A front entry is the first thing visitors see and the part of the house that takes the most weather. A portico puts a roof over the door so you are not standing in the rain looking for your keys. A covered front porch adds room for a bench, a pair of chairs or a swing.
We design each one to look like it was built with the house. That means matching the roof pitch and shingles, sizing the columns to the front of the house, and choosing trim that fits the existing windows and doors.
Portico, Covered Porch or Screened Porch
| Type | What it is | A good fit when |
|---|---|---|
| Portico | A small roof over the front door, carried on two or more columns | You want shelter and curb appeal at the entry |
| Covered front porch | A deeper roofed space across part or all of the front of the house | You want room to sit outside at the front |
| Screened porch | A roofed room with screens, usually at the back of the house | You want an outdoor room without the bugs. See screened porches. |
Built to Last at the Front Door
- Footings dug below the frost line and inspected before framing starts
- Framing tied into the house, with flashing where the new roof meets the wall
- PVC and composite columns, wraps and trim that will not rot or need repainting every few years
- Shingles matched to the house, with gutters where water would otherwise land on the steps
Common options include gable, hip and arched roofs, square or round columns, beadboard or tongue-and-groove ceilings, recessed lighting, and new stone or brick steps.
Which roof style suits my house?
The roof should follow the lines the house already has. A gable roof, the triangle shape, suits most colonials and matches the gables on the main roof. A hip roof slopes down on all three sides and sits lower against a second-floor window. An arched roof softens a flat brick front and frames a door with a transom or sidelights. We sketch the options against a photo of your house so you can see them before you choose.
How big should the columns be?
Bigger than most people expect. Columns that are too thin make a portico look like an afterthought, especially on a two-story front. We size them to the height of the roof and the width of the entry, and we wrap them in PVC or composite so they stay straight and painted without the rot that ends most wood columns at the base.
Can the porch fix a tired front of the house?
Often it is the best single change for one. A plain door between two windows looks like a builder's starting point; give it a roof, columns, a finished ceiling and lights, and the house reads as finished. If the steps are cracked or the walk has heaved, that is the time to rebuild them too, so the new entry sits on new stone.
How Your Portico Gets Built
- Design visit. We look at the front of the house, the roofline and the steps, and talk through roof style, columns and finishes.
- Written proposal. You get the portico design, the trim and column materials, and one firm price on paper.
- Permit and HOA. We submit the drawings to the county and send your HOA the drawings and product sheets its board wants.
- Footings and framing. Footings go in and are inspected, then the frame and roof go up and tie into the house.
- Columns, trim and cleanup. We finish the columns, trim, ceiling and lighting, schedule the final inspection and clean up the site.
Finish the Approach
A new portico looks best with a front walk that leads straight to it. Our masons build walkways and stone steps to fit the new entry, and if the back of the house needs a room too, see screened porches.
