How is the pool cage attached to the house and the deck?

Where the cage meets the house it usually ties into a super-gutter fastened to the wall or fascia; at the deck it is anchored through the pool deck slab or into thickened-edge footings sized for uplift. Both connections are engineered for the wind pressures at your address — the deck anchorage and super-gutter attachment are the connections reviewers look at most closely.

Do you submit the pool cage permit through HillsGovHub?

Yes. HillsGovHub is Hillsborough County's online permitting portal, and submission is included in the flat $2,000 package. We upload the signed and sealed digital plan set, monitor the review, and respond to reviewer comments directly. City of Tampa addresses are filed through Tampa's own building department.

Serving Hillsborough County — Pool Cage Engineering

Pool Enclosure (Pool Cage) Permit Engineering — Hillsborough County, FL

Q: How long do Hillsborough County pool enclosure permits take?

Your PE-sealed pool cage engineering package is ready in 5 to 7 business days. Once filed through HillsGovHub, Hillsborough County's review of a screen pool enclosure typically takes a few weeks depending on volume. We track the review and answer reviewer comments free of charge until the permit is approved.

Q: What wind speed applies to pool cages in Hillsborough County?

Design wind speed in Hillsborough is typically around 140 to 150 mph (Vult) per ASCE 7-22 — closer to 140 mph inland near Brandon and Riverview, and rising toward 150 mph near Tampa Bay. Because a pool cage is tall and fully open, the component and cladding (C&C) pressures on its screen roof and walls are higher than on a low structure, so the exact wind speed and exposure are confirmed per site during design.

Q: Does my pool cage count as the required pool safety barrier in Hillsborough County?

It can. Under the Florida Building Code, the screen enclosure surrounding a residential pool may serve as the required pool safety barrier when it is permitted, inspected, and detailed with self-closing, self-latching access doors and code-compliant screen. We design the enclosure so it satisfies the barrier requirement, not just the wind loads.

A pool cage is not a screen room with a pool under it — it is a tall, clear-span aluminum structure that also has to serve as your pool's safety barrier. For Tampa, Brandon and Riverview, we engineer and seal the mansard, hip or gable screen roof, the super-gutter tie-in, and the deck anchorage for the right wind zone on your side of the county, then file the package through HillsGovHub.

Start Your Project → (848) 666-3407

From $2,000Flat-rate · PE-Sealed · HillsGovHub Submission Included · Same-Day Proposal

Hillsborough County Pool Cages

Where the Wind Works a Pool Cage Hardest

A pool enclosure is one of the most wind-sensitive residential structures the county reviews. The screen roof is a large clear span — often 20, 30 feet or more with no interior columns — and every panel of screen is a surface the wind can push and pull. Near Tampa Bay that matters even more: the closer you get to open water, the higher the component and cladding (C&C) pressures the code assigns to the tall walls and roof of a cage. That is why we start a Hillsborough pool cage from the wind map and the enclosure geometry, not a stock detail sheet. Whether it is a South Tampa mansard cage a few blocks off the bay, a Riverview new-build hip enclosure or a Brandon gable cage, the beams, uprights, super-gutter and deck anchors are sized for that specific address.

✓ Clear-span mansard, hip or gable screen roof designed for the span
✓ Super-gutter attachment to house wall or fascia engineered for uplift
✓ Deck-footing and waterline-side anchorage sized per site
✓ C&C wind pressures on the tall cage per FBC 2023 + ASCE 7-22
✓ Enclosure detailed to serve as the residential pool barrier
✓ Florida Product Approval (FL#) references
✓ Sealed by FL Licensed Engineer #102290
✓ HillsGovHub submission included · 5–7 business day turnaround

Pool enclosure pool cage permit engineering in Hillsborough County Florida

County Requirements

What Hillsborough County Requires for a Pool Enclosure Permit

Hillsborough County reviews a pool cage as an engineered structure and, in most cases, as the pool's required safety barrier. Here is what the building department expects with your application.

Signed & Sealed, Site-Specific Engineering

Drawings and wind-load calculations sealed by a Florida PE, prepared for FBC 2023 and ASCE 7-22, are mandatory. Reviewers trace the clear-span roof beams, uprights, super-gutter connection and deck anchors back to the pressures calculated for your address — a template cage detail does not clear review.

HillsGovHub Electronic Submission

Unincorporated Hillsborough County processes pool enclosure permits through the HillsGovHub online portal with signed and sealed digital plan sets. City of Tampa addresses go through Tampa's own building department. We handle the filing either way.

Wind Speeds: Typically Around 140 to 150 mph

Inland Hillsborough typically designs around 140 mph (Vult), rising toward 150 mph near Tampa Bay — higher closer to the coast. These are approximate; the exact design wind speed and exposure are confirmed per site during design. On a tall, fully-screened cage those speeds translate into significant uplift on the roof and suction on the walls.

