Florida Screen Enclosure Insurance: Are Pool Cages Covered for Hurricanes?

By Vadim Marusin November 12, 2026 14 min read

"Carports, porches, aluminum framed screened enclosures, screen pool cages or similar structures with a roof or covering of aluminum, fiberglass, plastic, vinyl, fabric or screening, constructed to be open to the weather, are not covered." That's the line on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation's HO-3 coverage worksheet, and in my read it's the fastest way to explain why a pool cage can turn out to be uninsured after a storm.

Private policies vary more. The Florida Department of Financial Services says plainly that "some insurance companies may limit or exclude coverage for screened enclosures" and typically sell hurricane coverage for them back as an endorsement with limits of $10,000, $25,000, $50,000 or higher (DFS Insurance Consumer Advocate). So the honest answer to "is my screen enclosure covered?" is: read two things, the policy's definition of what's covered under the dwelling, and the endorsement list on your declarations page.

Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin on October 9, 2026 (FDEM). If your cage or lanai took a hit, or you just want to know before the next storm, here's how screen enclosures fit into a Florida homeowners policy, why they get carved out, what the building code expects of them, and what deadlines apply to a claim.

Citizens HO-3Not coveredaluminum-framed screened enclosures and pool cages

Typical buyback limits$10K / $25K / $50K+screened enclosure hurricane endorsement

Claim notice deadline1 yearafter the date of loss (18 months for supplemental)

Code wind rule75 mphremovable panels must come out above this speed

Source: Citizens HO-3 Coverage Worksheet (02/23); Florida DFS, policy endorsements; s. 627.70132, F.S. (2026); Florida Building Code, Building 2023, s. 2002.3.3.

Where a screen enclosure sits in a homeowners policy

A Florida homeowners policy splits property into buckets. Coverage A is the dwelling. Coverage B is "other structures." The DFS consumer guide describes the usual setup this way: homeowners insurance "typically covers the dwelling including attached structures, certain unattached structures and your personal property" (DFS homeowners overview). Coverage B is for property "not attached to your home," like sheds, unattached garages, pools, gazebos, fences and driveways (DFS).

By that logic, a screened lanai bolted to the back wall would ride on Coverage A, and a freestanding cage over a pool set away from the house would fall under Coverage B. That's the starting point, not the answer. Some Florida policy forms then add specific language for screened enclosures that overrides the general rule, either excluding them outright, excluding them only for hurricane or windstorm, or covering them up to a separate dollar limit.

Five places a screen enclosure can land in a Florida homeowners policy
Where it can show up	What it means for a screen enclosure	Where to look
Coverage A (dwelling)	Attached structures are usually part of the dwelling, unless the form carves screen enclosures out	Definitions and 'Property Not Covered' in the policy form
Coverage B (other structures)	Detached structures; can be reduced or removed by endorsement to lower the premium	Coverage B limit on the declarations page; any 'Coverage B Exclusion' endorsement
Screened enclosure / carport endorsement	Adds hurricane coverage back, usually with its own dollar limit	Endorsement list on the declarations page
Windstorm exclusion	Removes all wind coverage, house included; needs a personally written or typed, signed and dated statement	Signed exclusion statement under s. 627.712(2)
Citizens HO-3	Aluminum-framed screened enclosures and pool cages open to the weather are not covered	Citizens policy form and coverage worksheet

Source: Florida DFS homeowners overview; Florida DFS, policy endorsements; s. 627.712, F.S. (2026); Citizens HO-3 Coverage Worksheet (02/23).

One wrinkle DFS calls out directly: "the definition of a screened enclosure can vary by company." A pool cage with a screen roof is clearly in. A lanai with an aluminum roof panel and screen walls may be treated as a screened enclosure by one form and as part of the house by another. Citizens' worksheet draws the line by roof material and whether the structure is "constructed to be open to the weather," and it also excludes structures with roofs of "thatch, grass, palm, lattice, slats, or similar material" (Citizens). That's why the tiki hut and the pergola often fail along with the cage.

Why insurers carve screen enclosures out

Wind. My read: a screen cage is a big, light aluminum frame with a lot of surface area, and when one folds it can also pull on the fascia or wall it's fastened to. Insurers can price that risk separately, cap it, or decline it, and DFS confirms some Florida insurers limit or exclude it.

