How much does it cost to rescreen a window or porch in Virginia?

Rescreening a window yourself costs little beyond the materials: mesh, spline and a spline roller. A hired job adds labour, and a porch adds up panel by panel. In a buyer's guide Phifer published in March 2023 and last updated in December 2025, a 100-foot roll of 48-inch-wide screen ranged from $75 for standard fiberglass to $250 for TuffScreen and $300 for a pet-resistant or sun-shading product such as PetScreen or SunTex.^[1] Bronze or stainless steel wire mesh ran from $700 to $1,000 per roll in the same guide.^[1] Labour is the part that varies most, so the useful thing to know is what drives a quote and how to compare them.

Doing it yourself

For a few window screens, the cost is mostly a roll of mesh and a length of spline. Phifer's installation kit for a single window or door comes with a 36-by-84-inch roll of screen, a spline roller and spline.^[2] Add a sharp utility knife and masking tape if you do not already have them. The method is in how to rescreen a window screen.

A porch is a bigger outlay in both money and time. You buy mesh by the roll, the panels are tall, and Phifer calls pool and patio rescreening typically a two-person job,^[2] so plan on a helper.

What drives a hired price

How many screens or panels. A business prices by the number and size of openings, so ask whether there is a minimum charge or trip fee for a small job. Bundling every screen in the house into one visit may reduce that, so ask.

The mesh. The roll prices above show how far apart materials are. Standard fiberglass is the baseline; pet-resistant, sun-control, no-see-um and metal meshes cost more.

How the screen is fastened. On a porch, the common methods are securing it into the groove of a frame with spline, stapling it to a wood structure and covering the staples with furring trim, or using a screen porch system.^[1] Stapled screen under wood trim takes longer to strip and redo than spline panels, and old trim sometimes splits coming off and needs replacing.

Access. Ground-level panels are quick. For a porch that is hard to reach on a second level or 15 to 20 feet off the ground, Phifer suggests a more durable metal mesh such as aluminum, bronze or stainless steel, which under normal conditions can last for decades.^[1] That raises the material cost but means fewer return trips with a ladder.

Frame condition. Bent window-screen frames, cracked corners, and soft or rotted porch wood all add cost. For window screens, if the frame is bent or the screen is significantly deteriorated, replacing the whole screen might ultimately be more cost-effective in the long run.^[3]

Old mesh removal and cleanup. Ask whether hauling away old screen and trim is included.

Spending a little more to spend less later

The cheapest mesh is not always the cheapest choice. Where pets or children push on screens, TuffScreen, which Phifer says is three times stronger than standard fiberglass and won’t need to be replaced nearly as often,^[4] can pay for itself in fewer repairs. On a hard-to-reach porch, the metal meshes trade a higher roll price for a longer life.

Getting quotes you can compare

Phifer's own view is that a reputable installer will be more expensive than doing it yourself, but depending on the complexity of the job, hiring one may be the better option.^[1] If you hire, Virginia's Board for Contractors gives practical advice: "It is advisable to get at least three written bids or estimates using identical plans and specifications so you can compare prices and contractors."^[5] It also warns: "Beware of any bid substantially lower than the others."^[5]

Ask each business to put in writing:

• The number of screens or panels, with sizes.
• The mesh by brand and product name, not just "fiberglass".
• Whether trim, spline or frames are being replaced, and what happens if rot turns up.
• Removal and disposal of the old screen.
• The total price, the deposit and when the balance is due.

On the deposit, DPOR says a good rule of thumb is an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less.^[5] For bigger jobs, the licence matters too. Under Virginia law, Class C contractors work on jobs where a single contract or project is over $1,000 but less than $30,000,^[6] and DPOR notes: "Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work."^[5] See how to check a contractor's licence in Virginia.

Stop and call a pro if

• Porch posts, rails or the wood the screen fastens to are soft, cracked or rotted.
• The porch is on a second level or high off the ground and the panels can only be reached from a ladder.
• You want to change the porch itself, such as adding walls, windows or a roof, rather than replace the mesh.
• A window-screen frame is bent or a sliding screen door's frame and rollers are damaged.

Getting help

If you are weighing the work against the price, read whether to rescreen a porch yourself or hire someone, browse screen repair businesses, find exterior pros around Blacksburg, or see the other exterior answers. When you are ready, describe the screens that need work once and local businesses will quote it.