Pool Barrier, Deck & Flood Considerations

Where the enclosure serves as the pool barrier, self-closing and self-latching doors and compliant screen are part of the package. A survey-based site plan shows setbacks, and for bay-adjacent lots flood-zone requirements may touch the deck slab or footings — we address them when they apply.

Services & Pricing

Pool Enclosure & Related Permit Packages for Hillsborough County

The pool enclosure package is a flat $2,000 and includes the engineering, wind and connection calculations, the PE seal and submission through HillsGovHub or the City of Tampa. Revisions stay free until approval. Need a different structure? We handle those too.

Service	Flat Rate
Pool Enclosure (Screen Cage over Pool)	$2,000
Screen Enclosure / Screen Room (No Pool)	$1,500
Lanai Enclosure	$1,200
Covered Patio	$1,200
Pergola	$1,000
Outdoor Kitchen	$900
Concrete Slab	$900
Pool Demolition	$800

100% Remote Process

Engineered From Orlando, Approved in Tampa

Distance doesn't matter when the process is remote. Your pool survey, deck dimensions and photos give us the cage geometry; HillsGovHub gives us the submission channel. No site visit, no waiting on appointments.

Send Your Details

Address, cage dimensions and roof style, pool deck, survey and photos

Same-Day Proposal

Flat-rate PDF proposal — full scope, price and timeline

Engineering & Seal

Wind-zone-correct cage design per FBC 2023 / ASCE 7-22 in 5–7 business days

HillsGovHub Filing

Submitted to the county or City of Tampa · revisions free until approved

Why Hillsborough Chooses Us

Why Tampa-Area Pool Contractors & Homeowners Work With Franca Engineering

A pool cage lives or dies at its connections — the super-gutter tie-in, the deck anchors, the ridge and hip joints on that big clear-span roof. In a county where the wind zone shifts as you approach Tampa Bay, getting those pressures and connections right the first time is what separates a clean approval from a correction cycle. That is exactly what our Hillsborough pool clients come to us for.

The Cage Roof, Engineered as a Span

A mansard or hip screen roof over a pool is a real clear-span problem, not a detail to copy. We size the beams, uprights and knee braces for the actual span and the uplift the bay-side wind puts on that roof.

Connections Built for Uplift

Super-gutter to the house, base to the deck footing or waterline-side slab — every connection is designed for the wind uplift and suction at your address. These are the details Hillsborough reviewers check hardest, so we detail them first.

Portal-Native, Flat Rate

Plan sets are produced for HillsGovHub electronic review from the start, and every Hillsborough pool cage pays the same flat $2,000 — engineering, seal, submission and county-requested revisions until approval.

Cleber Franca Neto, PE

Florida Licensed Professional Engineer #102290

Statewide practice — Tampa Bay is a core market
Direct communication from start to finish — no middlemen
Real construction field experience — not just a desk engineer
Same-day proposal · 5–7 day engineering turnaround
Serving all 67 Florida counties remotely

Hillsborough County FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do Hillsborough County pool enclosure permits take? ▾

Engineering takes 5–7 business days. County review through HillsGovHub typically runs a few weeks for a residential pool cage, depending on volume. We track the review and resolve comments free until approval.

What wind speed applies to pool cages in Hillsborough County? ▾

Typically around 140 mph (Vult) inland near Brandon and Riverview, rising toward 150 mph near Tampa Bay — higher closer to the coast, confirmed per site during design. On a tall, fully-screened cage those speeds produce high C&C uplift on the roof and suction on the walls.

Does my pool cage count as the required pool safety barrier? ▾

It can, when it is permitted, inspected, and detailed with self-closing, self-latching access doors and compliant screen per the Florida Building Code. We design the enclosure to satisfy the barrier requirement, not just the wind loads.

How is the cage attached to the house and deck? ▾

Usually a super-gutter to the house wall or fascia, and anchors through the pool deck slab or into thickened-edge footings on the waterline side — both engineered for the uplift at your address. These connections get the closest look in review.

My property is in the City of Tampa — is the process different? ▾

Tampa runs its own building department, separate from unincorporated Hillsborough County. We identify the correct jurisdiction for your address and file there — the engineering for the pool cage is equivalent either way.

Ready to Permit Your Hillsborough County Pool Cage?

Same-day flat-rate proposal, wind-zone-correct pool enclosure engineering in 5–7 business days, and HillsGovHub submission handled for you.

✓ FL PE License #102290 ✓ HillsGovHub Submission Included ✓ Pool Barrier Detailed ✓ 5–7 Business Days ✓ Free Revisions Until Approved

Start Your Project →

No pool under the roof? See our Hillsborough County screen enclosure permit page.