How to Vet a Tampa Pool Cage Contractor: 10-Step Checklist

1. Step 1: Verify the license yourself on the DBPR site. Get the license number in writing and look it up on myfloridalicense.com. Confirm the name matches, the status is Current with no discipline, and the category covers structural aluminum / screen enclosures (state Certified, or the local specialty like Aluminum Structure). Our license guide walks through the details — including what's still uncertain about local rules.
2. Step 2: Confirm insurance — license and insurance are different things. Ask for the certificate of insurance: general liability and workers' compensation, current and in the company's name. If a worker is injured on your property and the contractor has no workers' comp, the liability can land on you. Verify the dates; expired COIs are common.
3. Step 3: Get the design wind speed in writing. For new enclosures and structural repairs, the engineered drawings should state a design wind speed for your site, per Florida Building Code wind maps. Ask what it is. 'Built to code' is a claim; a number on stamped drawings is evidence. Tampa Bay's design wind speeds are among the highest in Florida — a contractor who can't discuss this isn't engineering the frame.
4. Step 4: Get screen mesh grades specified by zone. A real scope names the mesh: standard 18/14 fiberglass where, 20/20 no-see-um where, heavy-duty pet-resistant on lower panels where, privacy mesh where. 'Re-screen cage' with no grades is how you get the cheapest mesh everywhere — and a second re-screen sooner than you should need one.
5. Step 5: Ask about fasteners and corrosion detailing. Within a few miles of Tampa Bay or the Gulf, insist on stainless steel fasteners in writing — not 'new hardware.' Ask how dissimilar metals are isolated and what happens at the footings. Salt air destroys cheap hardware first, and it's the hardware that holds the cage up.
6. Step 6: Confirm who pulls permits — and that permits will be pulled. New enclosures and structural work need permits in Tampa Bay jurisdictions. The contractor pulls them; that's part of what you're paying for. 'We can skip the permit to save you money' is a disqualifier — unpermitted structural work becomes your problem at inspection, insurance claim, or resale.
7. Step 7: Get three itemized bids and compare scopes, not just totals. Itemized bids let you see what's actually different: engineering included? Permit fees included? Which mesh grades? Stainless or galvanized fasteners? Door hardware included? The cheapest bid usually just omitted line items the others included.
8. Step 8: Check references you can drive past. Ask for addresses of completed cages nearby — then go look at them. Check that screen is tight, frames are straight, and (for older jobs) finishes are holding up. Online reviews can be gamed; a five-year-old cage in your neighborhood can't.
9. Step 9: Get the warranty and payment terms in the contract. Separate the workmanship warranty from the finish/material warranty, get both in writing with actual terms (years, what's covered, who to call). On payment: never 100% upfront. A deposit of 10–30% with progress payments tied to permit/inspection milestones and a final payment on completion is standard.
10. Step 10: Watch for storm-chaser red flags after hurricanes. After a named storm, out-of-area crews flood Tampa Bay. Verify the license is Florida-issued and local to the jurisdiction, get everything in writing before work starts, and never pay in full upfront for storm work. Legitimate local contractors are busy after storms — a crew with immediate availability and a too-good price deserves extra scrutiny, not less.

What a good written scope looks like

Before signing, your contract or scope document should name: the exact work (new enclosure, re-screen, restoration), frame specs and design wind speed (for structural work), screen mesh grades by zone, fastener type, who pulls permits, the payment schedule tied to milestones, warranty terms, start and completion dates, and cleanup standards. If the “contract” is a one-line quote with a total and a signature line, it isn’t a contract — it’s a wish.

Pair this checklist with our Florida pool-cage license guide for the full licensing picture, including what the DBPR’s aluminum specialty license covers and what’s still uncertain.