Citizens revised its screen-enclosure wording for policies effective December 1, 2024, describing the change as "amended to better explain coverage for screen enclosures" (Citizens). Its hurricane brochure is blunter still: open enclosures, "screened, aluminum, glass, etc.," are "typically not covered" (Citizens brochure).

What about the law? Florida requires an insurer issuing a residential property policy to provide windstorm coverage, with limited exceptions (s. 627.712(1)), and it lets you exclude windstorm entirely only if you personally write or type a statement, signed and dated by you and every other named insured, that begins "I do not want the insurance on my home to pay for damage from windstorms," with your lender's written approval if there's a mortgage (s. 627.712(2)). That rule is about the peril for the whole policy. It doesn't say which structures a policy must include. I couldn't find any Florida statute requiring a homeowners policy on a site-built home to cover a screen enclosure; the limits live in each insurer's OIR-approved forms and endorsements.

The one place the statutes name screened enclosures is for mobile homes. Citizens' policies for manufactured or mobile home dwellings must include attached aluminum-framed screened enclosures, aluminum carports, and patios with a roof covering different from the home's (s. 627.351(6)(c)16). That rule came after a cutback: for mobile home policies, a 2013 Florida Senate staff analysis records that "effective February 1, 2012, Citizens ceased providing Coverage B" for structures that included aluminum-framed screened enclosures and aluminum carports (Senate analysis, CS/SB 378). If you own a mobile home, my Florida mobile home insurance post goes through those rules.

What the Florida Building Code expects of an aluminum screen enclosure

The Florida Building Code defines a screen enclosure as "a building or part thereof, in whole or in part self-supporting," with walls of insect screening and a roof of screening, plastic, aluminum or similar lightweight material (FBC 2023, ch. 2). Chapter 20 (Aluminum) sets the structural rules. A few that matter to homeowners:

Minimum wall thickness. Extruded aluminum members must be at least 0.040 inch thick (s. 2002.3.1).
Removable panels. Vinyl, tempered glass and acrylic panels must be removable and carry a decal saying the panel "SHALL be removed when wind speeds exceed 75 mph" (s. 2002.3.3).
Wind design. Members supporting a screened enclosure are designed for wind from two directions using the pressures in Table 2002.4, and each primary member is also designed for a 300-pound downward load on any 1 foot of the member, applied separately from wind (s. 2002.4). The AAF Guide to Aluminum Construction in High Wind Areas is accepted as meeting accepted engineering practice (s. 2002.4.1).
Cut-away screen designs. An alternative method lets an engineer design the frame assuming some screen panels are removed, retracted or cut, with signed and sealed site-specific engineering; screen designated to be cut "shall be completely cut when wind speeds are forecast to exceed 75 mph" (s. 2002.7).

That last point has a practical edge. If your cage was engineered on the assumption that certain panels come out before a storm, the code requires those panels to be clearly identified with highly visible permanent labels on adjacent structural members (s. 2002.7). Know which ones they are before hurricane season, not during a warning.

One timing note: the 9th edition (2026) Florida Building Code takes effect December 31, 2026 (Florida Building Commission), so section numbers and values cited here from the 2023 edition may change for permits applied for on or after that date.

Design wind pressure on the windward side of a screened enclosure Horizontal pressure in pounds per square foot, by ultimate design wind speed; 30 ft mean roof height, strength design

Exposure B
Exposure C
Exposure D

40 psf56 psf66 psf

Source: Florida Building Code, Building (2023), Table 2002.4.

Show the numbers

	Exposure B	Exposure C	Exposure D
110 mph	17 psf	24 psf	28 psf
120 mph	20 psf	28 psf	33 psf
130 mph	23 psf	32 psf	38 psf
140 mph	27 psf	38 psf	44 psf
150 mph	31 psf	43 psf	51 psf
160 mph	36 psf	49 psf	58 psf
170 mph	40 psf	56 psf	66 psf

The pressure climbs fast. At 170 mph in open Exposure D, the code's windward design pressure is 66 psf, more than triple the 17 psf at 110 mph in sheltered Exposure B. In the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, Miami-Dade and Broward set their own design wind speeds, and the code treats every structure there as Exposure C unless D applies (FBC s. 1620.2 and 1620.3).

