Pool cages and hurricanes: wind ratings, insurance, prep

A Florida pool cage is an engineered aluminum structure, designed for the wind loads at its address, and in a hurricane it is also one of the first things on the property to fail. When one goes down, the bill can be large, and many homeowners discover only then that their insurance covers the cage with a small sub-limit, or not at all for hurricanes. This guide covers how cages are rated for wind, what insurance actually pays, what to do when a storm is coming, and what permits a repair needs.

For style, screen and cost basics, start with our pool screen enclosure guide.

How a pool cage is rated for wind

There’s no single “hurricane rating” printed on a cage. Each one is designed by an engineer for its site, and the design wind speed is on the sealed drawings that go with the permit. In Hillsborough County, for example, the screen enclosure checklist requires plans designed to the current Florida Building Code and signed and sealed by a Florida-registered architect or engineer.

What changes from site to site:

• Design wind speed. Coastal areas get higher numbers. Rainforest Pools, a Florida builder, says coastal enclosures are often designed for 150 to 160+ mph, and that higher ratings can mean heavier-gauge aluminum, deeper footers and stronger attachments.
• Size and spans. Rainforest Pools notes that wider picture-window spans may require additional engineering and cost more.

Cages designed to shed screen

Florida also allows a second approach. Under Rule 61G20-1.002, adopted in 2013, an engineer may size the frame assuming certain panels are retracted, removed, opened or cut. The full-screen design still has to meet Section 2002.4 of the code using the 110 mph column, but the stronger storm loads are calculated with those panels gone. The rule requires:

• permanent, highly visible labels on the members next to each panel that must come out or be cut;
• written notice from the contractor to you and the building department that you must do it when winds over 75 mph are expected;
• a one-time supply of replacement screen and spline for every panel designed to be cut;
• the pool barrier’s minimum height to stay in place even with those panels open.

If your cage was built this way, the storm prep is your job. Walk around the cage now and look for the labels.

What insurance usually pays

This is where many Florida owners get surprised. Policies treat screen enclosures differently, and the terms vary by company.

• Some policies include a sub-limit. Florida Peninsula Insurance says its standard homeowners policies include screen enclosure coverage up to $10,000, which can be raised to $50,000 at inception or renewal.
• Some exclude hurricane damage to the cage unless you add it. Kin says basic Florida homeowners insurance generally doesn’t cover this damage even when the policy includes hurricane insurance. Its endorsement comes in $5,000 increments up to $50,000 and is meant for the frame, not the screening.
• The hurricane deductible comes first. Florida law requires insurers to offer hurricane deductibles of $500, 2%, 5% and 10% of the dwelling limit (the $500 option isn’t required on dwellings insured for $250,000 or more), and the hurricane deductible applies once per calendar year. On a $400,000 dwelling with a 2% deductible, you pay the first $8,000 of covered hurricane losses yourself.

That last point matters for cages. If the cage is the only damage, a percentage deductible can be larger than the repair, and the claim pays nothing. Kin suggests getting a repair estimate before filing to see whether it exceeds your deductible.

What to check on your own policy before June 1:

1. Is there a line for screen enclosures, and what is the limit?
2. Does that limit apply to hurricane or windstorm losses, or are they excluded?
3. What is your hurricane deductible in dollars, not percent?
4. Is an endorsement available, and what would it cost to bring the limit close to replacement cost?

For a sense of replacement cost, Fixr puts a screened enclosure at $8 to $15 per square foot and says hurricane-zone framing adds roughly 10%. City ranges are on the pool enclosure cost page.

Hurricane prep checklist for the pool and cage

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. When a storm is forecast, work through this list. The pool steps follow Florida Swimming Pool Association tips as relayed by Clear Comfort.

Days before

• Photograph and video the cage, screens, pool and equipment from every side. You’ll want before-and-after images for any claim.
• Find your cage’s sealed drawings, permit number and any panel labels. If it’s a Rule 61G20-1.002 design, plan who will remove or cut the labeled panels.
• Trim dead fronds and weak limbs over the cage while there’s still time. Falling branches tear screens and bend frames.

The day before

• Bring all pool furniture, toys and loose items indoors. Ready.gov’s first property step is to bring outside furniture inside. If you truly have no room, the FSPA tips allow putting furniture in the pool, accepting that water and chemicals may damage it.
• Don’t drain the pool. Water weight holds the shell in place when the water table rises. Lower the level 1 to 2 feet only if the area around the pool drains poorly.
• Shock the pool so the water holds up through days without power.
• Turn off all pool power at the breaker. If flooding is expected, disconnect and store equipment you can move; otherwise wrap it tightly in plastic.
• On a cage not designed under the panel-removal rule, ask your builder before cutting anything. The FSPA tips suggest cutting a vent so wind passes through, but your builder or engineer should confirm it for your cage.

After the storm

• Stay out from under a bent or partly collapsed cage. Treat it as a structural hazard.
• Again, don’t drain the pool. Skim debris with a net rather than the vacuum, which will clog.
• Dry the equipment before restoring power, then test and rebalance the water.
• Document all damage before cleanup, then call your insurer and get a written repair estimate.

Repairs after a storm: permits and code

Rescreening and frame repairs are treated differently. Port St. Lucie’s post-storm guide lists screen enclosures among repairs that need a permit, and screen-only replacement among those that don’t. Martin County lists screen enclosure replacement as permitted work, with fees waived and expedited review after storms. Other counties set their own rules and sometimes publish temporary post-storm policies, so call yours before work starts.

A replacement cage is permitted with new sealed drawings, and the engineer designs it to the code in force when it’s permitted, not the one your old cage was built under. If yours is decades old, ask whether the new design needs heavier framing or footers, since that changes the price. That’s one more reason to keep your insurance limit realistic.

Be wary of anyone going door to door after a storm offering to rebuild cages. Ask for a license number and look it up before you sign anything.

What to ask an enclosure contractor about wind

1. What design wind speed and exposure category is my cage engineered for? Can I have a copy of the sealed drawings?
2. Does the design rely on removing or cutting panels under Rule 61G20-1.002? Which ones, and are they labeled?
3. How are the posts anchored to the deck and footers, and when were they last checked?
4. For a replacement: will the new cage need larger members or footers than my old one under the current code?
5. Is the permit, engineering and debris removal in the price?
6. How long after a major storm are you typically booked out?
7. What is your Florida license number? Look it up yourself at myfloridalicense.com and ask for a current certificate of insurance.

See it in your own yard first

If a storm has taken your cage down, you have a chance to rethink it: a different roof style, a lower profile, or wider spans for the view. An AI concept on a photo of your own yard lets you compare options before you ask for quotes, and shows local pros what you have in mind.