Lanai Rescreening Cost in Florida (2026 Guide)

Lanai rescreening cost in Florida typically runs between $1.50 and $4.00 per square foot, which works out to roughly $600 for a small screened porch and $3,000 to $8,000 or more for a full pool cage. Where you land in that range depends on three things: the size of the enclosure, the type of mesh you choose, and how hard the panels are to reach. If your screens are sagging, torn, or letting bugs in faster than you can swat them, this guide breaks down exactly what a rescreen job costs before anyone shows up with a quote.

Florida lanais and pool cages don't fail the way screens do up north. Salt air, UV exposure, humidity, and the occasional tropical storm chew through standard fiberglass mesh in a fraction of the time it lasts inland. In Ponte Vedra, Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach — where a lot of homes sit a few blocks from saltwater — screens that would hold up for 15 years in Orlando can start shredding in under 10. Knowing what actually drives the price is the difference between paying a fair rate and paying for a mesh upgrade you didn't need.

Lanai Rescreening Cost in Florida

Most lanai and pool cage rescreening jobs in the Jacksonville area fall between $1.50 and $4.00 per square foot of screen area, not the footprint of the enclosure. A single-panel patch is cheap. A full rescreen of a two-story pool cage with premium mesh sits at the top of that range.

Here's the breakdown homeowners in Ponte Vedra, St. Johns, and Jacksonville Beach can generally expect:

These figures cover material and labor for a standard rescreen using existing framing. Frame repair, spline replacement, and second-story access all add to the total, which is covered below.

Pool Cage Rescreening Cost

Pool cage rescreening cost runs higher per square foot than a simple lanai because pool cages are taller, often have curved or vaulted rooflines, and require the crew to work off ladders or lifts for a large share of the panels. A typical pool cage rescreen in Northeast Florida lands between $2,800 and $8,500, with the wide range driven almost entirely by cage height and total screen area.

Two-story or "picture window" pool cages — popular in newer Ponte Vedra and St. Johns builds because they don't obstruct the view — cost more to rescreen than a standard single-story cage of the same footprint. The extra height means more labor time per panel and, in some cases, specialized lift equipment instead of a standard ladder.

What Affects the Price

A handful of factors move a lanai rescreening quote up or down:

• Mesh type. Standard fiberglass screen is the least expensive option. No-see-um mesh, woven fine enough to keep out biting midges, costs more per roll. Super screen or pet screen — a heavier, PVC-coated mesh built to resist tearing from claws or storm debris — costs the most of the common mesh types.
• Enclosure height. Single-story lanais are straightforward. Two-story pool cages or vaulted rooflines require ladders, lifts, or scaffolding, which adds labor cost per panel.
• Frame condition. If the aluminum framing is bent, corroded, or the spline channel (the groove that holds the screen in place) is damaged, that gets repaired or replaced before new screen goes in, adding to the bill.
• Number of panels. More panels mean more spline to remove and reinstall, even if the total square footage is the same as a design with fewer, larger panels.
• Access. Enclosures surrounded by dense landscaping, pool equipment, or tight side yards take longer to work around.
• Storm damage extent. A post-storm job with multiple torn panels and bent framing costs more than routine wear-and-tear rescreening, since it often combines patch repair, frame straightening, and full panel replacement in one visit.

Signs Your Lanai Screens Need Replacing

Not every torn panel means a full rescreen. Here's how to tell which situation you're in:

• A handful of small tears or holes in an otherwise intact screen usually means patch repair or single-panel replacement, not a full rescreen.
• Screens that are brittle, chalky, or crumble when you touch them have UV-degraded past the point of patching — this is common on south- and west-facing panels after 8–12 years in Florida sun.
• Sagging mesh that's pulled loose from the spline across multiple panels signals the whole enclosure is due, even if no single panel looks torn.
• Visible daylight through the mesh in more than a few spots means the weave has thinned to the point where bugs and no-see-ums are getting through anyway.
• Recent storm damage with torn panels, bent framing, or screens ripped completely off is the most common reason Ponte Vedra homeowners call for a full rescreen rather than a patch.

Full Rescreen vs. Patch Repair

A patch or single-panel replacement makes sense when the damage is isolated — one or two torn panels on an enclosure that's otherwise in good shape, with mesh that's still holding up on the rest of the structure. This runs $75 to $200 per panel and can usually be done same-day.

