Open View Screen Enclosures
The upgraded view. Not the upgraded price.
Most Florida enclosures are framed on aluminum beams 2 to 3 inches wide. Ours are built on a 4-inch by 8-inch beam — more than double the depth. That’s what lets an Open View span up to 60 feet with zero center posts, priced the same as a standard enclosure with the post still in it.
If your pool cage is more than a decade old, you’ve probably already had this thought: I’d love the open, no-post look — but that’s the expensive option. It isn’t. It’s the option most SWFL contractors price like it’s expensive, because most of them build it the same way they build a standard enclosure, plus a premium for the engineering. We don’t.
Bigger beam. Not a bigger bill.
Take the post out of a standard enclosure and the beam above it has to do more work on its own — span farther, flex less, carry more wind load without a post underneath it to help. Most Florida enclosure framing runs 2 to 3 inches wide. RP Built’s Open View enclosures are built on a 4″ × 8″ aluminum beam — more than double the depth.
That difference isn’t cosmetic. In basic structural engineering, a beam’s resistance to bending scales with the cube of its depth — so doubling the depth doesn’t just double the strength, it multiplies it by roughly eight times. That’s the actual, physical reason a beam this size can span up to 60 feet with no center post and still carry the load that post used to help hold.
We’re not the cheapest enclosure company in Southwest Florida. We’re proof that the best-engineered option isn’t automatically the most expensive one — and priced the way we do it, an Open View costs the same as a standard rebuild, not more.
Every property is different — size, existing structure, access, and permitting all move the final number. See what yours would cost →
~8× more resistance to bending. Bending stiffness scales with the cube of beam depth. That’s what lets us drop the center post.
Built to outlast the code that replaced yours
If your enclosure is more than a few years old, it wasn’t just built to a different standard — it was built to a different law. Florida’s building code adopted a new, higher wind-load standard (ASCE 7-22) at the end of 2023. An enclosure built before that wasn’t under-built — it was built correctly, for a code that has since moved past it.
A 4″ × 8″ beam is engineered to meet or exceed the wind-load requirement for your address today, not the one your old cage was built for — because the beam itself is doing more of the structural work than a thinner, standard-width frame ever could.
Read the full breakdown of what changed in 2023 → or see our 5-point hurricane-readiness checklist if you’re not sure where your current enclosure stands.
What it’s like the day the wind actually blows
“We are beyond pleased with Robert Palmer Contracting. Our screen enclosure endured 100+ mph winds/gusts from Hurricane Ian. It’s well built. We could not be happier with the install crew as well. We highly recommend RPC!”
“Robert Palmer pool cages delivered a top-notch pool cage that’s hurricane-proof. From start to finish, they were professional and attentive. The cage looks great, blends well with my home, and I feel confident it can handle any storm.”
“We were contemplating either extending or replacing our 30-year-old pool enclosure. We went to five contractors and ultimately went with Palmer. Their prices were not the lowest but very competitive.”
5.0 stars · 22 Google reviews · 40+ years in business · Family-owned since 1984. Read all reviews →
Side by side
| Standard enclosure typical SWFL competitor |
RP Built Open View | |
|---|---|---|
| Center support posts | Yes — every 8–12 ft | None — spans up to 60′ |
| Typical beam width | 2″–3″ | 4″ × 8″ beam |
| Built to current (2023+) wind code | Depends on install date | Engineered to current code |
| Unobstructed sightline | No | Yes |
| Typical price | Baseline | Same or less than the baseline |
Which path is right for you?
If your cage is structurally sound and you just want the view, you may not need a full rebuild — see our Picture Window Refurbishment option, which adds the open-view look to your existing structure at a fraction of the cost.
If your enclosure is old, storm-damaged, or you’re not sure which one fits, that’s exactly what the free estimate is for — we’ll tell you honestly which one your property needs.
See Picture Window Refurbishment →
Questions homeowners ask us
What is an Open View screen enclosure?
An Open View enclosure is a pool cage or screen enclosure built without center support posts, using a larger beam — RP Built’s is 4″ × 8″, against a 2″–3″ market norm — to span the full width, up to 60 feet, for an unobstructed view from the pool to the backyard.
Is an Open View enclosure more expensive than a standard one?
Not necessarily. RP Built prices Open View enclosures at or below what many competitors charge for a standard, post-and-panel design of comparable size, because the cost of the larger beam is offset elsewhere rather than added on top as a premium.
How is an Open View enclosure structurally different from a standard cage?
Instead of vertical support posts every 8–12 feet, an Open View enclosure uses a 4″ × 8″ aluminum beam — more than double the depth of the 2″–3″ beams typical of standard construction — to carry the structural load without a post, engineered to meet or exceed current Florida wind-load code.
Will an Open View enclosure hold up in a hurricane?
It’s engineered to meet or exceed Florida’s current wind-load requirements, which were raised statewide under the Florida Building Code’s 8th Edition (effective Dec. 31, 2023). A Robert Palmer Contracting customer’s Google review states their enclosure “endured 100+ mph winds/gusts from Hurricane Ian” and held up.
How much does an Open View enclosure cost in Southwest Florida?
Pricing depends on size, existing structure, and site access, but Open View projects typically fall in the same $12,000–$30,000+ range as standard enclosures of comparable size — the no-post design does not carry an automatic price premium with RP Built.
Can I replace just part of my old enclosure with an Open View section?
Yes — many customers replace only the section facing the water or backyard view and keep the rest of the structure, which lowers the overall cost versus a full rebuild.
Where we build
We build Open View enclosures throughout Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties — Fort Myers, Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Bonita Springs, Estero, Naples, Marco Island, Punta Gorda, and Port Charlotte. If you’re inside this stretch of Southwest Florida’s Gulf coast, we’ve likely already built one nearby.
Get your Open View number — free, no pressure.
Every project starts with a conversation. A member of our team will reach out within 24 hours with a real estimate for your property.
(239) 995-6893A member of our team will reach out within 24 hours.