How Much Does Building a Porch Cost?

Most homeowners spend approximately $14,400 on average to build a 200-square foot porch, with a typical range of $4,800 to $24,000

A porch is a wonderful place to sit out and enjoy your outdoor space in shelter and comfort. Most homeowners spend approximately $14,400 on average to build a 200-square foot porch, with a typical range of $4,800 to $24,000. On the extreme low end, a porch might cost about $1,900, while it can be $52,000 on the extreme high end.

Of course, no price for a home improvement project is set until you get an estimate from a contractor, and building a porch is no different. There is a wide variety of factors that can influence the cost of a porch. Read this helpful cost guide to get an idea of what your budget should be before you start your porch project.

Average Cost of Building a Porch in 2024

Average Cost$14,400
Typical Range$4,800 – $24,000
Extreme Low-End Cost$1,900
Extreme High-End Cost$52,000

Building a new porch from scratch carries quite the hefty cost. Even if you do everything you can to save money, you’re looking at close to thousands of dollars overall. Factors that can affect the overall cost include size, the type of porch you’re planning, what you want to make it out of, and even the time of year.

The two biggest factors in building your porch are material and labor costs. These can vary widely depending on the type of material you choose and the contractor you hire.

Cost of Building a Porch Estimator by Size

The average covered porch size is 20 feet by 10 feet, totaling 200 square feet, but this is far from the only option. You can have as big of a porch as you want, but keep in mind that the bigger the size of your porch, the higher the cost.

Measure the area where you want your porch to be so that you can get a sense of the square footage it’ll have and the space available. A porch typically costs between $24 to $120 per square foot, or $72 on average.

Porch SizeAverage CostTypical Range
80 square feet$5,760$1,920 – $9,600
144 square feet$10,370$3,460 – $17,280
200 square feet$14,400$4,800 – $24,000
224 square feet$16,130$5,380 – $27,880
300 square feet$21,600$7,200 – $36,000
350 square feet$25,200$8,400 – $42,000
400 square feet$28,000$9,600 – $48,000

Other Factors That Affect Cost

Of course, size is hardly the only factor that will affect the cost of your porch construction. Whether it’s a miscellaneous cost or a choice regarding the porch itself, there are a great many things you’ll need to consider when determining a good budget for your project.

Type of Porch

There are many different types of porches and porch designs to choose from, whether it’s a simple front stoop, an average front porch, or a wraparound porch that surrounds the entire home. 

Each type of porch has its own cost, and some are more expensive than others. The larger and more complicated the porch, the more expensive it will be, so make sure to budget accordingly. Here are some of the different types of porches, ordered from least expensive to most expensive.

  • Front Stoop
  • Portico
  • Rain Porch
  • Back Porch
  • Lanai
  • Sunroom
  • Sleeping Porch
  • Wraparound
  • Veranda

Parts of the Porch

When building your porch, each individual part will carry its own price point. The basic parts of a porch are the flooring, porch roof, steps, railing, and posts or columns. They might not be listed individually on your bill, but their labor and material costs can still be factored in when making your budget. 

The cost of these different parts will vary depending on what material they’re made out of. The roof and any posts or columns you add will likely be the same material as the rest of the porch, so their material prices will be the same, but others like the floor, steps, and railings can use other materials. 

Placement

The price of a porch can vary depending on where on your house you’re building it onto. For example, if there’s anything above it, such as a balcony, the cost will go up. The same can be said if the porch is on the second floor as opposed to the first.

Permits

Before you can start on your porch, you’ll need to get a building permit for the construction. Costs for a permit vary depending on where you live and what they’re for, but on average, you can expect to pay about $190.

Materials

Another big factor that will affect the cost of your porch is the building material. There are a few different types of materials to choose from, each with their own price point. 

Wooden porches are a classic, but metals such as steel are also good options. Expect to pay between $1.00 and $5.00 per square foot for wood materials and $2.00 to $4.00 per square foot for steel. 

Porch Features

If you have the budget to spare, you can also tack on some additional features to your porch, such as heating or electrical hookups. Everything you add on to your porch will increase the cost, but they may be worth the price if you plan to use it frequently. Even if you don’t want to install them initially, you can take some time to consider them and add them after the porch is finished.

Some features will also require hiring an additional contractor. If you want electricity in your porch, for example, you’ll need to hire an electrician to ensure it’s hooked up properly up to building codes.

FeatureTypical Average Price
Solar Screening$6.25 per square foot
Motorized Screens$3000 per unit
Electrical Installation$400
Heating$545
Ceiling Fans$300

Time of Year

A surprising factor that will affect the cost of your porch is the time of year you build it. Contractors are busiest during the warm spring and summer months, so if you start outside of this time, you’ll have an easier time of scheduling and may be able to get a better price.

