Start with your address.
This guide covers Port St. Lucie and the nearby Treasure Coast towns and communities below. Share your street address on the call, along with what you’re seeing: a torn panel, tired mesh, a door that won’t close or storm damage. The contractor confirms the visit from there.
Your address also decides who handles permits. Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and Stuart each run their own building offices; St. Lucie County and Martin County cover many addresses outside those city limits. The permits guide lists each office.
Port St. Lucie.
Port St. Lucie is the heart of the Treasure Coast, with the St. Lucie River running through the city and Atlantic beaches a short drive east on Hutchinson Island. Neighborhoods range from older canalside streets to newer planned communities, so cages vary widely in height, age and exposure. Summer heat, afternoon storms and salt air from the coast all wear on mesh.
Homes inside city limits use the City of Port St. Lucie Building Department for permits. Some mailing addresses that say Port St. Lucie are actually in unincorporated St. Lucie County, so confirm which office covers your street.
Tradition.
Tradition is a large master-planned community in southwestern Port St. Lucie, just off I-95. Newer homes, lakes, parks and a town-center core are typical, and screened lanais and pool cages are common. Open water and fairways can mean more wind across a cage than a tree-lined street sees.
Tradition sits inside Port St. Lucie city limits, so city building rules apply. Community architectural review usually covers mesh and frame colors, so ask the association before work starts.
St. Lucie West.
St. Lucie West is a large mixed-use area in northwestern Port St. Lucie with residential villages, golf, lakes and commercial centers. Homes range from the early phases of the development to later build-outs, so frame age and fastener condition are useful things to mention on the call.
Most of St. Lucie West is inside the city. Exterior changes in gated or golf villages often need association approval in addition to any city permit.
Fort Pierce.
Fort Pierce is St. Lucie County’s historic waterfront city, about ten miles north of central Port St. Lucie. Downtown, island and mainland neighborhoods mix older homes with newer subdivisions. Proximity to the Indian River Lagoon and the inlet means more salt air, which can shorten mesh life and corrode fasteners faster than inland lots.
Homes inside city limits use the City of Fort Pierce Building Department. Addresses outside the city are usually St. Lucie County.
Jensen Beach.
Jensen Beach sits just south and east of Port St. Lucie in Martin County, along the Indian River and the causeway to Hutchinson Island. Waterfront and near-water lots see humidity, wind and tiny evening bugs, so finer mesh is a common question for lanais used after dark.
Many Jensen Beach addresses are unincorporated Martin County, so permits go through the Martin County Building Department. Confirm from your street address, and check any deed restrictions.
Stuart.
Stuart is Martin County’s county seat, roughly fifteen miles southeast of central Port St. Lucie. Historic downtown, riverside neighborhoods and nearby coastal communities make for a mix of older and newer enclosures. Storm season and tropical systems along the Treasure Coast are the usual drivers of sudden screen damage.
Homes inside Stuart city limits use the City of Stuart Building Division. Nearby unincorporated addresses use Martin County.
Palm City.
Palm City is a largely residential community west of Stuart in Martin County, known for parks, golf and quiet neighborhoods. Many homes have screened lanais or pool cages; open fairways and canal lots can leave cages more exposed to wind than a dense tree canopy would.
Palm City is unincorporated, so permits go through Martin County. Gated and golf communities usually ask for architectural review on mesh and frame colors.
Hutchinson Island area.
Hutchinson Island is the barrier island east of Port St. Lucie and Stuart, reached by causeways at Fort Pierce and Jensen Beach. Oceanfront and Intracoastal homes take the full force of salt air, sun and tropical storms, so mesh and fasteners wear faster than inland cages. North and south ends of the island sit in different counties.
Ask which building office covers your exact address, and mention coastal exposure on the call so the contractor can plan access and materials.
What to share on the call.
- Your street address and community name.
- Pool cage, lanai, door or a mix.
- About how many panels are torn, or whether it’s all tired.
- Any HOA approval you already have.
For the call itself, see how it works.