How to Start a Window Screen Repair Business From Your Garage
Torn window screens and sagging screen doors are small annoyances that homeowners put off fixing, and that’s exactly why screen repair can work as a garage service. The tools are inexpensive, the jobs are quick once you learn them, and landlords and property managers often need several screens done at once.
What the work involves
Most jobs fall into two groups:
- Rescreening: pulling out the old mesh and spline, laying new mesh over the existing frame and rolling in fresh spline. A bookkeeping guide for screen repair businesses estimates this often takes about 20 minutes per window once you’re practiced.
- Rebuilding: cutting new aluminum frame stock, fitting corners and adding pull tabs, springs or rollers. This is shop work, which is where your garage comes in.
Tools and materials
You can start with a spline roller, a sharp utility knife, a hacksaw or miter saw for frame stock, and spline in a few common sizes. Add rolls of fiberglass mesh, corner pieces, and basic hardware such as pull tabs and latches. The same guide says a 30-inch by 100-foot roll of standard fiberglass mesh costs about $60 and covers roughly eight windows (as of September 2026), so the mesh itself is a small part of each job. Aluminum, pet-resistant and solar mesh cost more and can be offered as upgrades.
Pricing and how you take jobs
Professional replacement prices vary widely by size, mesh and whether the frame is reused, so look at what local hardware stores and screen shops charge before you set your rates. Many operators set a minimum charge per screen and a separate trip charge if they pick up and deliver. A drop-off model, where customers bring screens to you, keeps drive time down; a mobile model brings in more work but adds mileage.
Track both carefully. Window cleaners who discussed drop-off repair on a long-running forum noted that orders pile up fast, so set up an organized staging area with labels for each customer’s screens.
Seasonality
Demand usually jumps in spring, when people open their windows and find winter damage. Fall and winter are quieter. Use the slow months to reach property managers and landlords who need units turned over, and to build up frame stock and practice rebuilds.
Safety and local rules
- Wear eye protection when cutting aluminum and gloves when handling cut edges and old mesh.
- Keep a sharp blade but cut away from your body.
- Use a ladder safely if you remove or reinstall screens at customers’ homes, and skip upper-story work until you have the right equipment.
- Home-occupation permits, business licenses and insurance requirements vary by state, county and city, so check locally before you start.
More on Garage Business Blueprint
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- How to Set Up a Safe, Workable Garage Workspace for Your Business
