A full pool cage replacement in Tampa, FL is published at $12,000 to $25,000 or more, and it is the right call when the aluminum frame itself is failing, not just the screen. Pool cage replacement Tampa homeowners ask about means tearing the old enclosure down to the deck and building a new one to the 2023 Florida Building Code, with a permit, engineered plans and, in most neighborhoods, HOA sign-off.
Most cages never get here. The frame usually outlasts two or three screens, so a worn cage is more often a pool cage rescreening job. This page is for the cage where the metal is the problem: bent beams, corrosion through the members, a gutter pulling off the house, or a frame that moves when you push on it. It applies across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota and Hernando counties.
When replacement is the right call
Replace the cage when the structure is compromised in several places at once; repair it when the damage is local. One kinked purlin or a rusted post is a repair. A frame that is corroded, out of square and loose at the anchors is a rebuild, because new parts bolted to old, weakened members do not give you a sound structure.
Signs the frame is past repair
- Beams or purlins that are bent, kinked or sagging between posts
- White powdery corrosion or pitting that has eaten into the aluminum, not just the paint
- Posts loose at the deck anchors or rocking when you push them
- The super gutter pulling away from the fascia or sagging along its run
- Doors that will not stay square in their frames no matter how often they are adjusted
- The whole cage racking or swaying when you shake one post
- Rusted or missing screws at many connections, especially near salt water
- A storm-damaged cage where several members were bent at once
| Work | Published price | Scope of the source |
|---|---|---|
| Replace one corroded post | $300 to $700 per post | Florida screen company, 2026 |
| Replace one beam | $400 to $1,200 per beam | Florida screen company, 2026 |
| Full fastener refresh, no rescreen | $800 to $2,400 | Tampa Bay contractor guide, Sep 2026 |
| Full rescreen plus fastener upgrade | $1,000 to $3,400 | Tampa Bay contractor guide, Sep 2026 |
| Super gutter repair or replacement | $35 to $75 per linear ft | Florida screen company, 2026 |
| Full cage replacement | $12,000 to $25,000+ | Tampa Bay contractor guide, Jan 2026 |
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Compiled from published Florida and Tampa Bay contractor price guides fetched 2026-10-13. Add up the repair lines your cage needs: when the list includes several posts, beams and the gutter, compare it with the replacement range before you commit.
What pool cage replacement costs in Tampa Bay
Plan on roughly $12 to $25 per square foot for a code-built replacement cage, which is about $23,000 for a mid-size 1,500 sq ft enclosure in a February 2026 Florida estimate. Published totals for Tampa Bay sit between $10,000 and $30,000 or more, and the spread comes from size, height, roof shape and how much the site needs before the new frame goes up.
| Job | Published range | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Full cage replacement, Tampa Bay | $12,000 to $25,000+ | Tampa Bay contractor guide, Jan 2026 |
| New code-built cage, per sq ft | $12 to $25 per sq ft | Tampa Bay contractor guide, Feb 2026 |
| Mid-size 1,500 sq ft cage, code-built | About $23,000 | Tampa Bay contractor guide, Feb 2026 |
| New pool enclosures, typical project | $10,000 to $30,000+ | Tampa Bay contractor price list, 2026 |
| Replacement cage, standard view | From $12.55 per sq ft | Southwest Florida builder, May 2025 |
| Replacement cage, mid view upgrade | From $13.55 per sq ft | Southwest Florida builder, May 2025 |
| New cage under 800 sq ft | $6,000 to $9,600 | Southwest Florida builder, 2026 |
| New cage 800 to 2,000 sq ft | $9,600 to $24,000 | Southwest Florida builder, 2026 |
| New cage over 2,000 sq ft | $24,000+ | Southwest Florida builder, 2026 |
| New pool enclosure, national average | $12,055 (most $6,944 to $18,831) | Angi, updated Sep 2026 |
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Compiled from published price pages fetched 2026-10-13: Tampa Bay screen contractors' 2026 price guides, Southwest Florida (Fort Myers and Naples) builders, and Angi. Older national guides quote lower per-foot prices that are below current Florida code-built pricing. A planning range, not a quote.
