Start your own company
Start your own screening company in Florida
Every pool cage, lanai, and screened porch in Florida is a repeat customer waiting to happen — sun, storms, and time chew through screen, and somebody has to replace it. Rescreening doesn't require a state license, the tooling is light, and the demand never stops. Here's the whole path, in plain English — and when you're ready, the Blue Trade Alliance is built to send booked jobs to owners exactly like you.
What it takes
What it takes in Florida
Define your services — and know the legal line
Rescreens and screen repair are yours without a state license: panel-by-panel or full rescreens on pool cages and lanais, porch and patio panels, screen doors, window screens, spline, and door hardware like closers, latches, and rollers. The hard line: building a NEW enclosure, or repairing its structural aluminum — posts, beams, anchors, roof panels — is licensed-contractor work in Florida. No exceptions, no "just this once." Screens yes, structure no.
Register your business with Sunbiz
File an LLC with the Florida Division of Corporations at sunbiz.org. It's an online filing, the fee is a bit over a hundred dollars, and approval usually comes back within a few business days. The LLC puts a legal wall between your business and your personal savings.
Get your EIN from the IRS
A federal Employer Identification Number is free, takes minutes on the IRS website, and lets you open a business bank account and file taxes as a company instead of running everything through your Social Security number.
Pick up your local business tax receipt
Most Florida counties and many cities require a business tax receipt (the old "occupational license") to operate there. Check with your county tax collector and your city — in Tampa Bay that can mean both. It's usually a short application and a modest annual fee.
Carry general liability insurance
Not required by the state for rescreen work — but treat it as non-negotiable. You're working on ladders against someone's enclosure, over their pool deck and their furniture. Liability coverage is the difference between a pro and a guy with a spline roller. Many customers, and the alliance, will ask for proof.
Set up your supply line
Screening is a materials business: screen rolls in the common meshes (standard, no-see-um, pet, privacy), spline in the common sizes, and the door hardware people always ask about while you're there. Open an account with a screen/aluminum supplier so you're buying at trade prices, not retail.
A BTA specialist walks you through every one of these steps, on the phone, in order — you never file anything alone.
Our specialists walk you through the steps and point you to the right agencies — they don't give legal, tax, or insurance advice. For decisions about your specific situation, talk to your own attorney or CPA.
Information reviewed July 2026
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