Putting on a front porch to a home - cost?

[RyDogg66]

I have a modest home in Oshkosh, WI. Here is a pic.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/RyDogg66/HouseFrontPorch.jpg

 

Whoops. hope that isnt too huge.

 

Anyway, I want to pull out those ugly green shrubs and contract someone to build a front porch from the far left to just past the two windows to the right of the front door. I dont want to waste someone's time if I cannot afford this anytime soon. What would something like this cost?

[RyDogg66]

Before someone posts that it will depend on what type of porch, let me post these pics to illustrate what I am looking for.

http://yosthomesco.com/images/2story_front%20porch.JPG

http://everse.org/littlechicago/images/front_porch1.jpg

[lodiness]

The one thing that I would check into is using Trex or composit for the deck boards. You never have to stain them, and there is a 20 year warranty on them. I would suggest doing the flooring and handrails in this material. I used it on my rental, and couldn't be happier. The big thing is cost, which is about 4-5 times the cost of a regular 2x4. Think I paid around $46 for a 16ft 2x4. The plus is no maintinance. I had regular wood steps on before this, and I had to paint them every year. Another thing about this material is that it tends to fade a bit, so the color that you initially put on, will turn lighter over time if it sits in the sun a lot. Another plus is when I had it reappraised, the appraisor said that the material also adds on a lot of value to your property.

[brewers4eric]

I replaced my deck last year. A friend of mine directed me to a Timber Tech website. You can develop a plan and materials list with a free software download. It will also give you an idea of the colors of composite material that are available. Once you have your materials list, you can do some cost comparisons. Most Menards stores provide you with access to similar software within the store, but you will pay for the final design plans.

 

In my case, I priced the composite lumber and got a case of sticker shock. I liked the maintenance free concept, but wasn't ready to shell out the dough. I'll be staining my deck annually. Plus, if I get frustrated with a Brewers loss, I have the option of ripping the deck apart piece by piece and burning it in my driveway.

[jwill535]

I would go with Trex, Timber Tech or Azek would be the brands I would go with. Both offer decking and railing. As for the rest of your porch, I would say it would be about 1500-2000 for the deck it self with out the decking. You would need to knock out your front stoop, add a ledger board and the rest of the framing plus footings for the front portions. I would probably add 1.5-2x that for the columns and over hang due to having to cut into your siding and attach it to your house. To be safe I would guess it would be around $5-7000. That is a broad guess, but with out knowing exactly what you have going on there. There are so many builders out there begging for work that you should get 3-5 bids, and never take the lowest price.

 

One thing I would check though is with the city in regards to how close to the property line(sidewalk) you can be. You are set back a ways, but you never know with city ordiences.

[Chio151]

Yeah, I'd say you'd start at 5000 for just a low-end guy to do it. To match the really nice look of your house seamlessly, I'd think more.

 

Contractors may vary quite a bit, so I'd look at some free estimates. There are also some services that allow you to do some work yourself to save money.