Porches
New screened and covered porches, and screening for the porch you already have.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you want built and which town you're in. We'll call to set up a free on-site quote.
Charleston County counts more than 50 mosquito species, and 30 of them bite. The salt marsh species are the most numerous, and their numbers jump after rain and high tides. A screened porch lets you sit outside anyway. We build new covered and screened porches, and we screen in porches that are already there. A new porch roof ties into your house, so it needs a permit and framing built to carry it. In the historic districts, the city has its own rules for screening a piazza.
What's included
- On-site look and a written quote with a drawing
- Footings, floor framing, and a wood or composite floor
- A roof framed and tied into the house, with roofing matched as closely as we can
- Metal connectors at the roof, posts, and footings where code calls for them
- Screen panels and a screen door
- A finished ceiling, ready for a fan and lights
- The permit and inspections
The process
- Look and quote. We look at where the porch will go, how the roof will tie in, and what's already there. You get a written quote with a drawing.
- Permit. We submit the drawings. In a historic district, we check what the Board of Architectural Review needs to see.
- Footings and floor. Footings are inspected before concrete. Then the floor framing and decking go in.
- Posts and roof. Posts, beams, rafters, and roofing.
- Screens and finish. Ceiling, screens, door, trim, and the final inspection.
What affects the price
- New or existing. Screening a porch you already have costs far less than building one.
- Size. Square footage of floor and roof.
- Roof tie-in. How the new roof meets the house roof.
- Floor. Pressure-treated pine, composite, or a concrete slab.
- Extras. Ceiling finish, fan and light wiring, and screen type.
Questions homeowners ask
- Can you screen in the porch I already have?
- Usually, if the posts, beams, and floor are sound. National guides put screening an existing 200-square-foot porch at about $2,000 to $2,800, so treat that as an estimate. We check the structure first, because screens are only as good as what they're fastened to.
- Can I screen my porch in the historic district?
- Under the Board of Architectural Review's guidelines, screening a piazza is allowed only if the screens are removable. The columns, railings, and balusters have to stay visible. Fully enclosing a porch or piazza is generally discouraged. We'll tell you at the quote whether your house falls under the board's review.
- Do I need a permit for a porch?
- For a new porch with a roof, yes. It ties into the house and carries a roof load. In the City of Charleston, any work needs a permit from Building Inspections. Other towns set their own rules for smaller jobs like screening, and we check yours.
- Can you add a screened porch on top of my deck?
- Sometimes. A roof adds load the deck frame may not have been built for. We check the footings, posts, and beams first, and some decks need new footings or framing before a roof can go on.
Want to sit outside without the bugs? Call (854) 777-0103 or send the form for a free quote.