Rescreen vs. Full Screen Replacement Cost Guide
Two quotes for the same torn screen can differ by hundreds of dollars because they price different purchases. A rescreen prices new mesh in the existing frame; a full replacement prices a new frame-and-mesh unit. EngineerFix reporting puts a rescreen at $15 to $50 per screen and a full replacement at $147 to $515 in its frame. This guide prices the deciding lines between them.
Orange County, CA · Updated 2026 · Costs shown as ranges — your quote will vary by installer and scope
The two purchases, priced in named frames
| Purchase | Published 2026 band | Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Professional rescreen, per screen | $15-$50 | EngineerFix |
| Full replacement, per screen | $147-$515 | EngineerFix |
| Full replacement, average per screen | $322 average, most $147-$522 | Angi |
| Full replacement, installed per screen | $50-$200 | RemodelingExpense |
The frames stay apart. The EngineerFix frame separates the two purchases directly: a rescreen carries mesh and labor on an existing frame, while its full-replacement band carries the new frame as well. The Angi and RemodelingExpense frames price full replacement only, at the scales on the replacement cost hub. No rescreen figure appears in either of those frames.
The rescreen purchase: new mesh in a sound existing frame
| Rescreen line | How it is reported |
|---|---|
| Professional rescreen, standard mesh | $15-$50 per screen, labor and standard materials combined, EngineerFix frame |
| Hourly pricing on larger or mixed jobs | $50-$80 per hour in EngineerFix reporting, on multi-screen or frame-attention jobs |
| Per-screen pricing on multi-screen jobs | lower per-screen rates reported where many screens are priced in one visit |
A rescreen is priced on one condition: the existing frame is sound. Where the frame is straight and its channel is intact, the purchase is mesh, the spline line, and labor -- which is why the EngineerFix rescreen band sits far below every full-replacement band here. The mesh class picked still moves the line, priced on the material types cost guide.
The full replacement purchase: a new frame-and-mesh unit
| Full-unit line | Published 2026 band |
|---|---|
| Standard full unit, installed | $50-$200 per screen, RemodelingExpense frame |
| Full unit, verified-project reporting | $147-$515 per screen, EngineerFix frame; $147-$522, Angi frame |
| Custom or specialty unit | $1,200 or more, Angi frame |
A full unit prices everything the rescreen leaves out: the frame itself, plus the mesh and the fitting labor. That is the whole gap between the two columns here. A full-unit quote for a screen whose frame is sound prices a frame the job may not need; a rescreen quote for a bent frame prices mesh into a frame that cannot hold its shape.
The deciding cost lines: frame, spline and channel, odd shapes
| Deciding line | How it prices |
|---|---|
| Frame damage, bent or cracked frame | ends the rescreen purchase; the full-unit bands apply |
| Spline and channel condition | a worn channel or spline line prices as a reported cost line on a rescreen quote, apart from the mesh |
| Odd-shape fabrication | custom shapes $70-$900, Angi size band; fabrication priced per unit |
| Missing screen, no frame at all | a full unit by definition; no rescreen band applies |
Frame condition is the first deciding line, and spline and channel condition is the second: a sound frame with a worn channel can still price as a rescreen with a channel line added, while a damaged frame cannot. Odd shapes decide the third way -- fabrication prices on either purchase, and a custom full unit reaches the Angi $1,200-or-more top end.
How this lane differs from the solar-screen product and a whole-window purchase
Neither purchase on this page is the solar-screen product. The window solar screen installation guide prices solar screens as an installed product quoted as its own scope; a rescreen in solar mesh is a material choice inside this page's rescreen purchase, not that product. Nor is either purchase a window: the window replacement hub prices the whole window, frame and glazing included, while this page prices only the screen that sits in it.
- Purchase named on the quote: rescreen or full unit
- Frame condition stated for each screen
- Spline and channel lines shown apart
- Odd-shape fabrication priced per unit
- Frame named: EngineerFix, Angi, or RemodelingExpense
Frequently asked questions
How much does a professional rescreen cost?
EngineerFix reporting puts a professional rescreen at $15 to $50 per screen for a standard-sized screen, labor and standard materials combined, with hourly pricing at $50 to $80 on larger or mixed jobs in the same reporting.
How much does a full screen replacement cost in the same frame?
In the EngineerFix frame, a full replacement averages $147 to $515 per screen once the new frame is carried. The Angi frame puts full replacement at a $322 average, most homeowners $147 to $522 per screen.
What decides between a rescreen and a full unit?
Frame condition first: a sound frame prices as a rescreen, a bent or cracked frame prices as a full unit. Spline and channel condition prices next, as its own line, and odd shapes add fabrication pricing on either purchase.
Does a missing screen price as a rescreen?
No. With no frame in place, there is nothing to price mesh into, so a missing screen is a full frame-and-mesh unit by definition, priced in the full-replacement bands.
Is rescreening in solar mesh the same as the solar-screen product?
No. The solar-screen guide prices an installed solar-screen product as its own scope. Picking solar mesh for a rescreen is a material line inside this page's rescreen purchase, priced on the material types guide.