The slow season for contractors is winter. Therefore, this is the time of year you stand to get the best price. Keep in mind, however, that building a porch involves setting a concrete slab for a foundation, and if the ground is frozen, you may not be able to.

Related Services

While you’re installing your new porch, there are a few other services that you may need during or after construction. These come with their own price points and will likely be unavoidable, so make sure you factor them into your budget.

Land Grading

Before you can even start construction on a porch, you might need to grade the land it will be built on. Grading is the process of leveling land for construction. Depending on the terrain of your yard and its landscaping, the ground might need to be raised or lowered. This will likely need to be done professionally and will cost about $0.08 to $2.00 per square foot, totaling $16 to $400 for a 200-square-foot porch.

Pest Control

A service that you may not think about when building a porch is pest control. If you have fire ants, wasps, or other pests in the space you’re planning to put your porch, you’ll need to get rid of them before construction so that you don’t put yourself or others at risk. There also may be bigger critters hanging around that you may want to relocate more humanely.

The cost of pest control will vary depending on the pest in question. For example, wasp removal costs an average of $435, while ants cost $185. If they move in after the porch is completed, you may also need to deal with termites, which typically costs about $558.

Porch Repair

After everything is said and done with your porch, it will need periodic repairs. The cost of repairing your porch will vary depending on what needs to be done. If it’s bad enough, you may need to tear down your porch and completely rebuild it again, in which case the cost would be similar to what you paid to build it the first time.

The average cost of repairing a porch is $2,365. Smaller fixes such as a broken board will be cheaper to fix, while big ones such as a collapsed roof will see the cost go up exponentially. If it’s an issue with the foundation, the entire porch may have to be replaced.

Porch Screening

While it’s not a necessity, screening for your porch is a good add-on that carries numerous benefits. It helps to keep insects out and heat in, and can protect your porch from rain to some degree. Building a screened-in porch will increase the cost, taking the typical range up to $6,480 to $26,490 as opposed to one without screening.

The cost of adding screening to your porch, whether you add it when it’s built or later on, varies with the cost of materials. There are a few different materials that porch screening is typically made out of, and each has its own price per square foot.

MaterialAverage Price per Square Foot
Fiberglass$0.15
Aluminum$0.30
Polyester$0.60
Stainless Steel$1.00
Brass$6.00

Pro Cost vs. DIY Cost

While it might be tempting to try and save costs on building a porch with DIY, it’s not a very good idea. Unless you’re a trained and licensed professional, you could severely hurt yourself or others. It’s best to let a contractor handle the task of constructing your porch to avoid any serious mishaps.

Cost of Building a Porch by Location

Another big factor in the cost of building your porch is your location. The farther that materials have to be shipped and contractors have to travel, the more the price will increase. In addition, areas with a higher cost of living will see the total increase further.

Your area may also have other factors that will affect the cost of building your porch. For example, if you have a soil type that’s difficult to work with, the cost will likely go up. Areas with frequent storms will require a gutter system on the porch, which will further add on to the cost.

FAQ About Building a Porch

What is the difference between a porch, a deck, and a patio?

The difference between a porch and a deck is that a porch has a roof whereas a deck does not. The difference between a porch and a patio is that a porch is connected to the house and a patio is not.

Is adding a porch to my property worth the cost?

Ultimately, it’s up to you as the homeowner to decide whether the cost of constructing a porch is worth it or not. If you like spending time outdoors, it might be worth the expense to have a dedicated space where you can be outside but still enjoy some shelter.

A porch will also add value, curb appeal, and living space to a house. If you have a porch installed, you can expect the selling price of your home to go up somewhat if you decide to sell. While you likely won’t recover every dollar you spend, porches do tend to have a high return on investment.

Are there any drawbacks to installing a porch?

There are some, yes. The increased home value means that you may pay more in property taxes. A porch with heating or electricity will add to your monthly utilities. You’ll also have to maintain and clean the porch periodically.

Final Thoughts

With its average $14,400 price and $4,800 to $24,000 typical range, building a porch is a pricey project for a homeowner, but still not the most expensive one they can tackle. Shop around for quotes from multiple sources so that you can ensure you’re getting the best price on your home improvement project. If you don’t know where to start when it comes to building a porch, reach out to your local professionals to get started.

Note: LawnStarter may get a referral fee for matching you with contractors in your area.

Main Image Credit: Jetelfer / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Austin Geiger

Austin Geiger

Austin Geiger is a lover of all things nature. He enjoys writing comprehensive, easy-to-swallow articles about pest management solutions, landscaping tips, and ways for people to help their local pollinators.