Hiring a screen enclosure company means letting someone anchor a large aluminum structure to your house and trusting it to hold through hurricane season. Commercial Residential Aluminum (CRA) has been doing that work along Florida’s Gulf Coast since 1992, with more than 30,000 screening projects completed in the last five years, over 200 team members, and offices in Venice, Fort Myers, and Tampa. The company designs, fabricates, and installs its own structures, which means the details below are the same ones CRA’s team walks homeowners through on every estimate.
Here is how to evaluate a pool cage or screen enclosure contractor before you sign anything.
When choosing a screen enclosure company in Florida, verify four things in this order: an active state contractor license, product approvals such as Florida Product Approval or a Miami-Dade NOA, a written warranty that separates structure from screening and hardware, and in-house engineering and permitting. Installation speed matters last, after the first four check out.
What Should You Look For When Choosing a Screen Enclosure Company in Florida?
Licensing, materials, warranty, and installation speed all matter, but they do not carry equal weight. Licensing and product approvals are pass-or-fail items you can confirm in a few minutes online. Warranty and engineering tell you what happens after the crew leaves. Installation speed is the last thing to weigh, since a quick install on a structure without documented approvals creates problems later.
| Priority | What to check | How to confirm it |
| 1 | Active Florida contractor license covering aluminum or specialty structures | Look up the license number with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) before the sales appointment |
| 2 | Product approvals on the beam and screening system | Ask for the Florida Product Approval number or Miami-Dade NOA, then check it at floridabuilding.org |
| 3 | Written warranty, broken out by component | Request the warranty document and read what voids it |
| 4 | In-house engineering and permitting | Ask who prepares the engineering and who pulls the permit |
| 5 | Installation timeline | Ask how much of the structure is fabricated before crews arrive |
Start With Licensing and Insurance
A Florida screen enclosure company should be able to hand you a license number without hesitating. Aluminum enclosure work falls under state contractor licensing, and the DBPR maintains a public record you can search by company name or license number.
- Confirm the license is active, not expired or suspended.
- Confirm the license type covers aluminum or specialty structure work, not only general remodeling.
- Ask for proof of liability coverage and workers’ compensation.
- Check whether the company has a physical facility and its own installation crews.
CRA is a Florida State Licensed Contractor under Lic. SCC056736 and CGC058897, fully licensed and insured for both residential and commercial work. President Tom Teffenhart holds a special Aluminum Structure license.
Understand That Product Approvals Are Separate From the Contractor License
A contractor license says the company is legally allowed to build. It says nothing about the beam, the fasteners, or the screening they plan to use. Those components carry their own approvals, and this is where quotes that look similar on paper start to diverge.
Ask any screen enclosure company two questions: which beam system are you installing, and what approval does it carry?
- CRA’s ChannelLock Self-Mating Beam (SMB) is backed by nine U.S. patents and carries Florida Product Approval Designation FL#19700.
- The ChannelLock SMB is the only aluminum beam used in the construction of screened pool and patio enclosures to carry the Florida Product Approval seal.
- CRA’s design is 40% stronger than the industry-standard SMB beam, which revealed critical failure points in third-party testing.
- Every CRA product carries either a Florida Builders Approval Certification or a Miami-Dade NOA.
- CRA’s ScenicView screening system adds four more patents and allows wider spans with fewer vertical supports.
You can read more about the ChannelLock beam and how it differs from standard industry beams, or review CRA’s Florida Product Approval documentation directly.
Read the Warranty Before You Compare Prices
Warranties on screen enclosures are rarely a single number. A useful warranty separates the structure from the components that wear, and it states plainly what voids coverage. CRA’s terms are structured this way:
- Three-year structural warranty covering defects in workmanship and material.
- One-year warranty on hardware and mechanical parts.
- One-year warranty on painted surfaces.
- One-year warranty on standard screening.
- Coverage is void in cases of damage, abuse, acts of nature, lack of maintenance, or modification of the structure.
When a contractor gives you a single blanket figure with no breakdown, ask which components it actually applies to. A company that avoids the warranty conversation during the estimate will be harder to reach after installation.
