Window Screen Repair in Fort Collins
Re-meshing a screen costs a fraction of replacing it. $35 a screen once I am on site, and most houses have four or five that need doing at once.
Screens are the cheapest thing on this site to put right and the thing most likely to have been ignored for five years.
Repair beats replace
A torn screen does not need a new screen. It needs new mesh and new spline in the frame you already have, which takes about fifteen minutes and costs $35 once I am on site.
The only case where a new frame genuinely wins is a frame that has bowed badly enough that it no longer sits square in the track. Aluminium frames bend when they get leaned on, and once the corners have racked they will not go back reliably.
Why they fail here
Northern Colorado is hard on screens for reasons that are specific to the place:
Altitude and UV. The sun at this elevation degrades screen mesh faster than it does at sea level. Old mesh goes brittle and then tears at the spline the first time someone pushes on it.
Hail. A hailstorm that leaves the siding alone will still punch a screen.
Cottonwood and spring debris. Fluff and grit accumulate in the tracks, and the screen gets forced in and out against it until a corner gives.
The two upgrades worth paying for
Pet mesh, if an animal has already been through one. Standard mesh will not survive the same dog twice. Pet-resistant mesh is $15 a screen more and is dramatically tougher.
Solar mesh, on west and south facing windows. It is a denser weave that stops a real share of the heat before it reaches the glass. In a Colorado summer afternoon the difference in a west facing room is genuinely noticeable. It darkens the view a little, which is the trade.
Do them all at once
The economics here are stark. The first screen carries the minimum call-out. Every one after it on the same visit is $35. A house with six torn screens is a single short visit, and doing them one at a time over a year would cost several times as much.
It is also worth pairing with blinds or door weatherstripping, since it is the same trip round the same windows.
What is included
- Re-meshing existing frames with new screen and fresh spline.
- Straightening frames that have bowed, where they are salvageable.
- Building new frames to fit where the old one is beyond saving.
- Pet-resistant mesh where dogs and cats have been through the old one.
- Solar screen mesh on west and south facing windows to cut heat gain.
- Replacing failed corner pieces and pull tabs.
- Refitting and checking the screen sits properly in the track.
What it costs
| Job | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First screen | $125 | Minimum call-out, includes the first re-mesh |
| Each additional screen | $35 | Same visit |
| New frame built to fit | $65 to $95 | Where the old frame is beyond saving |
| Pet-resistant mesh | +$15 per screen | Much tougher, slightly less clear |
| Solar screen mesh | +$25 per screen | Cuts heat on west and south windows |
Full rates, block pricing and the minimum call-out are on the pricing page.
What I do not do here
- Glass replacement of any kind. That is a glazier.
- Failed double glazing seals or fogged units.
- Window mechanism repair, balances and cranks.
- Full window replacement.
- Screens on windows I cannot reach safely from a standard ladder.
Who to call instead: a glazier for glass, fogged units and window mechanisms.
The full list is on what I do not do.
How it works
- Send a photo. Text or email a picture. Most jobs get priced without a site visit.
- Get a flat price. Written and fixed before I start.
- I show up and finish. On the day I said, parts in the truck, swept up after.
Why a solo operator
The same person quotes the job, does the job and cleans up after it. There is no call centre, no dispatcher and no rotating crew who have not seen your house. The price you were given is the price, because the person who quoted it is the person holding the tools.
Related work
Window screen repair questions
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a screen?
Repair, almost always. Re-meshing an existing frame is $35 once I am there. A new frame is $65 to $95. The only time replacing wins is when the frame is bent badly enough that it will not sit square in the track any more.
My dog went through it. Will it just happen again?
With standard mesh, probably. Pet-resistant mesh is considerably tougher and it is $15 a screen on top. It is very slightly less clear to look through, which most people stop noticing within a week.
What is solar screen mesh?
A denser weave that blocks a significant share of solar heat before it reaches the glass. On west and south facing windows in Colorado, where the sun is fierce at altitude, it makes a noticeable difference to how hot a room gets in the afternoon. It does darken the view slightly.
Can you fix the window itself?
No. Glass, fogged double glazing, balances and cranks all go to a glazier or a window company. Screens and the frames they sit in are where my scope stops, and it is on the list of things I do not do.
Do you take the screens away?
Not usually. Most re-meshing gets done on site in under fifteen minutes a screen, which is why doing several in one visit is so much cheaper than any other way of getting it done.