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Pool Cage, Lanai & Window Screen Repair in Orlando, FL

Updated 2026-09-03 · Sources verified 2026-07-20

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Short answer: usually no for a panel-for-panel rescreen. New or expanded screen enclosures are structures that require permits in Orange County, and anything touching the cage's structural members is permit work — confirm with OC Building Safety at 407-836-5550. The full rule and its official source are below, with the code requirements and mistakes that trip up Orlando homeowners.

The permit answer

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

Orange County and the City of Orlando run separate permit offices with separate portals — and your mailing address alone doesn't tell you which one covers your home. Check which permit office covers your address →

New for 2026: if this job is valued under $7,500, on a detached single-family home not even partially in a flood hazard area, Florida's HB 803 exemption may apply — but it requires filing a written request with cost documentation first, and nobody inspects exempt work. How the under-$7,500 exemption works →

Key facts before you start

Spline is sized to the FRAME GROOVE, not the mesh, and it is not one number: Phifer's chart gives .140 (9/64") for standard fiberglass and pool/patio screen in both 5/16"x3/4" and 7/16"x3/4" frames, .125 (1/8") for aluminum and solar/PetScreen in those same frames, and .210 (7/32") for solar/PetScreen in 7/16"x1" frames. Phifer's sizing prose and its FAQ contradict each other on which materials step down a size — so measure the groove and dry-fit a few inches before rolling the whole perimeter.
Rescreen order (Phifer): strip the old spline, tape the frame's outside edges down but NEVER over the spline groove, lay the mesh square — overlap 1/2" on all sides for windows/doors, cut pool/patio panels 2-3" larger per side leaving 1-2" of excess — roll the fabric into the groove while holding it straight with your hand, press the spline in and seat EVERY corner with a screwdriver tip, then trim with the knife on the OUTSIDE edge of the spline groove so the blade can't cut the new screen.
FL lanai/pool cage mesh is not window cloth: 18x14 fiberglass is Phifer's pool-and-patio standard, and for midges near lakes/wetlands the answer is 20x20 No-See-Ums (or Solar Insect 20x30). Super Screen 17/14 tests far tougher than conventional fiberglass — tensile 171 vs 79 lbf warp, tear 51 vs 14 lbf, ball burst 182 vs 61 lb — with a 10-yr limited warranty against the 1-3 yrs its own chart gives conventional screen; worth the upcharge on roof panels that take debris.
FL code trap (FBC 2023 Table 2002.4, Note 6): the screen-enclosure wind pressures assume 20x20x0.013" mesh; 18x14x0.013" may be multiplied by 0.88; and for densities GREATER than 20x20x0.013" you must use pressures for ENCLOSED buildings. Note 5 sends solid roof panels and their attachments to component-and-cladding loads. So re-panelling an engineered cage in denser, laminated, or solid privacy panels is a design change for the engineer/building department — not a like-for-like rescreen.
If the cage IS the pool barrier: FBC-R R4501.17.1.11 lets a standard screen enclosure count as part or all of the required barrier only while it meets R4501.17 — no opening may pass a 4"-diameter sphere (R4501.17.1.2), and access gates/doors must be self-closing with a self-latching device on the pool side, or the release at least 54" up (R4501.17.1.8). A panel torn out or pulled for rescreening is an OPEN barrier: supervise or otherwise fence the pool until it's back, and never defeat the door's closer or latch.
Panel-for-panel rescreening is commonly treated as exempt maintenance, but Orange County publishes no screen-specific exemption, and anything touching the cage's structural members (frame members, new fasteners into concrete, footers) is permit work on an engineered structure. Don't assume HB 803's under-$7,500 exemption here — it excludes structural work and requires a WRITTEN request filed before work starts; confirm with OC Building Safety 407-836-5550 (City of Orlando addresses are a different office).

What it costs

DIY: $10–$20 for a DIY screen repair kit (replacement mesh, spline, rolling tool, spline hook)
Hiring it out: $100–$350 per window screen installed (standard sizes); rescreening a porch/patio enclosure $600–$3,500
Labor alone is only $15–$50 per window — materials drive the price; custom sizes run $150–$500 per window
Published national figures (HomeGuide, checked Aug 2026): https://homeguide.com/costs/window-screen-replacement-cost. Prices move — the free planner pulls current retail prices for your exact repair.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for a window screen / rescreen repair in Orange County, FL?

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.

Are there specific building-code requirements for a window screen / rescreen repair?

FL code trap (FBC 2023 Table 2002.4, Note 6): the screen-enclosure wind pressures assume 20x20x0.013" mesh; 18x14x0.013" may be multiplied by 0.88; and for densities GREATER than 20x20x0.013" you must use pressures for ENCLOSED buildings.

What tools or parts do I need to get right for a window screen / rescreen repair?

Rescreen order (Phifer): strip the old spline, tape the frame's outside edges down but NEVER over the spline groove, lay the mesh square — overlap 1/2" on all sides for windows/doors, cut pool/patio panels 2-3" larger per side leaving 1-2" of excess — roll the fabric into the groove while holding it straight with your hand, press the spline in and seat EVERY corner with a screwdriver tip, then trim with the knife on the OUTSIDE edge of the spline groove so the blade can't cut the new screen.

What does a window screen / rescreen repair cost?

DIY: $10–$20 for a DIY screen repair kit (replacement mesh, spline, rolling tool, spline hook) Hiring it out: $100–$350 per window screen installed (standard sizes); rescreening a porch/patio enclosure $600–$3,500 Labor alone is only $15–$50 per window — materials drive the price; custom sizes run $150–$500 per window Published national figures (HomeGuide, checked Aug 2026) — local prices vary, and the free DIYrr planner pulls current retail prices for your exact repair.

Related repairs

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://up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-residential-code-2023/chapter/45/private-swimming-pools
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.

Beyond DIY

Rescreening panels is DIY-friendly, but a corroded or storm-racked frame means a new engineered enclosure — that is contractor work. Pool enclosures & pool cages in Orlando — Karhan Construction →

Built by Karhan Construction & Remodeling, an owner-led repair and remodeling company in Orlando — DIYrr is free whether or not you ever hire us.