High-Velocity Hurricane Zone design wind speeds (3-second gust)
County (HVHZ)	Risk Category I	Risk Category II	Risk Category III	Risk Category IV
Miami-Dade	165 mph	175 mph	186 mph	195 mph
Broward	156 mph	170 mph	180 mph	185 mph

Source: Florida Building Code, Building (2023), s. 1620.2. Aluminum structures in the HVHZ follow s. 2002.7 and s. 2003 (s. 2001.1).

Replacing a damaged cage usually means a permit. The code requires anyone who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or structure the code regulates to apply to the building official and obtain the required permit first (FBC s. 105.1). Ask your local building department what it needs for your job, and keep the permit and final inspection with your claim file. If your enclosure is covered as part of the dwelling, Florida's law and ordinance coverage can matter here: unless you refused it in writing, a policy covering the dwelling is deemed to include law and ordinance coverage of 25% of the dwelling limit, and insurers must offer 50% (s. 627.7011). Whether it reaches a screen enclosure depends on the form.

The hurricane deductible usually eats a screen enclosure claim

Even when the enclosure is covered for hurricane, the hurricane deductible usually applies, and it's a percentage of Coverage A, not of the enclosure. Insurers must offer $500, 2%, 5% and 10% of the dwelling limit, though the $500 option isn't required once the dwelling limit reaches $250,000 (s. 627.701(3)). The insurer has to print the actual dollar amount on your declarations page (s. 627.701(4)(b)). My hurricane deductible post walks through the full set of rules.

Hypothetical: hurricane deductible on a $400,000 dwelling limit The deductible is figured on Coverage A, so a small enclosure loss can sit entirely under it

2% of $400,000$8,0005% of $400,000$20,00010% of $400,000$40,000

Source: percentages from s. 627.701(3)(a), F.S. (2026); dollar amounts calculated. Hypothetical, not a quote.

Show the numbers

Option	Deductible
2% of $400,000	$8,000
5% of $400,000	$20,000
10% of $400,000	$40,000

Example, with made-up numbers: say your dwelling limit is $400,000 and you carry a 2% hurricane deductible, which is $8,000. A storm damages only your pool cage, and the policy covers it.

Damage of $12,000: the policy pays $4,000 (assuming the hurricane deductible applies to the enclosure; check the endorsement).
Damage of $7,000: the policy pays $0. The whole loss is under the deductible.
Now say your endorsement limit is $10,000 and rebuilding the cage costs $30,000. The most the endorsement can pay is $10,000, leaving at least $20,000 on you, before you even get to the deductible. How a specific endorsement applies the deductible against its limit is set in the endorsement wording, so read that part.

Two rules soften this. The hurricane deductible applies once per calendar year across covered hurricane losses with the same insurer or group, so an enclosure loss in one storm counts toward the deductible for the next one (s. 627.701(5)(a)). For a later hurricane that year, the insurer may apply the greater of the remaining hurricane deductible or your other-perils deductible, and it may require you to report losses below the deductible, or keep receipts for them, for those losses to count (s. 627.701(5)(a)3). And if a policy applies a hurricane deductible separately to each structure, that annual rule applies to each structure's deductible (s. 627.701(5)(a)2). Citizens' own brochure tells policyholders to report claims and keep receipts for hurricane repairs "even if you don't reach your deductible from one storm" (Citizens). That advice works for any carrier.

Claim timing after a hurricane

Florida's notice deadline is short. A new or reopened property claim is barred unless you give notice under the policy's terms within 1 year after the date of loss; a supplemental claim gets 18 months (s. 627.70132(2)). For a hurricane, the date of loss is the landfall date (s. 627.70132(3)). For Isaias, that's October 9, 2026, so notice of a new claim is due by about October 9, 2027, and a supplemental claim by about April 9, 2028. Your policy may still require "prompt" notice, which is sooner. The hurricane claim deadline post has the details.

