spline groove so the blade can't slice the new screen (Phifer).
FL lanai/pool cage panels are NOT window screen: standard is 18x14 fiberglass mesh (heavier than 18x16 window cloth); use 20/20 no-see-um weave near lakes/wetlands for midges; Super Screen 17/14 polyester carries a 10-yr warranty with roughly 3x the tensile and tear strength of standard fiberglass — worth it on roof panels that take debris.
FL code trap: FBC Table 2002.4 screen-enclosure wind pressures assume max 20x20x0.013 mesh (18x14 gets a 0.88 reduction). Densities greater than 20x20 — including vinyl-laminated privacy 'Florida Glass' — require designing the structure as an ENCLOSED building; don't swap standard panels for laminated/denser mesh on an engineered cage without an engineering check.
Like-for-like rescreening of a panel is a repair, but permit exemptions for screen work vary by FL jurisdiction and dollar value — anything touching the enclosure's structural members (frame rebuild, new fasteners into concrete) goes through Orange County/Orlando permitting.

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Sources

https://www.phifer.com/screening/diy/sizing/
https://www.phifer.com/screening/diy/faqs/
https://www.phifer.com/screening/diy/installation/
https://www.phifer.com/screening/pool-and-patio/
https://super-screen.com/17-14-mesh-pool-and-patio/
https://up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-building-code-2023/chapter/20/aluminum
https://www.orangecountyfl.net/permitslicenses/permits.aspx

This guide is general informational content, not professional or legal advice. Codes and county rules change — confirm permit requirements with your local building department, and use a licensed professional for electrical, gas, structural, or main-line plumbing work.