Pool Cage Painting in Orlando: Process, Paint, Primer and Colors
How we paint and restore a pool cage, what paint goes on the aluminum, when a primer matters, white or bronze, and what it costs. Written by the person who quotes every painting job we do.
Updated · Prices current for Greater Orlando
- From $3.15 / sq ft
- 2 coats of Sherwin-Williams Bond-Plex
- New screen on every panel
- 3-yr paint · 5-yr screen warranty
Short answer
- Cost: pool cage painting with a full rescreen is $3.15 per sq ft of screened area for a 1-story cage and $4.25 for a 2-story cage. A common 1-story cage of about 1,900 sq ft comes to about $5,985.
- What you get: washing and sanding, rusted screws replaced, two coats of Sherwin-Williams Bond-Plex, new Phifer screen on every panel and up to 2 new screen doors.
- Primer: not needed over a cleaned, sanded factory finish. Bond-Plex is made to bond to it directly. Bare aluminum is the exception.
- Color: white and bronze. White is the classic look; bronze hides dirt and gives a clearer view through the screen.
- Restore or replace: if the frame is solid, painting and rescreening costs far less than a new cage (new enclosures start at $8 per sq ft).
Signs your pool cage needs painting
Florida sun, rain and pool chemicals wear down the factory finish on an aluminum pool cage. The frame is usually still strong long after it starts to look bad. These are the signs we see most often in Orlando:
- Chalky frame. Run your hand along a beam. If it comes away with white or colored powder, the finish is breaking down.
- Faded or blotchy color. Bronze turns gray or purple, white turns dull and uneven.
- Peeling paint or bare spots, usually on the roof beams that get the most sun.
- Mildew and black stains that come back soon after washing.
- Rust streaks under the screws. Aluminum does not rust, but old steel screws do, and they stain the frame below them.
- Old screen. If the screen is brittle or faded too, painting and rescreening in one project costs less than doing them years apart.
Pool cage restoration or replacement?
Most pool cages we look at do not need to come down. If the aluminum frame is straight and solid, painting it and putting in new screen gives you a cage that looks new for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Here is how the three options compare.
Rescreen only
$1.50 / sq ft
- New, clear screen
- Frame stays faded and chalky
- Painting later means removing the new screen
Painting + full rescreen
$3.15 / sq ft
- Frame and screen look like new
- Rusted screws and worn door hardware replaced
- One project, one fixed price, two warranties
New pool cage
from $8 / sq ft
- Brand-new structure
- Highest cost and longest timeline
- Rarely needed when the frame is sound
Prices shown are for 1-story cages. 2-story painting and rescreening is $4.25 per sq ft.
When replacement makes more sense
- Corrosion has eaten through many of the main beams
- Several main beams are bent, or the whole cage leans
- The frame is pulling away from the house in many places
- The repairs would cost close to a new enclosure
If one or two beams are damaged, we can usually repair them before painting. See pool cage repair for what we fix and what it costs. If your cage really is past saving, we will tell you, and we also build new enclosures.
How we paint a pool cage, step by step
Paint only lasts as long as the prep under it. This is the order we follow on every pool cage painting job.
- Exact quote. We measure your enclosure from current satellite and aerial imagery, wall by wall and the roof, and send a fixed price, usually in about 15 minutes. Prefer to meet in person? We will come out for a free on-site check.
- Protect the site. The pool, deck, furniture and landscaping are covered before work starts.
- Remove all screen and spline. This opens up the channels so every surface of the frame can be cleaned and painted.
- Wash and prep. We pressure wash the frame, remove chalk and mildew, and sand peeling, rough and glossy areas so the paint has something to grip.
- Replace hardware. Rusted screws, anchors and worn door hardware are replaced.
- Two coats of Bond-Plex. Sherwin-Williams Bond-Plex goes on in two coats for an even, durable finish.
