Do I need a permit for screen enclosure or pool cage in Unincorporated Hillsborough County?
Yes. In Florida, screen enclosure or pool cage generally requires a permit, and Unincorporated Hillsborough County is no exception.
Building a new aluminum screen enclosure or pool cage requires a building permit statewide, and the frame must be designed to Florida Building Code wind-load provisions with signed and sealed engineering. Replacing only the screen mesh is usually not permitted work, but new construction or structural frame repair is. A pool cage that serves as the pool safety barrier has added requirements.
Local detail for Unincorporated Hillsborough County: Building permits for all unincorporated areas (including Sun City Center) are handled by Hillsborough County Development Services. Online applications submitted via the HillsGovHub portal (Accela).
Florida and local notes for Unincorporated Hillsborough County
Site-specific engineered wind-load drawings are effectively required for a new enclosure. Setbacks, easements, and HOA rules still apply. Re-screening mesh only is generally exempt; structural work is not. Hillsborough County's own permitting office is the Hillsborough County Development Services Department, reachable on (813) 272-5600 at https://hcfl.gov/businesses/permits-and-records. Its online permit portal is https://aca-prod.accela.com/HCFL/Default.aspx. It issues permits for the unincorporated county. If your city does not run its own building department, and many smaller Florida municipalities do not, this is the office that will handle the job. Screen enclosures are engineered for wind load in Florida, so expect signed and sealed drawings and a structural review. Hillsborough County's Residential Screen Enclosure and Glass Room checklist covers screen enclosures, sunrooms, lanais, and vinyl windbreaks, and the county's exemption page says all porches require a permit. Under LDC 6.11.94, a pool screen enclosure without a solid roof that is attached to the house may extend into required side and rear yards if it stays at least 3 feet from the lot line. A screen enclosure with a solid roof is treated as a building under LDC 6.11.94, and if attached it may extend no more than 13 feet into the required rear yard while keeping at least 10 feet of setback.
Documents you may need
- Permit applicationLikely required
- Signed and sealed engineered drawings with wind-load calculationsLikely required
- Site plan showing setbacksLikely required
- Aluminum member and anchoring specificationsSometimes required
- HillsGovHub Residential Miscellaneous Permit - Building applicationLikely required
- Site plan drawn to scale with setbacks, easements, and wetlandsLikely required
- Plans signed and sealed by a Florida architect or engineer, with the sunroom risk category notedLikely required
- Recorded certified Notice of Commencement before the first inspectionSometimes required
Possible inspections
- Footing or slab inspection for a new slab
- Framing or structural inspection
- Final inspection
- Footing or slab inspection
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a permit for screen enclosure or pool cage in Unincorporated Hillsborough County?
- Yes. In Florida, screen enclosure or pool cage generally requires a permit, and Unincorporated Hillsborough County is no exception. The documents and inspections sections on this page list what the building department typically asks for.
- Who issues the permit in Unincorporated Hillsborough County?
- The local building department for Unincorporated Hillsborough County handles permitting. This page lists its contact details and online portal. Your mailing city is not always the permitting authority, so confirm the jurisdiction before you apply.
- How do I find out the exact requirements for my project?
- Run the free PermitRoadmap check for your specific project and answers. It returns the likely permits, documents, inspections, and next steps, each linked to its official source.
PermitRoadmap is an independent informational service and is not affiliated with any city, county, state agency, or permitting authority. Results are informational and do not replace confirming requirements with the local permitting authority.