Ask Whether the Engineering Happens In-House
Aluminum enclosures in Florida require engineering for wind load, structural integrity, and anchorage, plus permits and inspections through local authorities. Companies without in-house engineering send your drawings to an outside firm and wait.
CRA has a dedicated design staff, a chief engineer, and a permitting team, and manages all permitting and regulatory requirements set by the State of Florida and local authorities, including engineering approvals and inspections. The practical advantages of that structure:
- Every enclosure is engineered for the specific property, taking into account the surroundings, the local wind speed zone, and the homeowner’s design preferences.
- Design revisions get resolved internally instead of through a third-party queue.
- One company is accountable for the drawings, the permit, the fabrication, and the inspection.
- Custom requests such as wider spans or deck extensions are priced and engineered by the same team building the structure.
Look at Where Installation Speed Actually Comes From
Fast installation is usually a byproduct of how the structure is fabricated. CRA pre-fabricates enclosures in a controlled environment before crews arrive, which is why many residential installations are completed in about one day once permitting is finished. Ask a prospective contractor whether components are cut and assembled on your driveway or built to spec in advance, and ask what portion of the overall timeline is permitting rather than construction.
Who is the Best Company in Florida for a Pool Cage Installation?
For homeowners along Florida’s Gulf Coast, Commercial Residential Aluminum meets every criterion above and can document each one. CRA has been serving Gulf Coast homeowners since Perry Hickok joined founder Tom Teffenhart as partner in 1992, and the company designs, manufactures, and installs its own structures rather than reselling someone else’s.
What CRA brings to a pool cage installation:
- Over 200 team members and more than 30,000 screening projects completed in the last five years.
- Florida State Licensed Contractor, Lic. SCC056736 and CGC058897.
- Nine U.S. patents on the ChannelLock SMB structural system and Florida Product Approval FL#19700.
- Florida Builders Approval Certification or Miami-Dade NOA on every product.
- Accredited member of the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating, and a member of the National Association of Home Builders.
- In-house design staff, chief engineer, and permitting team.
- Offices in Venice, Fort Myers, and Tampa, serving Pasco, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties.
Homeowners comparing several bids may also want to review the questions worth asking before any lanai or enclosure project and what makes an enclosure storm-ready in Florida. To confirm coverage in your community, check CRA’s full list of Florida service areas.
Ready to Start Your Project?
Licensing, product approvals, warranty terms, and engineering are all verifiable before you commit to a contract, and a screen enclosure company that welcomes those questions is usually the one worth hiring. CRA answers all four with license numbers, an approval designation, a written warranty, and an in-house engineering team.
See CRA’s pool and patio enclosure options or request a free estimate. You can also call CRA at 855-272-2243 to talk through your project with the local team.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will modifying my screen enclosure later void the warranty?
Yes. Modifications or repairs performed by anyone other than CRA void the warranty on the affected section. Contact CRA before any work is done on an existing enclosure so the coverage stays intact.
2. Does CRA install enclosures on mobile or manufactured homes?
No. CRA works exclusively on residential and commercial properties and does not provide services for mobile or manufactured homes.
3. Are estimates free, and is financing available?
Yes to both. CRA provides free estimates for all projects, including an assessment of the property and a detailed quote outlining scope and cost. Flexible financing is available through Synchrony.
4. Can a screen enclosure be built around an above-ground pool?
Yes. CRA designs enclosures for both above-ground and in-ground pools, so an above-ground pool does not rule out a custom screen enclosure.
5. My existing pool cage needs repair, not replacement. How do I start?
Email CRA’s service department at Service@CRAluminum.com with your name, address, phone number, a description of the issue, and two photos of the area. The team will review the request and either provide a repair estimate or open a warranty work order.
6. What maintenance will my aluminum enclosure need after installation?
Very little. Regular cleaning and periodic inspection of the screens and frames are the main requirements. For spots on aluminum, CRA recommends warm water with Dawn dish soap and a soft cloth or sponge, and advises against abrasive cleaners or scrubbing pads that can scratch the finish.