- New screen on every panel. New Phifer screen and spline go in after the paint, so the mesh stays clean. Up to 2 screen doors are replaced as part of the job.
- Walkthrough. We clean up, walk the finished cage with you, and your paint and screen warranties start.
See more before and after projects on our painting page.
What paint goes on a pool cage?
We use Sherwin-Williams Bond-Plex, a water-based acrylic coating made for hard, slick surfaces like factory-finished metal. That is exactly what an aluminum pool cage is. Regular house paint is not made to stick to a slick metal finish, and it tends to peel on a pool cage.
- Water-basedAcrylic, low odor around your home
- Bonds to metalMade for factory-finished surfaces
- 2 coatsOn every surface of the frame
- 3-yr warrantyOn paint, in writing
Whatever paint a company uses, ask how many coats it puts on and what the warranty covers. Ours is two coats and a 3-year paint warranty. Hurricane and storm damage are excluded.
Do you need a primer before painting a pool cage?
Over a factory finish, no. Over bare aluminum, yes.
Bond-Plex is a bonding coating. Sherwin-Williams’ data sheet says it removes the need for a separate bonding primer over hard, slick factory finishes, as long as the surface is cleaned and glossy areas are sanded dull. That is why the washing and sanding steps matter more than an extra coat of primer on the whole cage.
Bare aluminum is different. Where the old finish has worn through to metal or turned into white, powdery oxidation, the surface is no longer the factory finish Bond-Plex is designed to grab. Large bare areas need to be cleaned to sound metal and primed with a direct-to-metal primer before the topcoat.
On most cages the factory finish is still there under the chalk, so for most jobs the answer is no primer, good prep and two coats of Bond-Plex. You can read the manufacturer’s recommendations in the Bond-Plex product data sheet.
White or bronze: choosing a pool cage color
Most pool cages in Central Florida are white or bronze, and those are the two colors we paint. Both come out clean and even. The choice comes down to the look of your house and how much washing you want to do.
The classic Florida look. Matches white trim, white gutters and most older cages in Orlando neighborhoods.
- Bright and clean against the house
- Stays cooler to the touch in direct sun
- Shows mildew and dirt sooner
- The frame stands out more against charcoal screen
A darker, more modern look. Matches bronze windows, dark roofs and newer homes.
- Hides dirt, pollen and mildew better
- Blends with charcoal screen for a clearer view out
- Gets hotter to the touch in direct sun
- Fading shows more as it ages
Can you change the color of a pool cage?
Yes. One of our recent projects went from a weathered silver frame to bright white. If you live in an HOA, check whether a color change needs approval before you book. Screen doors and kickplates come in white or bronze to match.
Can you paint a pool cage yourself?
You can touch up a door or a short section yourself. Painting a whole pool cage is a different job, and most of the work is not the painting.
| Doing it yourself | FullScreenFix | |
|---|---|---|
| Screens | Painting around them leaves the channels bare and puts paint on the mesh. Taking them out means rescreening the whole cage afterward. | All screen removed, every surface painted, new screen installed |
| Prep | Rent a pressure washer, then sand every beam by hand | Washing, sanding and mildew removal included |
| Roof beams | Ladder work over the pool and deck. The screen roof cannot hold your weight. | A crew with the right access equipment |
| Overspray | Paint can drift onto the pool, deck, house and cars | Pool, deck, furniture and landscaping covered |
| Hardware | Usually skipped | Rusted screws and worn door hardware replaced |
| Warranty | None | 3 years on paint, 5 years on screen, in writing |
How much does pool cage painting cost in Orlando?
