Do I need a permit for screen enclosure or pool cage in Unincorporated Lee County?
Yes. In Florida, screen enclosure or pool cage generally requires a permit, and Unincorporated Lee 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 Lee County: Serves all unincorporated areas of Lee County. Permits submitted online via Accela Citizen Access.
Florida and local notes for Unincorporated Lee 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. Lee County's own permitting office is the Lee County Community Development Department - Building & Permitting Services, reachable on (239) 533-8329 at https://www.leegov.com/dcd. Its online permit portal is https://aca-prod.accela.com/LEECO/Cap/CapHome.aspx?module=Permitting. 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. Lee County lists pool enclosures and screen, glass, and vinyl rooms as Residential Accessory Structure permit types. Under LDC Sec. 34-1176, a screen enclosure with opaque material above 3.5 feet from grade must meet principal structure setbacks. A roofed enclosure structurally part of the house meets house setbacks (unless it has a flat roof), otherwise accessory setbacks. Accessory structure setbacks are at least 5 feet from the rear line and the district side setback or 10 feet, whichever is less (Sec. 34-1174), with waterbody setbacks under Sec. 34-2194.
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
- Residential Accessory Structure application in eConnect, type Pool Enclosure or Screen RoomLikely required
- Site plan with setbacks and easementsLikely required
- Signed and sealed engineered plansLikely required
- Recorded Notice of Commencement for projects over $5,000Sometimes required
- Owner-Builder Disclosure Statement, if the owner is acting as the contractorSometimes required
Possible inspections
- Footing or slab inspection for a new slab
- Framing or structural inspection
- Final inspection
- 101 Foundation/Footing
- 106 Final Structural/Building
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a permit for screen enclosure or pool cage in Unincorporated Lee County?
- Yes. In Florida, screen enclosure or pool cage generally requires a permit, and Unincorporated Lee 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 Lee County?
- The local building department for Unincorporated Lee 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.