What moves the price of a rebuild
- Size: price follows the enclosed square footage, so a cage that also covers a lanai or outdoor kitchen costs more.
- Roof shape: gable cages run about 10 to 20 percent more than a comparable mansard, per a Central Florida price comparison.
- Height: two-story and tall mansard cages need more material and more lift and scaffold time.
- Wind speed: a cage near the Gulf in Venice or on Pinellas County's 145 mph line is engineered for higher loads than an inland cage in Pasco.
- Gutter and footings: a new super gutter or concrete footings can add $1,500 to $2,500 or more, per a national cost guide.
- Screen choice: No-See-Um, pet or heavy-duty mesh on the new frame costs more than standard 18x14 fiberglass.
- Tear-down and disposal of the old cage, and any work needed at the old anchor points.
For a broader look at what drives the price, see the Tampa Bay pool cage cost guide.
What a new cage has to meet: the 2023 Florida Building Code
A replacement cage is designed to the current code, not to whatever the old cage was permitted under. Section 2002 of the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), covers aluminum screen enclosures. A few of its requirements:
- Extruded aluminum members in a screen enclosure must have an actual wall thickness of at least 0.040 inch.
- The structure is designed for wind in both of two directions at right angles, using the pressures in Table 2002.4 for the site's design wind speed and exposure.
- Each primary member must also carry a 300 pound load applied straight down along any 1 foot of its length.
- Primary members, including beams, posts, structural gutters, headers, eave rails, purlins and roof braces, are the parts that hold the structure up.
- The AAF Guide to Aluminum Construction in High Wind Areas is accepted as conforming to accepted engineering practice.
The Florida Building Commission says design wind speeds for the peninsula have effectively not changed since the 2010 code. What changes for a cage built well before then is the edition it was designed under, the condition of its metal and fasteners, and the fact that a replacement is engineered fresh for your exact site.
| City | County | Design wind speed |
|---|---|---|
| St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 145 mph, set by county ordinance |
| Clearwater | Pinellas | 145 mph, set by county ordinance |
| Tampa | Hillsborough | About 141 mph |
| Brandon | Hillsborough | About 140 mph |
| Wesley Chapel | Pasco | About 138 to 140 mph |
| Spring Hill | Hernando | About 138 to 140 mph |
| Bradenton | Manatee | About 147 mph |
| Sarasota | Sarasota | About 149 mph |
| North Port | Sarasota | About 150 mph |
| Venice | Sarasota | About 152 mph |
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Pinellas values from the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board's local technical amendment to the 2023 code. All others are ASCE 7-22 geodatabase values at each city center, queried 2026-10-13. Speeds vary by site and by local ordinance: confirm the figure for your address with your building department.
Coastal cages: corrosion is often what forces the rebuild
A University of Florida report to the Florida Building Commission (2017) found fastener corrosion is more serious in coastal environments because of chloride from salt air. It also found the ceramic coating on stainless steel masonry screws, the kind commonly used on screen enclosures, peeled during testing, which can cause unlike-metal reactions with aluminum. That is why cages in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Apollo Beach, Tarpon Springs and along the Gulf beaches often reach the point of replacement through their connections before the beams themselves wear out. Asking what fasteners go into the new cage is a fair question on any coastal job.
Permits, engineering and licensing for a rebuild
Every replacement cage needs a building permit. It is structural work, so Florida's new under-$7,500 permit exemption (HB 803, in effect July 1, 2026) does not apply. Most departments also want engineered plans. Here is what the published sources say:
| Jurisdiction | Published fee | Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Hillsborough | $380 (effective Oct 5, 2024) | Signed and sealed by a Florida architect or engineer |
| City of Tampa | $316 (2020 schedule, may be outdated) | Signed and sealed by a Florida architect or engineer |
| Plant City | $90 up to $10,000 of value; $150 to $25,000 | Not stated |
| Unincorporated Pinellas | Not published; permit needed for work over $500 | All structural work signed and sealed |
| City of Seminole | $50 base plus $9 per added $1,000 of value | Not stated |
| Manatee County | $210 (effective Apr 1, 2023) | Building plans and site plan or survey |
| City of Bradenton | $300 (effective Jul 1, 2026) | Not stated |
| City of Sarasota | Not published | Sealed plans or an engineer's approved specification |
| Hernando County | $126.56 (Oct 2022 schedule) | Not stated |
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From each building department's published fee schedule and checklist, fetched 2026-10-13. Fees change and surcharges apply. Confirm current fees for your address before work starts.