We price pool cage painting by the total screened area of the enclosure, walls plus roof. The price includes the full rescreen, prep, hardware and cleanup.
| Service | Price (2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Painting + rescreen, 1-story | $3.15 / sq ft | Standard Phifer 18×14 screen |
| Painting + rescreen, 2-story | $4.25 / sq ft | Extra access equipment and labor |
| TuffScreen upgrade | +$0.30 / sq ft | Heavier mesh for pets and busy areas |
| No-See-Um 20×20 upgrade | +$0.50 / sq ft | Finer mesh for tiny biting insects |
| Privacy panels (Florida Glass) | Quoted separately | Lower panels |
| Screen doors | Included | Up to 2 doors replaced |
Example: a common 1-story cage
A cage attached to the house, 40 ft wide, 25 ft deep and 10 ft tall:
- Walls: 40×10 + 25×10 + 25×10 = 900 sq ft
- Roof: 40×25 = 1,000 sq ft
- Total: 1,900 sq ft × $3.15 = about $5,985 with standard screen, or about $6,555 with TuffScreen
For comparison, a rescreen alone on the same cage is about $2,850. Projects over $3,500 need a deposit before scheduling, and financing is available through Wisetack for eligible projects. Want a ballpark for your own cage? Use the pool cage painting calculator.
Pool cage painting FAQ
How much does pool cage painting cost in Orlando?
Painting with a full rescreen is $3.15 per sq ft of screened area for a 1-story cage and $4.25 per sq ft for a 2-story cage, with standard Phifer 18×14 screen. A common 1-story cage of about 1,900 sq ft comes to about $5,985. TuffScreen adds $0.30 and No-See-Um adds $0.50 per sq ft.
Can you paint a pool cage without removing the screens?
Not properly. The screen and spline sit inside the frame channels, so painting around them leaves part of every beam unpainted and puts paint on the mesh. Old screen breaks when it is removed, so it cannot be reused. Every pool cage we paint gets a complete rescreen.
What paint do you use on pool cages?
Sherwin-Williams Bond-Plex, a water-based acrylic coating made to bond to hard, slick factory-finished metal. We apply two coats over a washed and sanded frame.
Do you need a primer before painting a pool cage?
Not over a cleaned, sanded factory finish. Bond-Plex is made to bond to it without a separate bonding primer. Large areas of bare or heavily oxidized aluminum are the exception and need a direct-to-metal primer before the topcoat.
White or bronze: which pool cage color is better?
Neither is better, they suit different houses. White is the classic look and matches white trim. Bronze hides dirt and mildew better and blends with charcoal screen for a clearer view out. Screen doors and kickplates come in both colors.
Can I change the color of my pool cage?
Yes. We have taken frames from silver to white, for example. If you are in an HOA, check whether the new color needs approval first.
How long does pool cage painting take?
It depends on the size of the enclosure and the weather. We confirm the expected schedule together with your quote.
What warranty do I get?
3 years on paint and 5 years on screen, in writing. Hurricane and storm damage are excluded.
How can you give an exact price without coming out?
We measure your enclosure from current satellite and aerial imagery: every wall and the roof, panel by panel. That gives us the total screened square footage, and we apply our published per-square-foot rates. Send us your address (photos help, but they are not required) and in most cases you get a fixed price in about 15 minutes. The price you approve is the price you pay. Prefer to see us in person? We are happy to come out for a free on-site check before you book.
Is painting cheaper than replacing a pool cage?
Yes, when the frame is sound. Painting with a full rescreen starts at $3.15 per sq ft, and new pool cages start at $8 per sq ft. Replacement only makes sense when the frame is badly corroded, bent or pulling away from the house.
Do you offer financing?
Yes. Financing is available through Wisetack, subject to eligibility and approval. Projects over $3,500 require a deposit before scheduling.
Related pages
- Pool cage painting prices
- Pool cage rescreening
- Pool cage repair
- Pool cage cleaning
- Screen types
- Screen doors
- Pool screen repair guide
Get your exact painting price
Send us your address or a few photos and I will reply with a fixed price for painting and rescreening your pool cage, usually in about 15 minutes.
Last updated October 26, 2026. Prices apply to standard residential projects in Greater Orlando and may change; your written quote is final.