Lanai and patio rescreening in Ocala.

A lanai is not a pool cage.

A pool cage is a tall aluminum frame with screen on the walls and the roof. A lanai or screened patio usually sits under the home’s own roof, so the screen is mostly on the walls.

• Lower and easier to reach: panels sit at eye level, and so do the tears.
• Busier: chairs, pets, kids and the sliding door to the house all wear on the bottom panels first.
• Closer to living space: a small gap lets bugs straight to the door you use every day.

The work is the same trade: new mesh, fresh spline and tight panels. The scope is usually smaller.

One panel, or the whole lanai?

If one or two panels are torn and the rest still look and feel sound, a panel repair is often enough. If the mesh is faded, brittle or sagging all around, a full rescreen gives you an even look and saves repeat visits.

• Press gently on an untorn panel. If it crackles, feels stiff or tears easily, the rest may not be far behind.
• New mesh beside older mesh can look different in color. Ask how a repair will match.
• Ask about a minimum visit charge for a small repair.

The repair or rescreen guide walks through the decision in more detail.

Sliding screen doors.

The screen door on a sliding glass door is the hardest-working screen in most homes. When it drags, jumps the track or won’t close, the usual causes are worn rollers, a dirty or bent track, or a frame that has twisted.

• Clean the track first. Sand and leaves are the most common cause of a sticky slider.
• Ask whether the rollers and frame can be reused, and whether new mesh is included.
• Pet doors and heavier screen are options for homes with dogs.

For the hinged door that leads out to the yard or pool, see the screen door guide.

Kick plates along the bottom.

A kick plate is a solid aluminum panel across the lowest section of the wall or door. It takes the bumps from pets, mowers, chairs and toys that would tear mesh. It also blocks a little wind-blown grass and soil.

Ask for the kick plate color to match your frame, and whether it goes on the walls, the doors or both.

Mesh choices for a lanai.

• Standard fiberglass (18×14): the usual choice. Good airflow and a clear view.
• Finer no-see-um mesh (20×20): worth it if evenings bring tiny biting bugs. It trades a little airflow.
• Heavier-duty or pet-resistant mesh: often used on the lower panels only, where claws and furniture land.
• Sun-control and privacy mesh: a denser weave that cuts glare and adds privacy on a west-facing wall. It also cuts some view and breeze.

Many homeowners mix them: tougher mesh low, standard mesh high. Ask for each area to be listed in the quote. The screen types guide compares them side by side.

What a lanai quote should list.

1. Which wall and door panels are included, by count or by side.
2. The mesh type for each area.
3. Sliding door work: rollers, track, frame or mesh.
4. Kick plates, with color and location.
5. Removal, cleanup and spline.
6. Anything excluded, like frame repair or screws that need replacing.

For published local pricing and the line items that change a quote, see the cost guide.