Windows & doors
Screen Repair Cost Calculator
Prices screen work, where rescreening an existing frame is far cheaper than replacing it.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Time, mesh, spline and the call-out. The economics turn on whether the frame survives. Rescreening means rolling the old mesh and spline out of the existing frame and rolling new mesh in, which is quick, uses inexpensive materials and is normally done several frames at a time. A frame that is bent, corroded or has broken corner keys cannot be rescreened reliably and needs replacing, which means either a stock size or a made to measure frame and a different price entirely. Doing several at once is where the efficiency is, since setup dominates a single screen.
What moves the number
- Whether the frame is reusable, which is the main cost fork.
- How many screens are being done at once, since setup dominates a single one.
- Mesh type, as pet resistant and solar screening cost considerably more than standard fibreglass.
- Whether the screens can be removed and taken away or have to be done in place.
Where this one goes wrong
Quote rescreening by the batch rather than per screen, because the time to set up a spline roller and a mesh roll is the same whether you do one or eight, and a per-screen price built around a single job will look expensive on a house full of them. On mesh choice, be honest about what pet resistant mesh does: it is considerably tougher than standard fibreglass and it is not indestructible, and a customer who expects a determined dog to be stopped by it will be back. Solar screening reduces heat gain noticeably but also cuts visible light and view, which is worth showing someone before fitting it to every window.
Before you quote
- Check frames for bends, corrosion and broken corner keys before quoting a rescreen.
- Price a batch rather than per screen.
- Show the customer a solar screen sample before fitting it throughout.
Questions
About this calculator
Is it cheaper to rescreen or replace a screen?
Rescreening is much cheaper when the frame is straight and the corners are sound, since the mesh and spline are inexpensive and the work is quick. A bent, corroded or broken frame cannot be rescreened reliably and needs replacing, which is a different and higher cost.
Does pet resistant mesh really work?
It is substantially tougher than standard fibreglass and resists claws and casual pushing well. It is not indestructible, and a determined animal can still get through. It is a worthwhile upgrade sold honestly and a complaint waiting to happen if sold as dog proof.
What does solar screening do?
It blocks a meaningful share of solar heat before it reaches the glass, which helps noticeably on sun facing windows. The trade is that it also cuts visible light and makes the view darker from inside. Most people want it on the hot elevations rather than the whole house, which is worth demonstrating first.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 16 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $92.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $4,200.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 16 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $92 |
| Parts and materials | $4,200 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $5,767 |
| Labour | $1,472 |
| Before tax | $5,767 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $5,767: $1,472 of labour, $4,200 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $46 | $5,031 |
| $69 | $5,399 |
| $92 example above | $5,767 |
| $138 | $6,503 |
| $184 | $7,239 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 16 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $92.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $4,200.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.