Once you report, the insurer has its own clock under s. 627.70131:

Florida property claim clock
Step	Deadline	Rule
Acknowledge your claim communication	7 calendar days	s. 627.70131(1)(a)
Begin investigating after proof-of-loss statements	7 days	s. 627.70131(3)(a)
Physical inspection, if needed	30 days after proof-of-loss	s. 627.70131(3)(b)
Send you a copy of a detailed estimate	7 days after it's generated	s. 627.70131(3)(e)
Pay or deny the claim, in whole or part, with a written explanation	60 days after notice	s. 627.70131(7)(a)
Your notice of a new or reopened claim	1 year after date of loss	s. 627.70132(2)
Your notice of a supplemental claim	18 months after date of loss	s. 627.70132(2)

Source: s. 627.70131 and s. 627.70132, Florida Statutes (2026).

For a screen enclosure specifically, document it before anything is hauled away: wide photos showing the whole frame, close-ups of bent members and torn fasteners, and any damage where the cage connected to the house. The fascia, gutter or wall the cage pulled on may be dwelling damage covered under Coverage A even when the cage itself isn't. Get the contractor's written estimate, and keep the permit. If water came in through a wind-made opening, that interior damage counts as hurricane damage under s. 627.4025(2)(a). Rising water and surge are flood, and FEMA's FloodSmart site notes that most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage (FloodSmart); see Florida flood insurance.

What to check on your declarations page and policy

Pull the declarations page and the full policy form. Then answer these:

Is there a screened enclosure or carport endorsement listed? If yes, what's its dollar limit, and does it cover hurricane only or all covered perils?
What does the form say under "Property Not Covered" or in the dwelling definition? Search for "screen," "enclosure," "pool cage," "carport" and "open to the weather."
What's your Coverage B limit, or was it excluded? A detached cage has nowhere to land if Coverage B is zero.
What's the hurricane deductible in dollars? Compare it with what your cage would cost to rebuild. If the deductible is bigger, the endorsement may rarely pay unless the house is also damaged in the same year.
Did anyone sign a windstorm exclusion? Under s. 627.712, that removes wind coverage for the whole home, not just the cage.
If your cage is engineered with removable or cut-away panels, which ones? Under s. 2002.7 they should carry permanent labels.

If you're with Citizens and get a takeout offer, compare the screen-enclosure language in the offer with Citizens' exclusion; some private forms offer the endorsement and Citizens' HO-3 doesn't cover these structures. If you'd like help reading your own policy, the Florida home insurance page explains how I work with Florida homeowners.

FAQ

Does homeowners insurance cover screen enclosures in Florida?

It depends on the policy form. Florida DFS says some insurers limit or exclude screened enclosures and sell hurricane coverage back by endorsement, typically with limits of $10,000, $25,000, $50,000 or higher. Citizens' HO-3 worksheet says aluminum-framed screened enclosures and screen pool cages open to the weather are not covered.

Are pool cages covered for hurricane damage in Florida?

Only if your policy includes them for windstorm, often through a screened enclosure endorsement with its own dollar limit. Even then, the hurricane deductible, figured as a percentage of your dwelling limit, usually applies first.

Is a screen enclosure Coverage A or Coverage B?

Under the general structure, attached structures fall under the dwelling (Coverage A) and detached ones under other structures (Coverage B). Many Florida forms override that with specific screen enclosure language, so check the policy's definitions and exclusions.

How long do I have to file a screen enclosure claim after a hurricane in Florida?

Notice of a new or reopened claim is due within 1 year after the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months (s. 627.70132). For a hurricane the date of loss is the landfall date. Your policy may require prompt notice, which is sooner.

Do I need a permit to replace a screen enclosure in Florida?

Generally yes. The Florida Building Code requires a permit before you construct, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure it regulates (s. 105.1). Ask your local building department what it needs for your job.

Your own policy wording, its endorsements and Florida law control whether a screen enclosure is covered. Confirm your situation with a licensed agent, the Florida Department of Financial Services or Office of Insurance Regulation, or, for legal questions, an attorney.

Sources

This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax or insurance advice. Coverage depends on the actual policy, its terms, conditions and exclusions, and state law. Maru Insurance · WA License (WAOIC) #1365574 · FL License #G363233 · NPN 22261820.