The quick answer
No license needed: swapping torn screen for new screen in an existing, undamaged frame (a “like-for-like rescreen”). No structural change, no permit, no specialty license — in most jurisdictions.
License + permit needed: building a new screen room, pool cage, or lanai; replacing or re-geometrying the aluminum frame; or changing how the enclosure attaches to the house. That is permitted structural work, and it requires a licensed Structural Aluminum or Screen Enclosure Specialty Contractor.
When you do not need a license
Anyone can pull old, torn mesh out of an existing screen enclosure and staple or spline in new screen. As long as you're not touching the aluminum structure, not changing its shape, and not changing how it's anchored to the home, a basic rescreen is generally considered maintenance — not contracting. It typically needs no permit and no specialty contractor license.
That's also why rescreening pays like maintenance work. It's the low end of the trade, and almost anyone can compete on it.
When you do need a license
Under Florida law, building, attaching, or structurally altering an enclosure is restricted work. You need a Florida Structural Aluminum or Screen Enclosure Specialty Contractor license once the job involves the structure itself, including:
- Building a new screen room, pool enclosure (pool cage), lanai, or patio cover
- Replacing or rebuilding the aluminum frame, beams, or panel-post-and-beam roof
- Changing the enclosure's size, shape, or footprint
- Changing how it attaches to the house, slab, or footings
- Installing screen rooms with glass, window/door units, or vinyl panels
- Anything that has to be engineered and permitted for wind load
Rule of thumb: if the structure changes, you need a license and a permit. If only the screen changes, usually you don't. The mesh is maintenance; the frame is contracting.
Rescreen vs. rebuild — quick reference
| The job | License? |
|---|---|
| Replace torn screen in an existing, sound frame | Usually no |
| Re-spline a single panel after a storm | Usually no |
| Build a brand-new screen enclosure or pool cage | Yes |
| Replace bent or corroded aluminum framing members | Yes |
| Enlarge, reshape, or extend an existing enclosure | Yes |
| Re-anchor an enclosure to the slab or house | Yes |
| Add a screen/panel roof or roof-over | Yes |
Cities and counties interpret the line differently and rules change over time. Always confirm with your local building department (the authority having jurisdiction) before you start.
Do screen enclosures need a permit in Florida?
A new screen enclosure or a major structural change does need a permit. It has to be engineered to meet Florida Building Code wind-load requirements — Florida's high-wind and hurricane zones are strict about this — and the building permit is pulled by the licensed contractor (or by the homeowner on their own home, under the owner-builder exemption). A like-for-like rescreen generally does not require a permit.
What about a pool cage?
A pool cage is just a large screen enclosure over a pool, so the same logic applies: rescreening the cage is maintenance, but building, replacing, re-anchoring, or resizing the aluminum cage is permitted structural work that needs a licensed Structural Aluminum or Screen Enclosure Specialty Contractor.
Can a homeowner build their own screen enclosure?
Florida has an owner-builder exemption that can let a homeowner pull a permit and do work on their own primary residence under certain conditions. But it comes with real limits and liability — you take on the contractor's responsibilities, you usually can't do it on a property you intend to sell or rent right away, and the work still has to pass inspection and meet wind-load engineering. If you're doing this work for other people for money, the exemption doesn't apply — you need to be licensed.
What happens if you do this work unlicensed?
Doing structural enclosure work without the required license in Florida isn't a small thing. It can mean:
- Stop-work orders and fines from the building department
- Unlicensed contracting citations or charges — which escalate after a state of emergency, common in hurricane season
- No legal footing to enforce your contract or place a lien if a customer doesn't pay
- Full personal liability if the enclosure fails in a storm — with no contractor's insurance behind you
Doing this work for a living? Get licensed.
If the jobs you want are new builds and rebuilds — not just rescreens — the path is the Florida Structural Aluminum or Screen Enclosure Specialty Contractor license. FLPassPro is built to get you through the DBPR Trade Knowledge exam: 288 practice questions across all 10 official content areas, with full explanations.