Most residential pool cage or screen enclosure installations take 2–4 days once permits are approved and materials are on site — but the permitting process itself typically adds 1 to 8 weeks, depending on the county’s workload. In Southwest Florida, the best time to start is February through April, giving enough lead time to finish before hurricane season begins June 1.
The full timeline, step by step
- Estimate and design (days to 1–2 weeks). A site visit, measurements, and a design decision — including whether Open View, standard, or a Picture Window refurbishment is the right fit for the property.
- Permitting (1–8 weeks). This is the least predictable part of the timeline, and it’s entirely dependent on the local building department’s current workload — it’s also the step homeowners most often forget to plan around. Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties each run their own permitting queue independently, so turnaround can vary meaningfully between them at any given time; there’s no fixed number that holds year-round.
- Materials. Aluminum framing, mesh, and hardware are typically ordered once permits are in progress, so material lead time usually overlaps with permitting rather than adding to it sequentially.
- Installation (2–4 days). The physical build — this is the fast part, and the part most people picture when they think about “how long will this take.”
- Final inspection. Required before the project is officially closed out with the county — schedule this promptly once installation wraps to avoid the permit sitting open.
Why “starting in May” is later than it feels
If the permitting step alone can take up to 8 weeks, a project started in early May realistically doesn’t finish installation until well into hurricane season — even though the actual build only takes a few days. The gap between “I called a contractor” and “the enclosure is done” is almost entirely permitting and scheduling, not construction.
Why February–April specifically
This window gives enough runway to absorb the slower end of the permitting range and still finish before June 1, while avoiding Florida’s rainy season (Fort Myers averages roughly 9.66 inches of rain in June alone, which slows outdoor construction). It’s also, not coincidentally, when every other SWFL homeowner has the same idea — contractors book out fastest in this window, so starting the estimate conversation in January or early February is the real advantage, not April.
Get your estimate started now → — even if you’re not ready to commit, getting into the queue early protects your timeline more than anything else in this process.