Your HOA Has Opinions About Your Screens
Pinellas County is HOA and condo country, and most associations have written standards for screen enclosures: approved frame colors (usually white or bronze), mesh color, and rules about how quickly storm damage or visible deterioration has to be repaired. Before you plan any screen work beyond simple panel repair, read your association's architectural guidelines — they are the real spec sheet.
What Associations Typically Regulate
- Frame color. Most HOAs allow white or bronze and nothing else. A frame repaint in an unapproved color can trigger a violation letter.
- New enclosures and expansions. Adding a screen enclosure where none existed — or expanding one — almost always needs architectural review board approval before work starts.
- Repair timelines. Many associations require visible damage (torn screens, bent frames) to be repaired within 30 to 90 days. After a hurricane, expect a wave of violation letters with deadlines.
- Contractor requirements. Some condos require contractors to carry specific insurance and register with the property manager before stepping on site.
Rescreening vs. HOA Approval
Like-for-like rescreening — same frame, same colors, same footprint — usually does not need architectural approval, though some associations want a courtesy notice. Anything that changes the look (new frame color, different mesh color, added doors) or the structure (expansion, roof changes) typically does. When in doubt, submit the application. Approvals can take 30 days or more, and that clock runs whether your contractor is ready or not.
Got a Violation Letter?
Do not panic, but do not ignore it either. Read the deadline, send us the form with the letter's requirements, and we will quote the work to meet the association's spec — right mesh color, right frame color, done by the deadline. We deal with HOA-driven repairs regularly and we are used to the paperwork.
Condo Common Areas
If your screens are on a condo building's common-area enclosure, the repair is usually the association's responsibility, not yours — check your condo documents before paying out of pocket. We work with property managers and HOA boards on common-area screen projects; have them contact us directly.