Mesh Upgrade Cost: 18x14 vs 20x20 vs Pet vs Solar

Standard 18×14 fiberglass is the zero-premium baseline. No-see-um 20x20 adds roughly $0.50 per square foot or $10–$20 per panel over standard; pet-resistant polyester runs 1.5 to 2 times standard mesh cost; solar screen is the priciest option at roughly $1.80–$3.00 per square foot installed. Every figure below is a researched Central Florida or Florida-wide market range.

Every figure below is a researched market estimate, named and sourced, not Sanford Rescreening's own price and not a Sanford or Seminole County average unless the source is explicitly local. Central Florida contractor figures are preferred over national aggregator averages, which run well below installed pricing because they mix partial jobs and materials-only purchases — shown once, labelled, never blended into the same range.

Premium over standard mesh

Mesh upgrade add-on pricing, per panel or per square foot
Mesh	Add-on	Source
Standard 18×14 fiberglass	Baseline, $0	Full Screen Fix, Orlando
TuffScreen (vinyl-coated polyester)	+$0.30 / sq ft	Full Screen Fix, Orlando
No-See-Um 20×20	+$0.50 / sq ft, or +$10–$20/panel	Full Screen Fix and A Screen Repair, Orlando
Premium mesh generally	+$10–$40 per panel	A Screen Repair, Orlando
Pet-resistant	1.5–2× standard mesh cost	A Screen Repair, Orlando — not converted to a dollar figure by the source

Full-cage installed basis, by mesh

Per square foot installed and typical full-cage total — editorial buying-guide figures
Mesh	Per sq ft	Typical full cage
18×14 standard fiberglass	$0.75–$1.25	$900–$1,600
20×20 no-see-um	$1.00–$1.50	— about 10–15% more than standard
Super Screen (vinyl-coated polyester)	$1.20–$1.80	$1,500–$2,200
PetScreen / pet-resistant	$1.50–$2.50	$2,000–$3,000+
Solar screen (SunTex 80/90)	$1.80–$3.00	$2,700–$4,500

Source: The Backyard Showdown, a Florida-focused editorial buying guide. A second source (Absolute Aluminum, Sarasota/Manatee) publishes numerically identical figures — treat that as one data point, not independent corroboration. A Fort Myers contractor’s materials-only figures run 3–5× lower than the installed prices above; do not blend materials-only and installed pricing in the same comparison.

What you are actually buying at each tier

Cost tracks what each product is verified to do, not marketing language. Phifer’s 18×14 and 20×20 fiberglass carry no published warranty at all. TuffScreen No-See-Um (vinyl-coated polyester, 18x22) tests at 40.1% openness with a 1,200-hour colorfastness rating — a weathering test, not a service-life figure. Super Screen’s 20/20 No-See-Um and 17/14 Pool and Patio meshes are the only no-see-um-capable products researched here that carry a manufacturer warranty, 10 years, limited. PetScreen tests at roughly 36% openness and about 64% UV blockage. Full spec detail is in the mesh guide, and warranty-versus-lifespan detail is on how often should pool screens be replaced.

Mesh Upgrade Cost: 18x14 vs. 20x20 vs. Pet-Resistant vs. Solar

Premium over standard mesh

Full-cage installed basis, by mesh

What you are actually buying at each tier

The other cost pages

Mixing mesh across the cage?