A replacement on the same footprint is the simple case. If the new cage is bigger or moves, setbacks apply: Manatee County keeps pool cages 5 feet from side and rear lines and out of easements and drainage swales, New Port Richey uses 5 feet from side and rear lines, and the City of Sarasota does not allow a cage between the front of the house and the street. Clearwater also requires a Notice of Commencement on contracts over $5,000.
The Tampa Bay pool enclosure permit guide covers each building department in more detail.
HOA rules that shape a replacement cage
A like-for-like replacement is the easiest approval; a new shape, size or color almost always needs an application. Tampa Bay's master-planned communities publish rules on roof style and height as well as color, and they apply to the new cage:
| Community | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Lakewood Ranch, Country Club and Edgewater villages | No approval if the replacement is exactly like the original; a new design needs a Modification Request. Tops of 100 sq ft or more must be mansard, no curved roofs, no higher than the house, not visible from the street in front. |
| Venetian Golf and River Club, Venice | Removing a lanai cage and replacing it like-for-like needs approval. Cages are bronze with charcoal screen and bronze super gutters. |
| Seven Oaks, Wesley Chapel | White or bronze frames, charcoal screen, no mill finish, no flat roofs, one story unless approved, not beyond the sides of the house. |
| Meadow Pointe, Wesley Chapel | District approval before any improvement; white or brown framing; no taller than the main building. |
| Twin Lakes of Brandon | Written approval before installation; bronze or white aluminum with gray or black screen. |
| Starkey Ranch, Odessa | Review board approval for screened enclosures; black or bronze aluminum. |
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From each association's published design guidelines or manual, fetched 2026-10-13. Rules are amended over time: get the current version from your association before you order.
How a pool cage replacement goes
A rebuild runs from engineering and permits to tear-down, new frame, screen and final inspection. A typical sequence:
- 1Decide repair or replace
The frame, fasteners, gutter and anchors are checked to see whether a few members can be swapped or the whole structure has to come down.
- 2Engineering and permit
A replacement cage is designed to the current Florida Building Code for the site's wind speed, plans are signed and sealed where the county requires it, and the permit is pulled before demolition.
- 3HOA approval
If the new cage changes size, shape, roof style or color, the architectural review application goes in alongside the permit.
- 4Tear-down and haul-off
Screen comes out first, then roof members, walls and the super gutter. The old aluminum, screen and fasteners are hauled away and the old anchors are dealt with.
- 5Build the new frame
Posts, beams, purlins and the super gutter go up to the engineered drawings, fastened at the deck and the house.
- 6Screen, doors and inspection
The new frame is screened, doors and closers are hung, and the building department inspects the finished structure.
If you only want the old cage gone, or want it down before deciding what comes next, that is a pool cage removal. If a storm caused the damage, start with the hurricane damage repair page, which covers claims and post-storm permits.
How long the new cage should last
A new cage can be expected to last 20 years or more. Florida contractors put a well-kept aluminum frame at 20 to 30 years or longer, and the screen on it will be replaced several times along the way: standard fiberglass every 5 to 10 years in Florida sun, premium mesh closer to 10 to 15. Keeping the frame coated and the fasteners sound is what gets a cage to the long end of that range, which is where pool cage painting and a periodic fastener check come in.
Pool cage replacement across Tampa Bay
Replacement comes up most with older cages in St. Petersburg, Largo and Temple Terrace, coastal homes in Apollo Beach and Venice, and newer communities in Lakewood Ranch and Wesley Chapel. Every town is on the service area page. For a first new cage on a home without one, see pool enclosure installation, or request a free quote.
