Florida Pool Cage Licensing: The Aluminum Specialty Reality

The short version

Screen enclosures are specialty contracting work in Florida, not handyman work. The relevant category is Structural Aluminum or Screen Enclosures, and it exists at two levels: a statewide Certified specialty license issued by the DBPR’s Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), and local specialty licenses issued by counties and municipalities. Either can be legitimate — what matters is that the license is real, current, covers this work, and you verified it yourself on the DBPR website.

What changed: HB 1383 and the new statewide license

In 2023, the Florida Legislature passed HB 1383, which directed the CILB to establish certified specialty contractor categories for a list of trades — including structural aluminum or screen enclosures. The DBPR announced the new categories (13 in total) with state licensure available starting June 20, 2024 for qualifying applicants, with state exams finalized later that year. This gave enclosure contractors a statewide Certified license option where previously many held only local licenses.

But here’s the nuance most homeowners miss — and it’s stated right in the statute: the certified specialty categories are a voluntary statewide licensing category that “does not create a mandatory licensing requirement” (§489.113(6)). In plain English: the state offers the license, but the mandatory requirement to be licensed for this work can still come from local rules. That’s why local specialty licenses still matter.

Local licenses still exist

Counties and municipalities in Tampa Bay continue to issue their own specialty licenses for this trade. Hillsborough County’s contractor licensing guidance, for example, lists a local “Aluminum Structure” specialty license that mirrors the state’s Structural Aluminum or Screen Enclosures category. A contractor holding a valid local aluminum-structure license from the jurisdiction where your home sits is properly licensed for enclosure work there — the license just isn’t portable statewide the way a Certified license is.

What we’re flagging as uncertain

We’d rather tell you what we don’t know than guess:

• Re-screening vs. structural work. Whether replacing screen fabric alone (no frame, footing, or structural changes) requires a contractor license at all varies by jurisdiction. It’s commonly treated as service work, but some local rules still require a licensed contractor. We couldn’t verify a single statewide answer — ask your city or county building department.
• Which local licenses are still required where. Local licensing rules differ across Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and unincorporated Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties. A contractor licensed in one jurisdiction isn’t automatically covered in the next.
• Advertising rules for lead-generation sites. Florida regulates contractor advertising (license numbers in ads, etc.), and whether those rules apply to a pure referral/information site like this one — versus the contractor’s own ads — is genuinely unclear. This site positions itself as a lead-generation resource, not a contractor, and we recommend legal review of that question.

The licensing facts above were verified against the DBPR’s own published materials in October 2026. The legislature revisits occupational licensing regularly — re-check before treating this page as authoritative, and always verify the individual contractor’s license yourself.

How to verify a license (step by step)

1. Get the license number in writing — from the quote, contract, or business card. A legitimate contractor provides it without hesitation.
2. Search it on the DBPR site (myfloridalicense.com). Confirm the holder’s name matches the person or company you’re hiring.
3. Check status and discipline. Status should be “Current,” with no pending or recent discipline.
4. Confirm the category. It should cover structural aluminum / screen enclosures (or the local equivalent, like Aluminum Structure). A general handyman or unrelated specialty license doesn’t cover this work.
5. Confirm insurance separately. Licensing and insurance are different things — ask for the certificate of insurance for general liability and workers’ comp, and verify it’s current.

Licensing is only half the vetting job. Our 10-step contractor vetting guide covers wind-load ratings, screen mesh grades, insurance, and the questions that weed out bad contractors.