Is my Tampa address permitted by the city or by Hillsborough County?

It depends on the parcel, not the mailing address. Homes inside city limits are permitted through the City of Tampa. Many homes with a Tampa mailing address, including those in Carrollwood and Westchase, are in unincorporated Hillsborough County and are permitted through the county. The property's parcel record shows which applies.

Will a large tree in my yard affect the enclosure permit?

It can. City of Tampa plans must show the location, species, and size of every tree within 20 feet of construction, along with tree barricade locations and a tree mitigation table. Trees close to the work can affect where a cage wall or footer goes.

Can a screen enclosure serve as the pool barrier?

Sometimes. Florida law requires a new residential pool to have at least one approved safety feature to pass final inspection. One option is an enclosure that meets the state's pool barrier requirements and isolates the pool from the home. If house doors open directly into the cage, the cage alone won't isolate the pool, so you'll need another approved feature, such as a safety pool cover, exit alarms on the doors and windows that open to the pool, or self-closing, self-latching devices on those doors.

How long does a pool and enclosure project take?

Most of our fiberglass pool installations take about four to five weeks from excavation to swimming. The total timeline depends on permits, your jurisdiction, weather, and the scope of work, including the enclosure. We will walk you through the expected schedule at the consultation.

Crane lifting fiberglass pool shell for installation

Custom Pool Cages and Lanai Enclosures in Tampa, FL

Hawaiian Island Pools offers screen enclosures in Tampa, FL, as part of the fiberglass pool projects we install, so the pool, deck, and cage are planned together. We handle the pool project from permits to final inspection and serve Tampa from our New Port Richey office.

Call (727) 843-0423

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✓ Fiberglass pools, paver decks, and screen enclosures from one company

Screening the pool is close to standard practice across Tampa Bay. A cage helps keep out mosquitoes, leaves, and storm debris, and a screened lanai gives you covered seating by the water.

What Can Complicate a Pool Cage in Tampa

Hurricane Milton made landfall at Siesta Key, south of Tampa Bay, in October 2024, yet still caused significant wind damage and downed trees in the Tampa area. A cage's wind resistance depends on its engineering and how it is anchored. Site conditions also shape where and how a cage can be built:

• Cage added after the deck. Adding an enclosure after the fiberglass pool installation and deck are finished can mean lifting pavers to pour a footer. Planning the cage from the start avoids that extra work.

• Overhead power lines. The cage roof height must allow for any overhead lines.

• Easements. An easement can limit where the cage footer can go.

How We Plan Screen Enclosures in Tampa, FL

Our process as a trusted Tampa Bay fiberglass pool builder has six steps: free in-home consultation, model selection and backyard design, permitting, excavation and installation, deck and screen enclosure, and inspection and handover. Because the deck and screen enclosure are one step in the process, the cage footer can be planned with the deck rather than added later.

Many lots in Hyde Park, South Tampa, and Westchase are compact, and setbacks limit how much room the pool, deck, and cage can share. At the consultation, we walk the yard and help you choose a fiberglass pool model that fits the space.

HOA architectural review is standard in most master-planned communities in the area. On our pool projects, we handle the HOA documentation and coordinate approvals before permitting begins.

Get the cage planned with the pool. Book a free in-home consultation, and we will walk the yard and talk through sizing and placement with you.

Call (727) 843-0423
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How the City of Tampa Permits a Pool Cage

Inside city limits, screen enclosures have their own permit type in the city's Accela portal: Aluminum Screen Room/Pool Cage/Porch, filed as a Residential Miscellaneous building permit.

The building plans must be signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed engineer or architect. They must reference the current Florida Building Code Residential and include the structural design criteria. The site plan shows property lines, elevations, the proposed enclosure, existing structures, power lines, easements, and nearby trees.

Projects with 1,000 square feet or more of pool decking also need a topographical survey signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed surveyor, using the NAVD 88 datum and identifying the flood zone. The city also accepts plan review and inspections from a registered private provider.

Pool Cage or Screened Lanai: Choosing the Layout

A pool cage screens the pool and deck. A screened lanai encloses a covered patio under an existing roof. The City of Tampa treats both as residential screen enclosures, and you can combine them so the covered seating and the pool share one screened space. Common design choices for a screen enclosure include:

• Roof profile. Mansard, gable, and dome roofs change the cage height and how it looks from the street. That matters for HOA review and for clearance from overhead lines.

• Screen mesh. Standard 18-by-14 fiberglass mesh is common on large pool enclosures. Heavier pet screen is made to resist tears and suits lower panels and areas near doors.

• Frame finish. Bronze and white are common aluminum finishes, and your HOA may need to approve the color.

What Tampa Bay Homeowners Say About the Work

“The pool is beautiful, the install was seamless, any issues with inspection handled promptly.”

Bruce, Tampa, FL

Another Tampa Bay customer wrote that we built their pool and lanai enclosure, and that they recommended us to a neighbor who also had a pool, spa, and lanai enclosure built by our team.

Tampa Neighborhoods We Build In

We install fiberglass pools across Tampa and the surrounding Hillsborough County area, including Hyde Park, South Tampa, Bayshore, North Tampa, Carrollwood, and Westchase. Screen enclosures are one of four services we provide, alongside fiberglass pool installation, paver decks, and equipment upgrades.

Screen Enclosure Questions From Tampa Homeowners

It depends on the parcel, not the mailing address. Homes inside city limits are permitted through the City of Tampa. Many homes with a Tampa mailing address, including those in Carrollwood and Westchase, are in unincorporated Hillsborough County and are permitted through the county. The property's parcel record shows which applies.
It can. City of Tampa plans must show the location, species, and size of every tree within 20 feet of construction, along with tree barricade locations and a tree mitigation table. Trees close to the work can affect where a cage wall or footer goes.
Sometimes. Florida law requires a new residential pool to have at least one approved safety feature to pass final inspection. One option is an enclosure that meets the state's pool barrier requirements and isolates the pool from the home. If house doors open directly into the cage, the cage alone won't isolate the pool, so you'll need another approved feature, such as a safety pool cover, exit alarms on the doors and windows that open to the pool, or self-closing, self-latching devices on those doors.
Most of our fiberglass pool installations take about four to five weeks from excavation to swimming. The total timeline depends on permits, your jurisdiction, weather, and the scope of work, including the enclosure. We will walk you through the expected schedule at the consultation.