Pool Screen Enclosure Repair in Broward County: Damage and Restoration
Pool screen enclosures serve as a primary barrier against insects, debris, and ultraviolet exposure for residential and commercial pools throughout Broward County. When enclosure components fail — through storm damage, corrosion, or structural fatigue — the loss of function affects both usability and code compliance. This page covers the damage classifications, restoration process, permitting requirements, and professional qualification standards applicable to screen enclosure repair within Broward County's regulatory jurisdiction.
Definition and scope
A pool screen enclosure is a framed structure of aluminum or galvanized steel members tensioned with fiberglass or polyester screen mesh, constructed over a pool deck and surrounding area. The functional purpose is to exclude insects and airborne debris while allowing airflow and natural light. In South Florida's climate, enclosures are also assessed for wind uplift resistance under the Florida Building Code (FBC), which classifies Broward County within a High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) — a designation that imposes stricter structural requirements than most other U.S. jurisdictions.
Enclosure repair encompasses four main component categories:
- Screen mesh replacement — replacing torn, sagging, or oxidized screen panels within existing frame bays
- Frame member repair or replacement — addressing bent, cracked, or corroded aluminum extrusions, vertical columns, hip boards, and rafters
- Fastener and anchor system repair — re-securing screen spline, frame screws, and base anchor points into pool deck concrete
- Door and hardware restoration — realigning, rehanging, or replacing screen door frames, hinges, closers, and latches
Geographic scope and coverage limitations: This page applies exclusively to pool screen enclosure repair within Broward County, Florida, covering municipalities such as Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Miramar, and Davie. It does not apply to Miami-Dade County (which maintains its own HVHZ product approval protocols under the Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance system) or Palm Beach County. Regulations, permit fee schedules, and inspection requirements referenced here reflect Broward County Building Division authority and may not apply to adjacent jurisdictions.
How it works
Enclosure repair follows a structured assessment and execution sequence governed by the scope of damage and permitting thresholds established by the Broward County Building Division.
Phase 1 — Damage Assessment
A licensed contractor inspects the full enclosure perimeter, roof panels, vertical walls, door systems, and anchoring points. Structural members are checked for corrosion depth, deformation, and connection integrity. Screen mesh is evaluated for mesh count, fiber condition, and spline retention.
Phase 2 — Permit Determination
Under the Florida Building Code (FBC 7th Edition, 2020), screen enclosure repair that involves structural member replacement or alteration of the framing system typically requires a building permit from the applicable municipal or county building department. Screen mesh replacement alone — without structural modification — is generally classified as routine maintenance and may not require a permit, though this threshold varies by municipality within Broward.
Phase 3 — Material Specification
All replacement materials used in HVHZ jurisdictions must carry Florida Product Approval under the FBC, or an applicable Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance if the product was approved under that parallel pathway. Aluminum framing alloys for enclosures typically meet ASTM B221 standards for extrusion profiles.
Phase 4 — Repair Execution
Screen replacement proceeds by removing degraded spline from the channel groove, extracting old mesh, cutting new mesh to bay dimensions, and re-tensioning with new spline using a spline roller. Frame member replacement requires disassembly of the affected bay sections, fitting new extrusion to existing connection points, and re-anchoring to the deck slab.
Phase 5 — Inspection and Closeout
Permitted work requires a final inspection by the issuing authority's building official or inspector before the permit is closed. For hurricane damage pool repair in Broward County, insurance documentation typically requires a permit and inspection record.
Common scenarios
Post-hurricane and wind event damage is the most frequent driver of enclosure repair in Broward County. Tropical storm and hurricane-force winds — Broward County's design wind speed for most residential structures is 175 mph under HVHZ — stress frame connections, tear screen panels, and can collapse roof hip sections entirely.
Corrosion-driven failure affects aluminum frames exposed to pool chemical off-gassing, particularly chlorine and salt aerosol from saltwater pool systems. Anodized coatings degrade over 10 to 15 years of direct chemical exposure, leaving bare aluminum susceptible to pitting and structural weakening at joint connections.
Impact damage from falling tree branches, flying debris, or pool equipment contact accounts for localized screen and frame repairs. These scenarios often involve a single bay or door section rather than full enclosure replacement.
Oxidized or UV-degraded mesh presents as discoloration, brittleness, or mesh separation at spline channels. Fiberglass mesh typically carries a functional lifespan of 7 to 10 years under continuous South Florida UV exposure before tensile strength degrades to failure thresholds.
For enclosures where frame corrosion is widespread and repair costs exceed roughly 50 percent of full replacement cost, the Broward County pool repair vs. replacement decision framework provides a structured methodology for evaluating restoration versus full rebuild.
Decision boundaries
Repair vs. replacement thresholds for screen enclosures turn on two primary factors: structural integrity of the main frame and the extent of mesh failure.
| Condition | Typical Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Isolated screen panel tears, frame intact | Panel-level screen replacement |
| Multiple adjacent bays damaged, frame sound | Section re-screening |
| Bent or corroded frame members in ≤3 bays | Targeted frame and screen repair |
| Widespread corrosion, multiple structural members | Full enclosure replacement |
| Post-hurricane frame collapse | Structural engineering assessment before repair |
Licensing requirements: In Florida, screen enclosure repair involving structural framing requires a contractor holding a state-issued license. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) issues the relevant license categories — specifically, the Swimming Pool/Spa Contractor license for pool-associated structures and the Building Contractor or Specialty Structure contractor credentials for enclosure framing work. Unlicensed structural repair in Broward County exposes property owners to permit stop-work orders and insurance claim denials.
Permitting triggers: Any project that alters, removes, or replaces a structural frame member — column, rafter, hip board, or base plate anchor — requires a permit under the FBC. Property owners reviewing permit history for a property can search permit records through the Broward County ePermits portal.
For projects intersecting with pool deck substrate repair beneath enclosure base anchors, the pool deck repair Broward County scope defines the applicable concrete restoration and structural filler standards that must be met before re-anchoring enclosure frames.
References
- Broward County Building Division
- Florida Building Code, 7th Edition (2020) — FloridaBuilding.org
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) — Contractor Licensing
- Broward County ePermits Online Portal
- ASTM B221 — Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire, Profiles, and Tubes (ASTM International)
- Florida Product Approval System — FloridaBuilding.org