A full rescreen makes more financial sense once you're looking at three or more panels needing replacement, or when the existing mesh is uniformly degraded from age and sun exposure. At that point, patching becomes a losing game — you're paying panel-by-panel for a problem that's going to keep showing up every few months as the rest of the screen catches up in age. Most contractors will tell you honestly which situation you're in rather than upsell a full rescreen you don't need yet.

Why Coastal Screens Fail Faster (Salt Air & Storms)

Standard fiberglass screen is rated for a long lifespan under normal conditions, but "normal conditions" doesn't describe a lanai three blocks from the Atlantic. Salt-laden air corrodes the aluminum spline and frame hardware faster than inland exposure, and the salt residue that settles on the mesh itself makes it more brittle under UV light. Add in Florida's intense year-round sun and the tropical storms and hurricanes that pass through the area, and coastal screens in Ponte Vedra, Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach often need attention years before an equivalent enclosure inland.

Upgrading to a heavier mesh or PVC-coated screen during a rescreen is worth considering for homes closest to the water — it costs more upfront but holds up meaningfully longer against salt and storm debris than standard fiberglass.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

Rescreening a single small panel with basic tools — a spline roller and replacement spline cord — is within reach for a handy homeowner, and the material cost for one panel is low. But a full lanai or pool cage rescreen is a different job: it involves working at height, keeping mesh taut and wrinkle-free across large spans, and matching spline sizes correctly across dozens of panels. A poorly tensioned rescreen looks baggy within a season and doesn't hold up to the next storm the way a properly tensioned one does.

For anything beyond a panel or two, or any job involving ladder work on a two-story cage, hiring a pro is worth the cost. It's also the only practical option if the framing needs repair alongside the screen.

Getting an Accurate Lanai Rescreening Quote

The most reliable quotes come from an in-person look at the enclosure, since square footage, panel count, and frame condition all affect the price and none of those are obvious from a phone description. Before you call, it helps to know roughly how old your current screens are, whether you want to stick with standard mesh or upgrade to pet screen or no-see-um mesh, and whether any panels have visible frame damage. That's usually enough for a contractor to give you a real number, not a placeholder estimate that changes once they're on-site.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does lanai rescreening cost in Florida? Most jobs run $1.50 to $4.00 per square foot, or roughly $600 for a small screened porch up to $8,500 for a large two-story pool cage. Mesh type and enclosure height are the two biggest factors in where you land.

How much does pool cage rescreening cost? Pool cage rescreening typically costs $2,800 to $8,500 depending on the cage's total screen area and height. Taller cages and two-story "picture window" enclosures cost more due to the extra labor and equipment needed to reach upper panels.

How long does lanai screen last in Florida? Standard fiberglass screen typically lasts 8 to 12 years in coastal Florida before UV exposure and salt air make it brittle, compared to 15-plus years in less coastal climates. Heavier mesh like pet screen or PVC-coated screen tends to last longer.

Is it cheaper to patch a screen or replace the whole enclosure? Patching one or two damaged panels runs $75 to $200 and is the cheaper option for isolated damage. Once three or more panels need replacement, or the mesh is uniformly degraded from age, a full rescreen is usually the better value.

What's the best mesh for a pool cage near the beach? Pet screen or PVC-coated super screen holds up better against salt air and storm debris than standard fiberglass, though it costs more upfront. For enclosures within a mile or two of the coast, the longer lifespan generally justifies the higher initial cost.

Can lanai screens be repaired after hurricane damage? Yes, in most cases. If the aluminum framing survived intact, torn or missing panels can be rescreened without replacing the structure itself. A post-storm inspection will confirm whether the frame needs repair before new screen goes in.

Torn or sagging lanai screens rarely get better on their own, and a proper rescreen is a straightforward job when it's done right the first time. If your screened porch or pool cage in Ponte Vedra, St. Johns, or Jacksonville Beach needs a look, Ponte Vedra Handyman can assess the damage and give you an honest number for a patch or a full rescreen before any work starts. We also handle the broader outdoor and yard work that tends to come up around the same time; see our outdoor and yard services in Ponte Vedra, St. Johns, and Jacksonville Beach. Call (904) 780-4116 to get your lanai screens back in shape.