Screen In an Existing Porch or Lanai in Riverview, FL
Turn an open porch, patio, or lanai into a bug-free outdoor room, with no permit required. Most back-lanai screen-ins are installed in one or two days, and we can usually start within one to two weeks of your estimate.
If you already have a covered porch or lanai, screening it in is the fastest, most affordable way to get a bug-free outdoor room. There is nothing to build from scratch; we frame and screen the openings under your existing roof, add a door, and you have a space you can actually use morning and evening. Because it uses the existing structure, screening an existing lanai usually does not require a permit and often takes just one to two weeks.
Lanai Guy has screened in porches, patios, and lanais across East Hillsborough for decades, always with USA-made Phifer screen and a state-licensed crew. Our screen-ins come standard with a kickplate and a door unless you would rather skip the kickplate. Family-owned and state-licensed (Florida Specialty Structure Contractor SCC131152382), screen experts in the Riverview area since 1986, 4.7★ across 245+ Google reviews, and USA-made Phifer screen on every job.
Since 1986
Family-owned & state-licensed
Why Homeowners Choose Us
Screen in an existing porch, patio, or lanai
Usually no permit required
Installed in one or two days, usually within one to two weeks of your estimate
Kickplate and door included as standard
Pet door and premium screen available
State-Licensed · SCC131152382 · 4.7★ · 245+ Google reviews
Three Spaces We Screen In Most: Back Lanai, Front Entry, and Open Porch
Most screen-in projects fall into one of these three categories, and each has its own reason people finally do it.
The back lanai under the home's roof
The most common screen-in by far. You already have a covered slab off the back of the house; we frame and screen the open sides, add a door, and it becomes a bug-free living space. Usually no permit. Most back-lanai screen-ins are installed in one or two days, and we can usually start within one to two weeks of your estimate.
The front entry
A screened front entry adds a layer of security, keeps pests out of the doorway, and makes a safer, less obvious spot for package deliveries. Front entries are smaller and can involve custom work around tall or arched openings and decorative columns.
An open porch or patio
An uncovered or partly covered porch or patio that you want to turn into a usable, shaded, bug-free space. Depending on what is already there, this can be a straight screen-in or may need a small amount of roof or structure first.
What we see across Riverview, Valrico & Brandon
The most common call is a homeowner in Riverview, Valrico, or Brandon with an existing covered lanai who is tired of losing the evenings to mosquitoes. Newer homes in the Wimauma and Apollo Beach communities often come with a covered lanai already framed, so screening it in is quick. Front-entry screen-ins are more common in older Brandon and Seffner homes, where the entry is larger or arched, and the goal is as much security and package protection as it is bug control. And after storms like Milton, we hear from many customers whose screened-in patios held up while the rest of the yard did not.
How It Works, Start to Finish
Free estimate
Todd measures the openings and confirms door placement, kickplate, and any pet door.
Confirm no permit is needed
Screening in an existing lanai under your home's roof usually does not require a permit; we will tell you if yours is an exception.
Frame the openings
We set the aluminum uprights and cross members to hold tight, even screen.
Screen and add the door
Custom-cut USA-made Phifer screen, a screen door, and a kickplate along the bottom.
Clean up
Most back-lanai screen-ins are installed in one or two days, and we can usually start within one to two weeks of your estimate. We leave the space spotless.
What's Included
A standard screen-in of an existing covered lanai includes the following.
Aluminum uprights and cross members set for tight screen
Custom-cut on site for each opening
A hinged screen door, sized to the opening
A kickplate along the bottom, standard unless you decline it
Pet door, 20/20 No-See-Um, and other premium screen available
What It Costs
Screening in a space you already have is the least expensive way to get a bug-free outdoor room, because the slab and the structure are already there. It costs a fraction of a from-scratch build, and it is priced by what the job involves: the size of the openings, how many doors you want, whether you add a pet door, and the screen you choose. Front-entry projects can run more per square foot than a plain back lanai, because tall, curved, or arched openings and decorative columns take custom work.
Common upgrades are easy to fold in
A kickplate and a screen door are already included. The common add-ons are a large Magnador pet door at about $250 to $300, a 20/20 No-See-Um screen at about $0.50 per square foot for homes near ponds and water, and a taller kickplate at about $25 per linear foot if you want more than the standard 16 inches. Your exact number comes with a free in-home estimate.
Because every porch and lanai is a different size and shape, we price these at the free in-home estimate rather than off a chart. You get a written number before any work starts, a $100 minimum applies, and we honor the quoted price until our material suppliers raise theirs.
Real Customer Stories
These are real, verified Google reviews from East Hillsborough homeowners. Every name is public on our Google profile.
Screened in the patio at a new house, quoted in a day, clean install.
“Recently had Lanai Guy screen in my patio at my new house. From the start, Tammy was very quick to respond and answer questions. I got my estimate in a day and was on the schedule shortly after. The installer took his time to make sure everything was installed and cleaned up. Screen looks amazing and is a great quality, just in time for the summer heat.”
Droz
★★★★★Jun 2025
Loved her back-porch screen-in enough to send her parents.
“I hired them to do my back porch and liked it so much I recommended them to my parents. They did a great job, quick, friendly, and fairly priced!”
Heather Vermilyea
★★★★★Apr 2026
An in-laws' screened patio in Valrico that held strong through Hurricane Milton.
“Had my in-laws' back patio screened in last May. Great communication and very reasonably priced compared to other quotes we had received. My in-laws in Valrico were hit very hard by Hurricane Milton, fences and siding damaged, but the patio stayed strong.”
Brittany Claus
★★★★★Dec 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about our screen services.
Usually not. Screening in an existing lanai under your home's roof typically does not require a permit. If your project is an exception, for example adding structure or a roof, we will tell you at the estimate.
Most back-lanai screen-ins are installed in one or two days, and we can usually start within one to two weeks of your estimate. Size, doors, and add-ons move both numbers.
Our screen-ins come with a kickplate and a screen door as standard, unless you would rather skip the kickplate. Pet doors and premium screens are popular add-ons.
Yes. A screened front entry adds security and keeps pests out of the doorway. Front entries can involve custom work around tall or arched openings and decorative columns, which we handle.
Sometimes. If there is no roof, the space may need a small amount of structure or roof first. We will look at what you have and tell you honestly what it takes.
Standard 18/14 charcoal is the default and nearly invisible from inside. Near a pond or the water, 20/20 No-See-Um is worth the small upcharge to stop the tiny gnats.
Yes, and a screen-in is a great time to do it. A large Magnador pet door runs about $250 to $300.
A newer screen, properly installed, usually stays intact unless a branch or debris punches through. An older screen is more likely to tear. We build to code and add a kickplate that helps at the bottom.
We frame the openings with proper aluminum uprights and cross members and spline the screen for even, lasting tension. That structure is the difference between a professional screen-in and a hardware-store kit that bellies and pulls loose within a season.
No, we install hinged and double-screen doors, which hold up far better than sliding tracks in Florida's humidity and debris.
Yes, Florida state-licensed Specialty Structure Contractor SCC131152382, fully insured, with a one-year workmanship warranty.
Request a Screen-In Estimate
Tell us about the porch, patio, or lanai you want screened in and we will get you a free in-home estimate.
Fast Response
We will get right back to you with next steps.
Local & Trusted
Serving 21 cities across Riverview & East Hillsborough County
Quality Service
One-year material & workmanship warranty
Fair Prices
Written quotes we honor until suppliers raise prices; $100 minimum on small repairs.